re painful to see. She set her slim hands together. "Oh, I can't
answer you now, but I know you are wrong--wickedly wrong!"

Jennie again broke the intensity of the silence by saying: "Two big men
against one little woman isn't fair. I object to having the Indian
problem settled over cold coffee. Mr. Lawson, stop preaching!"

"Miss Colson is abundantly able to take care of herself," said Slicer,
and the other teachers, who had handed over their cause to their ablest
advocate, chorused approval.

Curtis, who sat with deeply meditative eyes fixed on Miss Colson, now
said: "It all depends on what we are trying to do for these people.
Personally, I am not concerned about the future life of my wards. I want
to make them healthy and happy, here and now."

"Time's up!" cried Jennie, and led the woman out into the safe harbor of
the sitting-room.

After they had lighted their cigars, Lawson said privately to Curtis:
"Now there's a girl with too much moral purpose--just as Elsie is
spoiled by too little. However, I prefer a wholesome pagan to a morbid
Christian."

"It's rather curious," Curtis replied. "Miss Colson is a pretty girl--a
very pretty girl; but I can't quite imagine a man being in love with
her. What could you do with such inexorable moral purpose? You couldn't
put your arm round it, could you?"

"You'd have to hang her up by a string, like one of these toy angels the
Dutch put atop their Christmas-trees. The Tetongs fairly dread to see
her coming--they think she's deranged."

"I know it--the children go to her with reluctance; she doesn't seem
wholesome to them, as Miss Diehl does. And yet I can't discharge her."

"Naturally not! You'd hear from the missionary world. Think of it! 'I
find Miss Colson too pious, please take her away.'" Both men laughed at
the absurdity of this, and Lawson went on: "I wished a dozen times
during dinner that Elsie Bee Bee had been present. It would have given
her a jolt to come in contact with such inartistic, unshakable
convictions."

"She would have been here, only her resentment towards me is still very
strong."

"She has it in for you, sure thing. I can't budge her," said Lawson,
smiling. "She's going to have you removed the moment she reaches
Washington."

"I have moments when I think I'd like to be removed," said Curtis, as he
turned towards Mr. Slicer and his other guests. "Suppose we go into the
library, gentlemen."

VI

CURTIS SEEKS A TRUCE

"Our ar