before the whole crowd. His face waxed red with an inner rage. His
body quivered and shook with excitement. No one had ever seen him
quite so exercised. He arose slowly, but with extreme determination.
Things had gone as far as they could without a physical clash.

"Hold your place, young man, I will not allow anyone to insult me in
this manner. Be careful what you say. There will be another chapter
added to this if you are not careful. I will defend my honor, no
matter what it costs." And he resumed his seat.

The air was filled with intense excitement. A few words from Robert
Davis would have struck fire, and he knew it. So he quietly sat still
without saying a word. The tenseness of the situation was painful.
Just then Mary Davis started that old familiar song:

"Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past,
Safe into the haven guide,
Oh, receive my soul at last."

A few joined in toward the last half of the verse, and, as she began
on the second verse, the whole congregation sang with vigor:

"Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, oh, leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
All my help from thee I bring,
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of thy wing."

Robert and Mary Davis started for home as soon as they could. Peter
Newby got into an argument with old Mr. Stephenson, who by this time
had become a sort of champion of Robert's and a crowd encircled them.
Peter Newby found a match in the old man, for Mr. Stephenson, at this
time, while mentally convinced, was still unsaved, and could be as
personal and ironical as Mr. Newby. They argued the point of a sinless
life for an hour, mixed a good deal of personal invective into the
argument, which drew from the crowd vociferous "ha! ha's!" and they
parted without feeling one whit better toward one another than they
did before.

CHAPTER SIX

WHAT CHURCH SHOULD I JOIN?

The week following the events that took place at the schoolhouse was
an important one in the life of Robert and Mary Davis. Having put
their hands to the plow, they could not look back. Already, they were
aware that the steps they had taken religiously were separating them
from the people about them. Robert's bold stand for a ho