to discuss a fact related to another folly, for the
Delances told how Harry's pet collie had come up to the back door that
day with a human skull in his mouth. Of course I knew that Harry's
Bishop had returned, but held my peace about it. To them it had
suggested murder, and they had consulted the chief of police.

[Illustration: "HARRY'S PET COLLIE HAD COME UP TO THE BACK DOOR WITH A
HUMAN SKULL IN HIS MOUTH"]

"'How do you know that it is not one of your ancestors dug up in a
back pasture,' I said.

"'It might be William the Conqueror,' Lizzie remarked.

"'I deny it,' said Delance, in perfect good nature. 'We have resigned
from William's family. As a matter of fact, I never joined it.'

"I congratulated him.

"'It has always seemed like the merest poppycock to me--this
genealogical craze of the ladies,' said Henry. 'When our London
solicitor wrote that it would take another hundred pounds to establish
the connection beyond a doubt, he gave away the whole scheme, and I
resigned. It was too silly. In these days of titled chambermaids I
think we shall worry along pretty well without William.'

"Then Betsey said: 'I was reading in the county history to-day that
old Zebulon Delance, who was killed in a fight with Indians in 1750,
was buried in a meadow back of his house.'

"'It may be the skull of old Zeb,' said Henry.

"'Now there's an ancestor worth having,' I suggested.

"'I wonder if it can belong to old Zeb,' Henry mused.

"At last we got to my plan. I pictured the condition of the community
as I saw it, and the inefficiency of the church and the need of a new
and active power in Pointview.

"I proposed that we buy the old skating-rink and remodel it, employ
the best talent in America, and start a new center of power in the
community--a power that should, first of all, keep us sane, and then
as decent as possible. The mathematics of the enterprise were at my
fingers' ends:

"Initial Expenses $15,000
"Annual Outlay for Instruction 8,000
"For Music 3,500
"For Maintenance 1,000
"For Management 3,500

"It was no small matter, but the initial expense and the first year's
outlay were subscribed in ten minutes. Betsey set the ball rolling
with an offer of ten thousand dollars, and then it was like shaking
ripe apples off a tree.

"'Who is to be the manager?'