d.

"Hush, hush!" whispered Douglas, looking over the hedge. He peeped
cautiously about him, then came toward the men with a sigh of relief.
"It's all right. She has gone the other way."

"It'll be a good thing for you if she never comes back," said Strong,
and Douglas's quick ear caught an unpleasant meaning in his tone.

"What's that?" the pastor asked, in a low, steady voice.

"We don't like some of the things that are going on here, and I want to
talk to you about 'em."

"Very well, but see if you can't talk in a lower key."

"Never mind about the key," shouted Strong, angrily.

"But I DO mind." Something in his eyes made the deacon lower his voice.

"We want to know how much longer that girl is goin' to stay here?"

"Indeed! And why?" The colour was leaving Douglas's face, and his jaw
was becoming very square.

"Because she's been here long enough."

"I don't agree with you there."

"Well, it don't make no difference whether you do or not. She's got to
go."

"Go?" echoed Douglas.

"Yes, sir-e-bob. We've made up our minds to that."

"And who do you mean by 'we'?"

"The members of this congregation," replied Strong, impatiently.

"Am I to understand that YOU are speaking for THEM?" There was a deep
frown between the young pastor's eyes. He was beginning to be perplexed.

"Yes, and as deacon of this church."

"Then, as deacon of this church, you tell the congregation for me that
that is MY affair."

"Your affair!" shouted Strong. "When that girl is living under the
church's roof, eating the church's bread!"

"Just one moment! You don't quite understand. I am minister of this
church, and for that position I receive, or am supposed to receive, a
salary to live on, and this parsonage, rent free, to live in. Any
guests that I may have here are MY guests, and NOT guests of the church.
Remember that, please."

There was an embarrassing silence. The deacons recalled that the
pastor's salary WAS slightly in arrears. Elverson coughed meekly. Strong
started.

"You keep out of this, Elverson!" he cried. "I'm running this affair and
I ain't forgetting my duty nor the parson's."

"I shall endeavour to do MY duty as I see it," answered Douglas, turning
away and dismissing the matter.

"Your duty is to your church," thundered Strong.

"You're right about that, Deacon Strong'" answered Douglas, wheeling
about sharply, "and my duty to the church is reason enough for my acting
exactly as I am doing in