meetin' 'long of them. When they was goin' down the slope of the hill to the house they hearn screams an' sobs so piti'ble like they was 'feared to go on. But they pushed ahead, an' when they come to knock the sounds hushed up an' it growed so still they could 'a' hearn a whisper inside. Dan Bittern, he opened the door, an' peek as they might, they couldn't see ary one of the girls, an' when they as't fur them he says, gruff, like a dog, he s'posed they'd gone to meetin'. So they went on to the meetin', but the Bittern girls wasn't thur, of course not. Next day at school, Polly, she as't Dianthy about it. An', would youuns believe me? That girl, she looked Polly straight in the eye, an' tolt off a lie jest as slick as anything. She claimed. her 'n' Stelle'd ben havin' a game of romps together, an' they got high, a-screechin' an' a-hollerin', an' when the knock come they hid, thinkin' it were some of the boys come a-callin', an' bein' plagued to show thurselves, after bein' ketched hollerin' thata-way. An' Stelle, she tolt off the same story, like she'd learnt it by heart. 'Queer

game of romps, thet,' says I, when Polly come an' tolt me.

66

'You can't someways blame the girls for bein' flirty, an' clairin' out from house 'n' home every whip stitch when thur's a chanc't fur a good time. I'd do more, I'd stay claired out if I was them. 'F I were Dianthy I'd git me a man right soon, an' set up in my own house whur I'd git shed o' my paw, an' be let be. She'd do better to take up with Raleigh Post than with ary boy of Crimp's. Raleigh'd make a good man fur Dianthy. Them two youngest boys of Post's is reel smart, stiddy boys, if they do be Posts. Raleigh ain't like Art. He lays off to teach our school one of these days, so he do. He's right bright at figgers, an' he's the best speller in school. But Dianthy don't keers no more fur Raleigh bein' 'round than she does fur a fly buzzin' at her yur. Thur's another that 'ud marry her to-morrow, if she'd have him, an' that's Phil Schuyler. Her'n Phil 'ud make a toler❜ble good match. He's one of these fellers that's allus got his mouth stretched fur a laugh-he's a awful tease. But he's

dretful slow with his sparkin'; he ain't in no hurry; he's waitin' fur Soph to git out o' his way-an' every other feller; he ain't never goin' to say the word till he's sure of his girl. He's foreman of a big cattleranch north-like of hyur, an' he owns quite a few head of cattle in his own right. Thur's some that says he's clos't-fisted with his money, an' thur's others that says he drinks. some he goes off on a spree onc't in a while an' never comes back till he's all bunged up; but that don't happen very often. He's reel stiddy, mostly. I'd take Phil rather'n stay 'long o' my paw, if I were Dianthy. I'd take Hal Hopper, yes I would!" warmly protested Mrs. Bunt at a laugh from Polly. "I can't someways make out why Hal don't take with you young folks. Thur ain't nothin' the matter of him 'cep'in' he's scairt of hisself, an' easy deviled; an' he's a little queer. It appears like the boys is all down on him, an' the girls won't ary one of 'em go with him. But if Dianthy don't quit foolin' with Soph she'll git left. Her chanc't to git married ain't a-goin' to last long. She's growin'

old, an' she's begun to show her age in her face. She ain't as young as she use' to be. The fellars'll begin to shy off after awhiles."

A light skirmishing of the wind about the door warned the guests to break away from gossip's fascination. An army of tumbleweeds escorted them homeward; a most laughable spectacle it was-countless hulking brown bunches rolling and bouncing and airily skipping across the prairie, all headed north, and marching, almost as if imbued with life, before the wind.

VI

FREE METHODISM VERSUS CAMPBELLITISM.

Already, at the close of its first year, the star of Mr. Crimp's popularity was on the wane. Another form of religion had arisen in Windy Creek; and before the light of the new faith the old was fading away.

One sunny Sabbath morning of the Wood cousins' second September in the rain-belt, two congregations filled the school-house, each expectant of a sermon from its own particular shepherd. The forces had met; the opposing factions, worshipping here on alternate Sundays, to-day had clashed, owing to some blunder in the notices given out. Their leaders were late in coming; and, moved by a spirit of contention long harbored, the waiting flocks fell to disputing.

While their elders wrangled, the young people, sitting together now on benches.