on?" shrieked the now desperate deacon.

The women looked at him pityingly, exchanged knowing glances, then shook
their heads at his hopeless stupidity.

Strong was not accustomed to criticism. He prided himself upon his
acuteness, and was, above all, vain about his connection with the
church. He looked from one woman to the other. He was seething with
helpless rage. The little deacon at his side coughed nervously. Strong's
pent up wrath exploded. "Why didn't YOU tell me, Elverson, that people
was a-talkin'," he roared in the frightened man's ear.

Elverson sputtered and stammered, but nothing definite came of the
sounds; so Strong again turned to Miss Perkins:

"What is going on?" he demanded.

The spinster shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyes heavenward,
knowing that nothing could so madden the deacon as this mysterious
inference of things too terrible to mention. She was right. Strong
uttered a desperate "Bah!" and began pacing up and down the garden with
reckless strides.

Mrs. Willoughby watched him with secret delight, and when he came to a
halt, she wriggled to his side with simpering sweetness.

"What COULD folks say?" she asked. "A minister and a young circus riding
girl living here like this with no one to--" She found no words at this
point and Strong, now thoroughly roused, declared that the congregation
should have no further cause for gossip, and went out quickly in search
of Douglas.

When Strong was gone, Elverson looked at the set faces of the women, and
attempted a weak apology for the pastor. "I dare say the young man was
very lonely--very--before she came."

"Lonely?" snapped Miss Perkins. "Well, if HE was LONELY, _I_ didn't know
it."

The deacon excused himself nervously, and went to join Strong.

The women gathered up their buntings, and retired with bland smiles to
the Sunday-school-room, feeling that they had accomplished enough for
the time being.

Strong and Elverson crossed the yard, still in search of the pastor.
They turned at the sound of fluttering leaves and beheld Douglas,
hatless, tearing down the path. Strong called to him, but Douglas
darted quickly behind the hedge. The deacons looked at one another in
speechless astonishment. Presently the silence was broken by the distant
voice of Polly counting from one to one hundred. The secret was out! The
pastor, a leader of the church, was playing hide-and-seek.

"Mr. Douglas!" shouted Strong, when his breath had returne