May I ?" "Certainly." He turned away as Nellie, with apparent unconsciousness, seated herself on the bank, and removed her shoes and stockings.

When she had dabbled her feet a few moments in the pool, she said over her shoulder-- "We can talk just as well, can't we ?" "Certainly." "Well, then, why didn't you come to church more often, and why didn't you think of telling father that you were convicted of sin and wanted to be baptized ?" "I don't know," hesitated the young man.
"Well, you lost the chance of having father convert you, baptize you, and take you into full church fellowship." "I never thought--" he began.
"You never thought.

Aren't you a Christian ?" "I suppose so." "He supposes so! Have you no convictions--no profession ?" "But, Nellie, I never thought that you--" "Never thought that I--what?
Do you think that I could ever be anything to a man who did not believe in justification by faith, or in the covenant of church fellowship?
Do you think father would let me ?" In his eagerness to defend himself he stepped to her side.

But seeing her little feet shining through the dark water, like outcroppings of delicately veined quartz, he stopped embarrassed.

Miss Nellie, however, leaped to one foot, and, shaking the other over the pool, put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself.