So the girls rushed to the table, and when Rosalie was happily immersed in her soup, Doris said, rather shyly: "I am glad you spoke of the blessing, Rosalie, for--I want to say something about that myself, and I haven't had the nerve, though I have been thinking of it for quite a while. I think it is a shame for us preachers to sit down and eat without giving thanks, just because father is not here to do the talking for us." Rosalie paused, spoon lifted in mid-air. "Mercy, General, are you brave enough to tackle that?" "I agree with you, Doris," said Zee promptly. "I feel like a heathen when we eat without the blessing. And I think you and Rosalie ought to be ashamed of yourselves." "I am willing to take my turn," said Treasure, "if you won't be critical." "Why, Treasure, you dear little thing. Then is it all settled that we take turns giving thanks when father is away? For I believe father thinks we do it right along, and I should be ashamed to let him know we don't." "I can't--I am too young," said Zee bashfully. "You aren't too young to thank father when he gives you a nickel." "Well, I will try it once, but I speak for the last turn. And if Rosalie so much as smiles I'll never do it--" "Say, do you think I am an infidel?" demanded Rosalie indignantly. "Of course I shall not smile. Go ahead, then, General, begin." She dropped her spoon and shut her eyes. "Maybe--shall we--do you think I ought to--" "Let's draw cuts to see who takes the first plunge," cried Zee. "I'll hold the straws while the rest of you draw." "Zee, sit down. I am surprised at you. We must not draw cuts about the blessing. I will begin." Doris looked anxiously about the table, scanning her sisters' faces for signs of amusement, but they were preternaturally grave and earnest. So in a meek and lowly voice, in a manner that spoke of anything but a pharisaical blasting of trumpets, Doris asked a blessing on their food. And the girls sighed with satisfaction when she said Amen, proclaiming their comfort in having conformed to the ministerial proprieties, and kept the sanctity of the manse intact. "We had a perfectly ducky time to-day," said Rosalie, while Doris was refilling her plate with soup. "We got a half a bushel of nuts apiece, and Bert gave me his besides, on condition that I invite him to help eat them once a week." "By the way, who went nutting to-day, anyhow?" asked Zee suddenly. "We did--our college bunch." "It was not your Sunday-school class, was it?" Rosalie flashed a questioning look at her sister. "No, it was not the class--exactly," she said reluctantly. "The girls are in my class, though." "Was it the whole class?" persisted Zee. "Why are you asking so many questions? What difference does it make to you who went? Whatever made you think of the Sunday-school class anyhow?"