rength it was plain that at last
he was approaching defeat.

Duncan Polite strove to bring about a peaceable settlement. He
counselled yielding.

"It will be a great sin in the Lord's sight, Andra," he said
pleadingly, "these wranglings among his own people. 'Peace be within
thy walls, oh Zion!' that will be the will of the Master and, indeed, I
will be thinking if we would jist all be of the right mind, this organ
would be a source of blessing, and like David's harp that drove the
evil spirits from Saul."

Andrew gave a derisive snort. "If ye can see ony similarity between
David and yon bit, gigglin' light-headed lass o' Donald Fraser's that
thinks she's to play the thing, ye're michty far seein', Duncan. And
ye ken weel if the Gospel does na' touch them, they'll no be converted
by a few bit worldly squeaks from a music-boax. No, it's jist all
vanity, Duncan, jist vanity, an' we'll no hae the thing in Maister
Cameron's church as lang as Ah've gotten the use o' ma' arms!"

But the organ party went on collecting money unheedingly, and Duncan
was in despair. He appealed to Donald, but found very little
satisfaction. Donald was working hard in the harvest fields, and came
to Glenoro very seldom. Duncan could not but guess the reason; the
minister's attentions to Jessie Hamilton were growing more marked every
day. Wherever he looked Duncan could see signs of trouble, which he
was powerless to avert.

The great day arrived when the sum of money was complete. At the next
Endeavour meeting they would make all arrangements for purchasing the
organ. Mr. Egerton preached a very clever and caustic sermon that
Sabbath upon narrow-mindedness, and Duncan Polite's face was drawn with
pain as he listened.

On Monday evening, the night before the final and crucial meeting the
young minister was walking briskly down the road from the Oa. He had
been taking tea with one of his most friendly families and had stayed
rather late playing croquet with the young ladies. As he went along
the winding thoroughfare it suddenly occurred to him that he could save
time if he went over the fields and through the woods, coming out on
the road again just above the Glen. He was over the fence in an
instant and crossing the dusky fields, the sharp stubble of the wheat
clicking against his feet as he walked. Then he crossed a
sweet-scented pasture, with the dim, shadowy outlines of the cows lying
here and there, the stillness broken n