across the picture, and dropped his head upon them. "My
God! I didn't mean to do it when I began. I must have been insane. It
seemed so easy at the time. I've suffered a thousand hells all these
years!"

"I know. You just went along the way that seemed easy-like. At fust it
ain't hard to go with the greedy crowd, but the turning's mighty hard.
You sartin went the easiest way for yourself, Jim, but them you done
wrong to, died in awful poverty."

"I can't stand any more!"

"John told me that Adoniah was going to get your hide after he got back
here, but when he see you was married and had a little baby----"

"Stop it, Josiah! Do with me as you like, but don't tell me any more.
I'll go insane!"

"I cal'late what you said about suffering your share is as nigh the
truth as you've come in many a year. If I'd been intending to give you
up to that old woman, do you cal'late I'd brought you in here?"

"Josiah, do you mean that you do not intend to give me up?" asked the
crumpled man incredulously. He raised his head and peered across the
room.

"Not if you're willing to obey orders. Others have been suffering, and
that's got to stop."

"I'll do anything you say."

"The fust thing, that Sim Hicks and his gang has got to be choked off."

"I don't know what you refer to, but----"

"Jim, I thought we'd cut out that old green line of pretending. I
ain't going to nibble, so just stop casting it at me. I mean his
booze-selling to them boys."

"That can be arranged," hurriedly agreed the Elder.

"Thought it likely could. The second little matter is that Mr. McGowan
is going to stay right here in this church as minister."

"I'll do my best----Yes, I shall see to that."

"Now, about that money you stole from his dad. That goes back to Mack
with interest."

"But, Josiah, I can't do that. It would ruin me. I wouldn't mind for
myself, but my family----"

"I know, that's the hard part of paying off old debts, the innocent has
got to suffer. But that can be fixed so it won't bother you much. It
might do you good to take a taste of your own medicine."

"Can this be done without the village finding it out?"

"It's purty hard to give up your position as village hero, ain't it,
Jim? I cal'late it's going to be purty tolerable hard to dress a
hypocrite up like a saint without people finding it out sooner or
later, but we'll try it for a spell. Harold said to-night that he'd draw
up papers for you. We're going to try to ke