had been standing at the door of the Boyd home. In that instant of
his dependence upon her Belle had been conscious of a very sweet and
precious bond between them. Without turning toward him, she touched his
arm lightly with her hand and went into the house.

* * * * *

Jim's first effort had not encouraged Dr. Jebb to transfer much of the
pulpit service to the young man. Subsequently, he had a long talk with
him and pointed out some of the defects as Belle had done; also a number
of lapses which, though purely academic, he considered of prime
importance. Thus, more than a month elapsed before Jim was again called
to fill the pulpit.

Meanwhile, he had had many experiences of value in his widespread
congregation, among them the raising of a charitable fund for an
unfortunate neighbour, and he had become well acquainted with Jack
Shives, the blacksmith, a singular mixture of brusqueness and kindness.
Shives was a good citizen who did good work at the forge, but he was
utterly opposed to all creeds and churches. He made it a point to set
all the weight of his solid character against these, as well as the
power of his biting tongue.

As soon as Dr. Jebb asked him to take the pulpit, Jim called on Belle.

"Well, I'm to have another chance," he said, as with one hand he lifted
an armchair that Dr. Jebb could not have moved at all.

"Good," said she. "What is the subject to be?"

"I have three subjects I wish to treat," he began; "one, foreign
missions; the next is the revised version of the New Testament; and the
last is the secularizing influence of church clubs. Which do you say?"

Belle looked serious. At length she said:

"Maybe you can make something constructive out of these ideas. It
depends on how you handle them; but they seem to me far-off and
doubtful."

He looked the disappointment he felt and waited for her to go on.

"What was the _good_ thing that struck you most when you came among us?"

Hartigan gazed through the window at the round top of Cedar Mountain,
then at the frank face of the slim girl, and with a little outburst of
his real nature he cried:

"Bejabers, it was the kind way you all received me."

"All right, then; why not make _that_ your subject for the next sermon?
Let these people know that you think they are kind, and that they make
you feel it, and they will become kinder. Then, when you are established
in their hearts, you can talk about their fau