ays.

For an instant there was silence when Constance ended. Then, "Three
cheers for the lady," shouted one strapping fellow. "Three cheers,"
came the response, and how their voices did ring as they roared and
stamped their approval.

Keith in the meantime had taken his place at the harmonium, and when
the men's voices had died down he played the air of "Annie Laurie."
With Constance leading, and the miners joining in the chorus, it was a
time never to be forgotten at Klassan.

Pritchen was a surly witness of this marvellous transformation.
Regaining his feet, he tried to speak to his men. But they had
forgotten him in the new excitement. They were in a rollicking humour,
these husky fellows, who but a few minutes before were tearing at one
another in the wildest confusion. In his anger Pritchen seized one by
the shoulder.

"D-- you!" he shouted. "What's wrong with you all? Are you going to
let a bit of lace turn your heads?"

The only response he received was the man wheeling square around, and
bawling full into his face:

"And for bonnie Annie Laurie,
I'll lay me doon an' dee."

"Curse you all!" he cried. "You confounded idiots!" and in a rage he
left the building and started for Perdue's store.

The sound of the last verse followed him into the darkness, and then
silence. He stopped and listened. Presently there floated through the
air the old, familiar tune of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." All were
singing it, he could easily tell that, and his men, too! He turned and
shook his fist at the building.

"My time will come!" he cried. "You d-- missionary! I'll get even
with you! You may laugh at me now, but beware!"

CHAPTER XV

THE SUMMONS

The morning after the debate Constance was moving briskly about the
little cabin she had assisted in erecting with her own hands. She was
relating to her father, who was lying on a cot, the stirring scenes of
the previous evening.

"Oh, it was so funny at first to listen to the strange things some of
the men said. They were like a lot of school boys. But there was one
old man who spoke so earnestly when he told about his past life that I
could not keep back the tears from my eyes."

"And you were behind the curtain all the time?" questioned her father.

"Yes, until the row began. At first I felt like running out of the
building by the door which was near, I was so frightened. But when I
saw the efforts Mr. Steadman was making to stop