t overly pop'lar up thar."

"Why not?"

"Oh, they've too high an' mighty notions about the way men should live;
that's the trouble."

"And so you think they should make themselves popular with the men, eh?
In what way?"

"By bein' one of 'em, an' not bein' too hard on what they do."

"Do you think that their great Master ever said that they would be
popular, and that they were to please all men?" Reynolds defensively
asked.

"I dunno. Guess I can't recall anything He ever said about the
matter," and the old man scratched his head in perplexity.

"Didn't He tell His first disciples that they would be hated of all men
for His name's sake when He sent them forth to do His work?"

"I believe He did," was the reluctant assent. "But that was a long
time ago. Things are different now."

"Only outwardly, remember. The heart is the same in all ages; you
can't change that. If it is evil and full of vileness, it is bound to
hate the good. Surely you know that."

"Then you really are one of them missionary chaps?" and the old man
eyed Reynolds curiously.

"No, I am not," was the emphatic reply.

"But ye quote Scripter like a parson, though. I thought mebbe ye was."

"Is it necessary to be a parson to know something about the Bible?
Isn't this a Christian land? Why shouldn't I know something about the
greatest Book in the world? My mother taught it to me when I was a
child, and I learned a great deal about it when I went to Sunday
school. I did not value it so much then, but when over in France, with
death on all sides, much of it came back to me, and I honestly confess
it was a great comfort."

"An' so ye was over thar, young man? Wall, that's sartinly
interestin'. Fer how long?"

"Nearly four years. I enlisted at the beginning of the war."

"An' come through all right?"

"Look," and Reynolds bared his left arm, showing a great scar. "I have
several more on my body, some worse than that."

"Ye don't tell! My, I'm glad I've met ye. Got some medals, I s'pose."

Reynolds made no reply, as he already felt ashamed of himself for
having told this much. It was not his nature to speak about himself,
especially to a stranger, and he was determined to say nothing about
the medals he had received for conspicuous bravery, and which he
carried in his breast pocket.

"Do you smoke?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes; an old hand at it. Good fer the nerves."

"Well, suppose we go and have a smoke now. I am j