lared directly at the two men. "And the
men--well, say, I s'pose they are men, these fellows who stand around
decorating that villain O'Brien's saloon. If it was a christening,
they'd drink; if it was a wedding, they'd drink; if it was a funeral,
they'd drink; if they were going to stand before their Maker right
away, they'd call for rye first."

After which few opening remarks, given with all the scornful dignity
of one who knows she holds the leading position among her sex in the
village, she proceeded with the work in hand with a capacity for
detail that quite worried the absent minds of the only two male
members of the committee present.

Such was the general yearning for a termination of the meeting, so
that its members might once more return to the gossip outside, that
Mrs. John Day was permitted to carry all her plans in her scheme of
salvation before her, with little or no discussion. And, in
consequence, her good nature quickly reasserted itself, and she became
more and more inclined to look leniently upon the defects of the
majority of her committee.

The president disposed of several lesser complaints against the
construction of the church to her own satisfaction. The list of them
was an accumulation of opinions sent in by people who felt that it was
due to the community, and themselves, particularly, that the elected
committee were sufficiently harrassed by pin pricks, lest it became
too high-handed and autocratic.

Mrs. Day's methods of dealing with these was characteristic of her
social rule in the village. She rose with a look of contemptuous
defiance upon her fiery features. It was Helen who had once declared
that Mrs. John always reminded her of one of those very red-combed
old hens who never failed to cluck themselves very nearly into an
apoplectic fit over a helpless worm, and demanded that all eyes should
watch her marvelous display of prowess in its slaughter. A slip of
paper had been thrust into her hands by the undisturbed honorary
secretary.

"I guess I'm not going to worry you folks with debating these fool
complaints sent in by some of the glory-seekers in this village," she
began with enthusiastic heat. "I've settled them all myself. I'll read
you the complaints and what I've done in each case. First, there's a
kick from Mrs. Morgan, upon the hill. She's no account anyway, and
hasn't given a bean toward the church--yet. Guess I'll have to see to
that later. She says she saw two of the b