stor and Mr. Simpson,
but many mutterings and head-shakings of the latter indicated that all
was not right. No one knew? Perhaps that is hardly correct, for on
Sunday, the sermon over, when Brent looked to find Elizabeth in her
usual place whence they walked home together, she was gone. He bit his
lip and passed on alone, but it rankled within him that she had so
easily believed ill of him.

But he had not seen the last of the Rev. Mr. Simpson's work. It was the
right of five members of the congregation to call a church-meeting, and
when he returned for service in the evening he found upon the pulpit the
written request for such an assembly to be held on Tuesday night.
Heading the list of members was the name of the former pastor, although
this was not needed to tell the young man that it was his work. In anger
he gave out the notice and went on with his duties.

"Somethin' must 'a' riled you to-night, Fred," said Eliphalet when
church was out. "You give 'em a mighty stirrin' touch o' fire. It
'minded me o' that old supply sermon." Brent smiled mirthlessly. He knew
that the same feelings had inspired both efforts.

On Tuesday evening he was early at church, and in the chair, as was the
pastor's place. Early as he was, he did not much precede Mr. Simpson,
who came in, followed by a coterie of his choicest spirits.

When the assembly had been duly called to order, Brent asked, "Will some
one now please state the object of this meeting?"

Mr. Simpson arose.

"Brothers and sisters," he said, "the object of this meeting is a very
simple one. From the time that I began to preach in this church,
twenty-five years ago, we had purity and cleanness in the pulpit and in
the pew."

Brent's eyes were flashing. Eliphalet Hodges, who had thought that the
extra session was for some routine business, pricked up his ears.

Simpson proceeded: "One in this flock has lately gone astray: she has
fallen into evil ways--"

"Brother Simpson," interrupted Brent, his face drawn and hard with
anger, "will you state the object of this meeting?"

"If the pastor is not afraid to wait, he will see that that is what I am
doing."

"Then you are bringing into the church matters that have no business
here."

"We shall see about that. We intend to investigate and see why you
refused to hold up as a warning one of the sinners of this connection.
We propose to ask whom you were shielding--a sinner in the pew, or a
sinner in the pulpit as well