All Hinpoha’s troubles were confided to Nyoda, who sympathized with her entirely, but bade her be of good cheer and hope for the time when Aunt Phoebe would see for herself that the new way was best; and above all to win the respect and liking of her aunt the first thing, as more could be accomplished in this way than by being antagonistic.  “I don’t suppose you could go for a long walk with me Sunday afternoon?” said Nyoda.

Hinpoha shook her head sadly.  “We don’t do anything like that on Sunday,” she answered, with resentment flaming in her eye.  “We go to church morning and evening and in the afternoon I am supposed to read the Bible or a book by a man named Thomas a Kempis.”  Nyoda turned her eyes inward with such a comical expression that Hinpoha forgot her troubles for a moment and laughed.

“The Bible and Thomas a Kempis,” said Nyoda musingly; “where did I hear those two mentioned before?  Oh, I have it!  Did you ever read this anywhere, ’Commit to memory one hundred verses of the Bible or an equal amount of sacred literature, such as Thomas a Kempis’?”

Hinpoha hung her head, still smiling.  “Why, Nyoda,” she said, “there’s a chance to earn an honor bead that I probably wouldn’t have thought of otherwise!”

“Right-o,” said Nyoda. “‘It’s an ill wind,’ you know.  And while you are doing so much Bible reading you will undoubtedly come across something about ‘in the wilderness a cedar,’ and will learn that most waste places can be turned into blooming gardens if we only know how.”

“Thank you,” said Hinpoha, “I always feel less forlorn after a talk with you.”  Her face brightened, but immediately fell again.  “But what good will it do me to work for honors?” she said sadly.  “Aunt Phoebe won’t let me come to the meetings.”

“Won’t she really?” asked Nyoda in surprise.  Hinpoha nodded, near to tears.  “I must see about that,” said Nyoda resolutely.  “I think if I explain the mission and activities of Camp Fire she will not object to your belonging.  She probably has a wrong idea of what it means.”

Accordingly Nyoda came a-calling on Aunt Phoebe that very night.  In addition to being very pretty Nyoda had a great deal of dignity, and when she put on her formal manner she looked very impressive indeed.  She did not act as if she had come to see Hinpoha at all, but asked for “Miss Bradford,” and said she had come to pay her respects to her new neighbor.  She listened politely to Aunt Phoebe’s account of her last siege of rheumatism, admired her crochet work, and hoped she liked this street as well as her former neighborhood.  She said she had often seen Miss Bradford’s name in the papers in connection with various charitable organizations and was very glad to have the honor of meeting the sister of the prominent Judge.  Aunt Phoebe was pleased and flattered at the deference paid her.  But when Nyoda announced herself as the leader of the club to which Hinpoha belonged and asked permission for her to attend the meetings, she refused.  She was perfectly polite about it, and did not mention her antipathy to Camp Fire, and taking refuge behind her favorite excuse, that of being in mourning, stated that she did not wish Hinpoha to go out in society.