d, as he stood in the shadow under the old
balcony, seemed to see the Presence of the eternal God standing up there
behind the pulpit, seemed to feel the hallowed memories of long ago,
and scent the lingering incense of all the prayers that had gone up from
all the souls who had worshiped there in the years that were past.

"They think an iron-foundry's going to buy it, or else some one may make
a munition-factory out of it," the old man contributed. "This war's
bringing a big change over things."

"Their plowshares into swords, their pruning-hooks into spears," chanted
an unseen voice, sadly, behind Courtland. His face set sternly. He
turned to Pat:

"I can't let that happen, old man!" he said. "I'm going to buy it if I
can. Come, we'll go and look it up!"

Pat looked at his companion with awe. He had always known he was rich,
but--to purchase a church as if it were a jack-knife! That sure was
going some!

Courtland did not return to the seminary until Tuesday morning. By that
time he had bought his church. It didn't take him long to come to an
agreement. The Church of God was in a bad way and was willing to take up
with almost any offer that would cover their liabilities.

"Well," said Pat, "that sure was some hustle! There's one thing, Court.
You won't have to candidate for any church like those other guys in your
little old seminary. You just went out and bought one; though I surmise
you and I'll have to do some scrubbing if you calculate to hold services
there very soon."

"H'm!" said Courtland. "I hadn't thought of that, Pat! Maybe that would
be a good idea!"

"Holy Mackinaw, man! What did you buy it for, then, if you didn't intend
to use it? Do it just to have the right to tear down that blooming sign,
did you?"

"That's about the size of it," smiled Courtland as he halted in front
of his newly acquired church and looked up at it with interest. "But now
I've got it I might as well use it. Suppose we start a mission here,
Pat, you and I? Let's cut that sign down first, and then, Pat, I'm going
to hunt up a stone-cutter. This church has got to have a new name.
'Church of God for sale' has killed this one! A church that used to
belong to God and doesn't any more is what that means. They have sold
the Church of God, but His Presence is still here!"

A few weeks later, when the two came down to look things over, the
granite arch over the old front doors bore the inscription in letters of
stone:

CH