l answer your
question in good time. Who gave the library, fixed up the building
and all that? Must have cost something."

The minister sat down with an assumption of ease he did not feel,
facing the stranger who had already possessed himself of the one
comfortable chair in the room.

"The library," he said, "was given to the village by a Miss Orr, a
young woman who has recently settled in Brookville. She has done a
good deal for the place, in various ways."

"What ways?" asked the stranger, with an air of interest.

Wesley Elliot enumerated briefly the number of benefits: the purchase
and rebuilding of the old Bolton house, the construction of the
waterworks, at present under way, the library and reading room, with
the town hall above. "There are," he stated, "other things which
might be mentioned; such as the improvement of the village green,
repairs on the church, the beginning of a fund for lighting the
streets, as well as innumerable smaller benefactions, involving
individuals in and around Brookville."

The man listened alertly. When the minister paused, he said:

"The young woman you speak of appears to have a deep pocket."

The minister did not deny this. And the man spoke again, after a
period of frowning silence:

"What was her idea?-- Orr, you said her name was?--in doing all this
for Brookville? Rather remarkable--eh?"

His tone, like his words, was mild and commonplace; but his face wore
an ugly sneering look, which enraged the minister.

"Miss Orr's motive for thus benefiting a wretched community,
well-nigh ruined years ago by the villainy of one man, should be held
sacred from criticism," he said, with heat.

"Well, let me tell you the girl had a motive--or thought she had,"
said the stranger unpleasantly. "But she had no right to spend her
money that way. You spoke just now of the village as being ruined
years ago by the villainy of one man. That's a lie! The village
ruined the man.... Never looked at it that way; did you? Andrew
Bolton had the interests of this place more deeply at heart than any
other human being ever did. He was the one public-spirited man in the
place.... Do you know who built your church, young man? I see you
don't. Well, Andrew Bolton built it, with mighty little help from
your whining, hypocritical church members. Every Tom, Dick and Harry,
for miles about; every old maid with a book to sell; every cause--as
they call the thousand and one pious schemes to line their