"Don't fail to be at rehearsal," she called, lest he should think her leave-taking abrupt. But she would not look back, for her eyes were full of tears. Hazard walked thoughtfully on towards the house, which he reached just as a woman drove to the front entrance. It was the woman who went under the name of Mrs. Smithers, and she had driven over from Samoset after Mr. Putnam. CHAPTER XVI. THE CHURCH AT SAMOSET. The road to Samoset was up hill and down hill, and altogether uneven; but it lay through a lovely country, just now colored with those soft hues autumn wears before her gorgeous gala dress is ready. Beside the way the squirrels leaped and chattered in the Sunday stillness as our friends drove to church. Flossy had proposed that they call for Ease Apthorpe; and her cousin, who had been secretly wishing her to make this suggestion, assented with alacrity. Ease yielded to the temptation of a ride on so beautiful an afternoon, and abandoned her own for the Unitarian service at Samoset. In spite of Mrs. Sanford's reflections upon the narrowness of modern buggies, the seat of their carriage proved wide enough for the three, perhaps because Ease, like Flossy, was rather small. Halfway between Montfield and Samoset the country-road crossed a large brook, which was known as Wilk's Run. It was deep and swift, being fed by springs among the hills; and it foamed along its channel, fretting at every bowlder, with a sense of its own importance, little more reasonable than if it had been gifted with human intelligence. The banks of the stream were rough, and broken with miniature coves and shallows, cliffs and caves, where the schoolchildren, picnicking or playing truant, frolicked joyously. "Do you remember, Will," Ease said, as our friends halted upon the bridge to look up and down the Run, "do you remember the May Day when we hid Sol Shankland's pea-shooter in the hole in the rock?" "I think I do," he returned, laughing. "He pelted Selina Brown until she threatened to drown herself; and Emily Purdy inquired if we supposed Mrs. Brown would get to the funeral in time to be called with the mourners." "I wonder if the thing is there now," continued Ease. "That was--why, it was seven years ago: think of it!" "We might see," Will suggested. "We are early enough." "It would be such fun!" "You don't mind staying with the horse, do you, Floss?" Will asked. "Oh, no! I shall drive on if I do. I know the road to Samoset perfectly." "Come on, then, Ease: we'll investigate." Off the pair went, laughing and chatting like two children. Flossy waited until they had clambered down the rocky path to the water below the bridge, and then shouted to them. "What is it?" her cousin asked. "I'll call when I come from church," she screamed in reply. Then she deliberately drove off. "By George!" Will exclaimed. "That's just like Floss: I might have known." "What shall we do?" asked his companion in dismay.