"What have you got hold of?" replied Benjamin, when she returned.
"Oh, nothing! It wouldn't interest you."
"All books interest me," announced Benjamin with dignity.
Esther reluctantly gave him the book. He turned over the pages carelessly, then his face grew serious and astonished.
"Esther!" he said, "how did you come by this?"
"One of the girls gave it me in exchange for a stick of slate pencil. She said she got it from the missionaries—she went to their night-school for a lark and they gave her it and a pair of boots as well."
"And you have been reading it?"
"Yes, Benjy," said Esther meekly.
"You naughty girl! Don't you know the New Testament is a wicked book?
Look here! There's the word 'Christ' on nearly every page, and the word
'Jesus' on every other. And you haven't even scratched them out! Oh, if
any one was to catch you reading this book!"
"I don't read it in school hours," said the little girl deprecatingly.