"Hasn't he been to our socials before?"
"Oh yes; twice, I think. Jennie Capron has to depend on him for an escort; and so he comes in the line of his work, just as he does everything else. He doesn't seem to enjoy them much."
"Suppose you introduce me?" said the minister; and young Shirley, much amazed, complied.
Meantime, while they were making their way to his side, little Minnie Capron, who had been standing near them, sped away to the young man, who was a friend of hers, and whispered—
"Callie! O Callie! Mr. Butler has been asking Ben Shirley all about you, and he wants to be introduced to you, and they are coming now."
"All right, little one," said the young man cheerily; "only don't tell them we know it," and he received the promised introduction with a broad smile on his face.
Nobody knew better than Mr. Butler how to be genial when he chose, or, more properly speaking, when he thought of it; so young Carey Martyn, who had felt somewhat sore over the thought that even the minister had overlooked him, thawed under the bright and cordial greeting, and was presently willing to cross the room to Louise and receive another introduction.
"Mrs. Morgan wants to meet you," said the minister as they went toward her. "She specially desired an introduction."
And the young fellow's heart warmed at the idea: he was not to be quite left out in the cold, then, if he did drive Mr. Capron's horses and work for his board. That is the way in which he had interpreted the thoughtlessness of the young people. He was proud, this young man—a good many young men are, intensely and sensitively proud, about a hundred little things of which no one save themselves is thinking; and thus they make hard places in their lives which might just as well be smooth.
Mr. Butler, having performed his duty, immediately left the two to make each other's acquaintance, and went himself to hunt out a new face that he had seen in the crowd. He was beginning to feel that there were ways of making church socials helpful.