Now, this really was a crisis in the life of the parsonage family,—­if not of the parsonage itself.  The girls had met, separately, every member of the Ladies’ Aid.  But this was their first combined movement upon the parsonage, and Prudence and Fairy realized that much depended on the success of the day.  As girls, the whole Methodist church pronounced the young Starrs charming.  But as parsonage people,—­well, they were obliged to reserve judgment.  And as for Prudence having entire charge of the household, it must be acknowledged that every individual Lady looked forward to this meeting with eagerness,—­they wanted to “size up” the situation.  They were coming to see for themselves!  Yes, it was undoubtedly a crisis.

“There’ll be a crowd, of course,” said Fairy.  “We’ll just leave the doors between the front rooms open.”

“Yes, but we’ll close the dining-room doors.  Then we’ll have the refreshments all out on the table, and when we are ready we’ll just fling back the doors carelessly and—­there you are!”

So the table was prettily decorated with flowers, and great plates of sandwiches and cake were placed upon it.  In the center was an enormous punch-bowl, borrowed from the Averys, full of lemonade.  Glasses were properly arranged on the trays, and piles of nicely home-laundered napkins were scattered here and there.  The girls felt that the dining-room was a credit to them, and to the Methodist Church entire.

From every nook and corner of the house they hunted out chairs and stools, anticipating a real run upon the parsonage.  Nor were they disappointed.  The twins and Connie were not even arrayed in their plain little ginghams, clean, before the first arrivals were ushered up into the front bedroom, ordinarily occupied by Prudence and Fairy.

“There’s Mrs. Adams, and Mrs. Prentiss, and Mrs.——­,” began Connie, listening intently to the voices in the next room.

“Yes,” whispered Carol, “peek through the keyhole, Lark, and see if Mrs. Prentiss is looking under the bed for dust.  They say she——­”

“You’d better not let Prudence catch you repeating——­”

“There’s Mrs. Stone, and Mrs. Davis, and——­”

“They say Mrs. Davis only belongs to the Ladies’ Aid for the sake of the refreshments, and——­”

“Carol!  Prudence will punish you.”

“Well, I don’t believe it,” protested Carol.  “I’m just telling you what I’ve heard other people say.”

“We aren’t allowed to repeat gossip,” urged Lark.

“No, and I think it’s a shame, too, for it’s awfully funny.  Minnie Drake told me that Miss Varne joined the Methodist church as soon as she heard the new minister was a widower so she——­”

“Carol!”

Carol whirled around sharply, and flushed, and swallowed hard.  For Prudence was just behind her.

“I—­I—­I—­” but she could get no further.

Upon occasion, Prudence was quite terrible.  “So I heard,” she said dryly, but her eyes were hard.  “Now run down-stairs and out to the field, or to the barn, and play.  And, Carol, be sure and remind me of that speech to-night.  I might forget it.”