III + 

For two Sundays now Elmer had striven to impress Lulu not only as an efficient young prophet but as a desirable man. There were always too many people about. Only once did he have her alone. They walked half a mile then to call on a sick old woman. On their way Lulu had fluttered at him (gray-and-white kitten in a close bonnet of soft fuzzy gray, which he wanted to stroke). + 

“I suppose you’re just bored to death by my sermons,” he fished. + 

“Oh, nnnno! I think they’re just wonderful!” + 

“Do you, honest?” + 

“Honest, I do!” + 

He looked down at her childish face till he had caught her eyes, then, jocularly: + 

“My, but this wind is making the little cheeks and the cute lips awful red! Or I guess maybe some fella must of been kissing ’em before church!” + 

“Oh, no⁠—” + 

She looked distressed, almost frightened. + 

“Whoa up!” he counseled himself. “You’ve got the wrong track. Golly, I don’t believe she’s as much of a fusser as I thought she was. Really is kinda innocent. Poor kid, shame to get her all excited. Oh, thunder, won’t hurt her a bit to have a little educated lovemaking!” + 

He hastily removed any possible blots on his clerical reputation: + 

“Oh, I was joking. I just meant⁠—be a shame if as lovely a girl as you weren’t engaged. I suppose you are engaged, of course?” + 

“No. I liked a boy here awfully, but he went to Cleveland to work, and I guess he’s kind of forgotten me.” + 

“Oh, that is really too bad!” + 

Nothing could be stronger, more dependable, more comforting, than the pressure of his fingers on her arm. She looked grateful; and when she came to the sickroom and heard Brother Gantry pray, long, fervently, and with the choicest words about death not really mattering nor really hurting (the old woman had cancer) then Lulu also looked worshipful. + 

On their way back he made his final probe: + 

“But even if you aren’t engaged, Sister Lulu, I’ll bet there’s a lot of the young fellows here that’re crazy about you.” + 

“No, honest there aren’t. Oh, I go round some with a second cousin of mine⁠—Floyd Naylor⁠—but, my! he’s so slow, he’s no fun.” + 

The Rev. Mr. Gantry planned to provide fun. + 