He looked at her for a moment thoughtfully, trying to bridge in his thoughts this difference between them. Then he said quite humbly, "Will you take me with you?"
"To church?" she asked, and there was a glad ring in her voice. Would he really go to church with her?
"Yes, and to Sunday School if I may. I haven't been to Sunday School in years. I'd like to go if you'll only let me."
Her cheeks grew rosy. She had a quick mental picture of putting him in Deacon Pettigrew's Bible class.
"I'm afraid there isn't any class you would enjoy," she began with a troubled look. "It's only a little country church, you know. They don't have all the modern system, and very few teachers."
"I should enjoy going into your class very much if I might."
"Oh, mine are just boys, just little boys like Harley!" said Shirley, aghast.
"I've been a little boy once, you know I should enjoy it very much," said the applicant with satisfaction.
"Oh, but--I couldn't teach _you_!" There was dismay in her voice.
"Couldn't you, though? You've taught me more in the few months I've known you than I've learned in that many years from others. Try me. I'll be very good. I'll be a boy with the rest of them, and you can just forget I'm there and go ahead. I really am serious about it. I want to hear what you have to say to them."
"Oh, I couldn't teach with you there!" exclaimed Shirley, putting her hands on her hot cheeks and looking like a frightened little child. "Indeed I couldn't, really. I'm not much of a teacher. I'm only a beginner. I shouldn't know how to talk before any but children."
He watched her silently for a minute, his face grave with wistfulness.
"Why do you teach them?" he asked rather irrelevantly.
"Because--why, because I want to help them to live right lives; I want to teach them how to know God."
"Why?"
"So that they will be saved. Because it was Christ's command that His disciples should give the message. I am His disciple, so I have to tell the message."
"Was there any special stipulation as to whom that message should be given?" asked the young man thoughtfully. "Did He say you were just to give it to those boys?"
"Why, no; it was to be given to--all the world, every creature." Shirley spoke the words hesitatingly, a dimple beginning to show in her cheek as her eyelids drooped over her shy eyes.
"And don't I come in on that?" asked Graham, with a twinkle that reminded Shirley of his father.