Part 16 (1/2)

”What of that? Do you want it?” And Ralph's hand was in his pocket.

Abbie turned with almost a s.h.i.+ver from the counter. ”I hope not, Ralph,” she said with sudden energy. ”I hope I may never be so unworthy of my trust as to make such a wicked use of money.” Then more lightly, ”You are worse than Queen Ester here, and her advice is bewildering enough.”

”But, Abbie, how can you be so absurd,” said that young lady, returning to the charge. ”Those are not very expensive, I am sure, at least not for you; and you certainly want some very nice ones. I'm sure if I had one-third of your spending money I shouldn't need to hesitate.”

Abbie's voice was very low and sweet, and reached only her cousin's ear. ”Ester, 'the silver and the gold are _His_,' and I have asked Him this very morning to help me in every little item to be careful of His trust. Now do you think--” But Ester had turned away in a vexed uncomfortable state of mind, and walked quite to the other end of the store, leaving Abbie to complete her purchases as she might see fit.

She leaned against the door, tapping her fingers in a very softly, but very nervous manner against the gla.s.s. How queer it was that in the smallest matters she and Abbie could not agree? How was it possible that the same set of rules could govern them both? And the old ever-recurring question came up to be thought over afresh. Clearly they were unlike--utterly unlike. Now was Abbie right and she wrong?

or was Abbie--no, not wrong, the word would certainly not apply; there absolutely _could_ be no wrong connected with Abbie's way. Well, then, queer!--unlike other people, unnecessarily precise--studying the right and wrong of matters, which she had been wont to suppose had no moral bearing of any sort, rather which she had never given any attention to? While she waited and queried, her eye caught a neat little card-receiver hanging near her, apparently filled with cards, and bearing in gilt lettering, just above them, the winning words: ”FREE TO ALL. TAKE ONE.” This was certainly a kindly invitation; and Ester's curiosity being aroused as to what all this might be for, she availed herself of the invitation, and drew with dainty fingers a small, neat card from the case, and read:

I SOLEMNLY AGREE,

_As G.o.d Shall Help Me_:

1. To observe regular seasons of secret prayer, it least in the morning and evening of each day.

2. To read daily at least a small portion of the Bible.

3. To attend at one or more prayer-meetings every week, if I have strength to get there.

4. To stand up for Jesus always and everywhere.

5. To try to save at least one soul each year.

6. To engage in no amus.e.m.e.nt where my Savior could not be a guest.

Had the small bit of card-board been a coal of fire it could not have been more suddenly dropped upon the marble before her than was this, as Ester's startled eyes took in its meaning. Who could have written those sentences? and to be placed there in a conspicuous corner of a fas.h.i.+onable store? Was she never to be at peace again? Had the world gone wild? Was this an emanation from Cousin Abbie's brain, or were there many more Cousin Abbies in what she had supposed was a wicked city, or--oh painful question, which came back hourly nowadays, and seemed fairly to chill her blood--was this religion, and had she none of it? Was her profession a mockery, her life a miserably acted lie?

”Is that thing hot?” It was Ralph's amused voice which asked this question close beside her.

”What? Where?” And Ester turned in dire confusion.

”Why that bit of paper--or is it a ghostly communication from the world of spirits? You look startled enough for me to suppose anything, and it spun away from your grasp very suddenly. Oh,” he added, as he glanced it through, ”rather ghostly, I must confess, or would be if one were inclined that way; but I imagined your nerves were stronger.

Did the p.r.o.noun startle you?”

”How?”

”Why I thought perhaps you considered yourself committed to all this solemnity before your time, or w.i.l.l.y-nilly, as the children say. What a comical idea to hang one's self up in a store in this fas.h.i.+on. I must have one of these. Are you going to keep yours?” And as he spoke he reached forward and possessed himself of one of the cards. ”Rather odd things to be found in our possession, wouldn't they be? Abbie now would be just one of this sort.”

That cold s.h.i.+ver trembled again through Ester's frame as she listened.

Clearly he did not reckon her one of ”that sort.” He had known her but one day, and yet he seemed positive that she stood on an equal footing with himself. Oh why was it? How did he know? Was her manner then utterly unlike that of a Christian, so much so that this young man saw it already, or was it that gla.s.s of wine from which she had sipped last evening?--and at this moment she would have given much to be back where she thought herself two weeks ago, on the wine question; but she stood silent and let him talk on, not once attempting to define her position--partly because there had crept into her mind this fearful doubt, unaccompanied by the prayer:

”If I've never loved before, Help me to begin to-day”--

and partly, oh poor Ester, because she was utterly unused to confessing her Savior; and though not exactly ashamed of him, at least she would have indignantly denied the charge, yet it was much less confusing to keep silence, and let others think as they would--this had been her rule, she followed it now, and Ralph continued:

”Queer world this? Isn't it? How do you imagine our army would have prospered if one-fourth of the soldiers had been detailed for the purpose of coaxing the rest to follow their leader and obey orders?

That's what it seems to me the so-called Christian world is up to.

Does the comical side of it ever strike you, Ester? Positively I can hardly keep from laughing now and then to hear the way in which Dr.