He was a man who did his own thinking, never gave
advice, never took it and believed in all creatures tending strictly to
their own affairs.

Every once in a while, perhaps from a sudden heart hunger, Frank would
select from a whole townful of human beings some one soul for
friendship. Frank never got acquainted accidentally. He picked out
his few friends deliberately and loved them openly and forever.

Of course, Frank's oldest and dearest friend was Jim Tumley. People
said they were born friends. Their mothers had been inseparable, the
boys were born within a few days of each other and seemed to be marked
with a passion of loyalty for one another. Only in their love for
music were they alike however.

Frank was a big, square, burly man who went his way surely,
confidently, though a little belligerently. Jim was little and fair
and ever so gentle. There was never a harsh word in Jim's mouth or a
bitter thought in his heart against the world that often bruised him
because of his gentleness and frailty. Jim had had only one fight in
his life.

When he and Frank were about twelve years old, strange to say, Jim was
the taller and stronger. And it was then that Jim fought and
vanquished a bully who for months had been making Frank miserable.

Frank never forgot that one fight of Jim's. He shot head and shoulders
over his friend and filled out beyond all recognition and took his turn
at fighting. And most of his battles then as now were over little Jim
Tumley.

To Frank, Jim was the one great friend life had given him. To very
many people in Green Valley Jim was just a gentle, frail little chap
with a beautiful, golden voice and a miserably weak stomach.

When the new minister put Jim in the choir, Green Valley was mildly
surprised though it quickly saw the common sense of the arrangement.
But Frank Burton was for the first time, to Green Valley's certain
knowledge, wholly pleased. And he showed his pleasure by never once
saying one single, scathing, cynical thing, even when told that Seth
Curtis was keeping the church books and getting religion on the side.
And he could have said so much.

What he did say was that he wouldn't mind seeing this kid minister from
India. For though months had passed since Cynthia's son arrived Frank
had never seen him. His unfortunate train time and his home-staying
habits kept him from meeting the newcomer. He pictured him as a rather
immature, likable, enthusiastic y