ent on: "What good does any religion do? I've broken the ten
commandments, every one of them--and I get on. No one bothers me,
because I keep inside the general statutes. I've beat God at his own
game. I tell you, Cap, you can do what you please just so you obey the
state and federal laws and pay your debts. This God-myth amuses me."

Captain Morton did not care to argue with the Judge. So he said, by way
of making conversation for a customer, and neighbor and guest:

"I hear, well, to be exact, George Brotherton was telling me and the
girls the other night that the Company is secretly dropping out the
members of the unions that Grant Adams has been organizing down in South
Harvey."

"Yes--that Adams is another one of your canting, God-and-morality
fellows. Always watch that kind. I tell you, Captain," barked the Judge,
"about the only thing my wife and I have agreed on for a year is that
this Adams fellow is a sneaking, pharisaical hound. Lord, how she hates
him! Sometimes I think women hate hard enough to compete with your God,
who according to the preachers, is always slipping around getting even
with fellows for their sins. God and women are very much alike, anyway,"
sneered the Judge. In the silence that followed, both men were attracted
by a noise behind them--the rustling of straw. They looked around and
saw the figure of a little girl--a yellow-haired, blue-eyed, shy, little
girl, trying to slip out of the place. She had evidently been in the
loft gathering eggs, for her apron was full, and she had her foot on the
loft ladder.

"Why, Lila, child," exclaimed the Captain, "I clean forgot you being up
there--did you find any eggs? Why didn't you come down long ago?"

"Come here, Lila," called the Judge. The child stood by the ladder
hesitatingly, holding her little apron corners tightly in her teeth
basketing the eggs--too embarrassed now that she was down the ladder, to
use her hands.

"Lila," coaxed the Judge, reaching his hand into his pocket, "won't you
let Papa give you a dollar for candy or something. Come on, daughter."
He put out his hands. She shook her head. She had to pass him to get to
the door. "You aren't afraid of your Papa are you, Lila--come--here's a
dollar for you--that's a good girl."

Her mouth quivered. Big tears were dropping down her cheeks. The
Captain's quick eye saw that something had hurt her. He went over to
her, put his arm about her, took the eggs from her apron, fondled her
g