or perhaps you saved mine to-day--and yet cause death, and you
have been the cause of death."

Jean spoke slowly and looked grave.

Mr. Allison felt like laughing again, but politely refrained.

"I have been accused of a number of things in my life," he said,
good-naturedly, "but, until to-day, murder has been omitted from the
list."

"There are different modes of procedure--but murder is murder after
all!"

"Certainly, but I was not aware that I had been connected with a
'procedure.'"

"Men deal out slow death for gold and trust its clinking rattle to still
the groans and cryings that they cause." Jean spoke reflectively, as if
to herself. "In savage countries where there is no Christianity, where
all is black, human life is sometimes offered as a sacrifice to gods.
Here in Christian America an altar is piled high with mother hearts and
manhood and immortal souls.

"This sacrifice goes on unceasingly; the altar fires are never out, and
the wail of the little ones and the groans of the crushed that go up
from this great altar only cause this god to laugh.

"This god is made of atoms. EVERY ATOM IS A MAN.

"All this time the Christian men of this Christian nation stand around
in a great circle, weeping and calling on a Christian's God to hasten
the day when this other god shall be ground to dust, meantime mocking
their God by legalizing this monstrous thing with their ballots."

Mr. Allison had probably never heard a young lady talk exactly as this
one talked, and yet he enjoyed it, and watched the motion of her hand as
she used it to impress her words.

"I am afraid I do not understand you even yet," he said, when she
paused. "Do you refer to the tariff or seal fisheries or female
suffrage or war or what?"

"I refer to the rum power in America. That is the god I mean. The most
heartless, depraved monopoly on earth, yet men and governments grovel in
the dust at its feet and cringe like dogs before its power."

Mr. Allison was silent, and she continued, presently, turning her face
to him.

"It has always seemed to me that the firm of Allison, Russell & Joy was
an important part of this great iniquity; partly, I presume, because I
happen to be acquainted with a family that has been utterly destroyed by
that firm. Tell me truly--have they, have YOU never heard wails and
cries and bitter prayers in the stillness of the night? Have you never
felt the burden of your _awful_ sin?"

Mr. Allison smiled.

"I