"Cherry?" she said startled, her face growing white in the darkness.

The boy nodded, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets and regarding
her with sudden boldness. He opened his lips as if he would speak
further, then thought better of it and closed them again firmly,
dropping his eyes as if he were done with the topic. There was a bit of
silence, then Lynn said gravely: "Perhaps I will," and "Thank you, Billy."

Billy felt as though the balm of Gilead had suddenly been poured over
his tired heart.

"G'night!" he murmured, feeling that he had put his troubles into
capable hands that would care for them, as he would himself.

There had been no word spoken between the minister and Mark as they
went together toward the parsonage, but there had seemed to each to be
a great clearing of the clouds between them, and a tender love
springing anew, with warm understanding and sympathy. Mark felt himself
a boy again, with the minister's arm across his shoulder, and a strong
yearning to confide in this understanding friend, swept over him. If
there had been a quiet place with no one about just then there is no
telling what might have happened to change the story from that point
on, but their silent intercourse was rudely interrupted by the voice of
Laurie Shafton breaking in: "Oh, I say, Mr. Severn, who did you say that man was that could fix
cars? I'd like to call him up and see if he doesn't happen to have some
bearings now. He surely must have returned by this time hasn't he? I'd
like to take these girls a spin. The moon is perfectly gorgeous. We
could go in the lady's car, only it is smaller and I thought I'd ask
your daughter to go along."