"I think not. Why?"
"There is nobody there and the door is looked."
Lou laughed as she answered, "Oh, is that all? You are too early by half an hour!"
"That can't be," answered Mabel; "the meeting was to be at seven o'clock, and it is ten minutes after now."
"Oh, well, you see they come when they get ready. You'll soon find out. There's Deacon Griffin now; he has the key, and he will unlock the door, and go away. Deacon Holt will come pretty soon, and look in, and go away; then Mrs. Culver and Mrs. Gibson will go in, and wait, taking the opportunity to talk over the state of things in the church, and outside, too. Dr. Myers will come next, with the evening paper; he will lean against the fence and read while he waits. About half-past seven, Mr. Clarke will be on hand (he has tried the door once before you came); the deacons will come back, and a few more will drop in, and the meeting will begin."
"Dear me!" said Mabel, at the close of Lou's rattling explanation. "What shall I do? I don't like promenading up and down the street waiting for meeting to begin, and I don't like to go there and sit alone in that great forlorn room."
"I was going to call upon Mrs. Lewis," responded Lou, "but if you like, we will go in now and set a good example for the minister and the deacons."
"Is that the way you always do at your meetings?" asked Mabel, as she and Lou walked down the street toward Mr. Wynn's store, where Michael was to wait for her. "Don't any of the lady teachers ever say anything?"
"Why, no! That is, not aloud," answered Lou, laughing.
"I declare," continued Mabel. "I could hardly keep still. There were half a dozen things I wanted to ask, and one or two suggestions I should have made; but I was a newcomer, and no one else said anything, so I didn't dare."