an trust you, and I am going to get you to do some important business
for me."

"I will certainly do anything for you, Mr. Follet, with great
pleasure, and I appreciate more than I can tell you the fact that you
feel you can trust me," said Steve warmly.

"Well," said Mr. Follet, a little uneasily, "this is mighty partic'ler
business I've got. The fact is," he went on with nervous energy, "a
part of the world is getting so good it ain't content with just being
good itself but is bound and determined that the rest of the world
shall do just as it says, and there's a good bit of difference of
opinion about what goodness strictly is."

Steve listened a little surprised at the homily. Then Mr. Follet went
on:

"I ain't ever cared anything about liquor myself, though I could have
had all I wanted all my life long, but I am willing other people
should make it, and have it, or sell it, all they want to."

Steve looked more surprised and his lips settled just a little into
firmer lines, but Mr. Follet failed to notice it.

"Now, old Kaintuck, which has always been the freest state in the
Union, has got a passle o' folks turned loose in it just like the
folks I was telling you about. They're so good themselves they ain't
satisfied till they make everybody else do just as they say. They're
making laws in the towns that no liquor can be sold, and I tell you
men of old Kaintuck ain't goin' to stand that and I don't blame 'em,"
he concluded vehemently.

Steve started to reply, his lips growing firmer, and his eyes taking
fire, but Mr. Follet gave him no chance.

"Now, I promised some fellows that I would meet 'em to-night,--and
bring home a load of hay," he ended with an excited laugh.

"A load of hay with whiskey enclosed?" asked Steve, instantly
suspecting.

"Yes," said Mr. Follet, delighted with Steve's quickness, "that's the
idee. Then I unload it in my barn and ship it as I please to these dry
towns. I'm in for the law as a general thing," he added quickly, "but
I believe in folks having their rights."

"Well, Mr. Follet," said Steve, going to the foot of the bed and
leaning hard upon it, "we must understand each other at once. I do not
agree with you as to our rights. I do not think we have the right to
destroy ourselves or others with any weapon whatsoever, the pistol,
the knife, poison or whiskey. I am with the law in every particular,"
he said firmly.

"With the law," exclaimed Mr. Follet excitedly, "when it