ide of the hall, the
little group away to the front of the hall, peeping at the audience and
talking in subdued tones, the people in the chairs, those at the back of
the hall,--all seemed to hold their tongues to a whisper for interest
and a kind of fear. Drama was in the air.

The guard at the door advanced to the front of the hall to announce to
Mr. Anderson that the full quota was present. Whereupon the latter arose
from his chair and swept with his gaze the entire room, which the dim
light of the torches only partly revealed. Satisfied with his scrutiny,
he turned and again conferred with his associates who nodded their heads
in acceptance of his suggestion. They sat back in their chairs while he
came to the center of the platform and awaited the cessation of the hum
which was now becoming audible.

"Let me begin by taking further assurance of your number," he said, "for
which purpose I shall call the roll of names to which I respectfully ask
you to respond."

Then followed the reading of the roll-call to which each man at the
mention of his name signified his presence in the room. Stephen's heart
fluttered as he replied boldly to the name of "James Cadwalader."

There were eight names to which no reply was given. These very likely
would come later, or perhaps they had reconsidered their action and had
decided not to come at all. Those present numbered eighty-six, Stephen
learned from the count.

"I shall take this opportunity of distributing among you the papers of
enlistment that you may read the terms of agreement, and these I shall
ask you to sign at the close of this meeting."

As Anderson finished this sentence, he passed to several aids, a bundle
of papers which they promptly dealt out to the members of the proposed
company.

Then Mr. Anderson began.

II

"You have assembled this evening, my dear friends and co-religionists,
to translate into definite action the convictions by which you have been
impelled to undertake this important business. Our presence means that
we are ready to put into deeds the inspirations which have always
dominated our minds. It means that we are about to make a final thrust
for our religious convictions, and to prove that we are worthy
descendants of the men who established in this land freedom of religious
worship, and bequeathed it to us as a priceless heritage."

This Anderson is a clever fellow, thought Stephen, and a fluent talker.
Already his eloquence had broug