t her brother's expense, said
explosively:

"My dear Pontifex, you have already offered a strawberry festival
which Mrs. Rossmore has been unable to accept."

"Well, what of it?" demanded Mr. Deetle, glaring at his sister for
the irrelevant interruption.

"You are both most kind," murmured Mrs. Rossmore; "but we could
not accept in any case. My daughter is returning home from Paris
next week."

"Ah, your daughter--you have a daughter?" exclaimed Mr. Deetle,
grasping at the slightest straw to add to his stock of information.
"Coming from Paris, too! Such a wicked city!"

He had never been to Paris, he went on to explain, but he had read
enough about it and he was grateful that the Lord had chosen
Massapequa as the field of his labours. Here at least, life was
sweet and wholesome and one's hopes of future salvation fairly
reasonable. He was not a brilliant talker when the conversation
extended beyond Massapequa but he rambled on airing his views on
the viciousness of the foreigner in general, until Mrs. Rossmore,
utterly wearied, began to wonder when they would go. Finally he
fell back upon the weather.

"We are very fortunate in having such pleasant weather, don't you
think so, Madam? Oh, Massapequa is a lovely spot, isn't it? We
think it's the one place to live in. We are all one happy family.
That's why my sister and I called to make your acquaintance."

"You are very good, I'm sure. I shall tell my husband you came and
he'll be very pleased."

Having exhausted his conversational powers and seeing that further
efforts to pump Mrs. Rossmore were useless, the clerical visitor
rose to depart:

"It looks like rain. Come, Jane, we had better go. Good-bye,
Madam, I am delighted to have made this little visit and I trust
you will assure Mr. Rossmore that All Souls Unified Baptismal
Presbytery always has a warm welcome for him."

They bowed and Mrs. Rossmore bowed. The agony was over and as the
door closed on them Mrs. Rossmore gave a sigh of relief.

That evening Stott and the judge came home earlier than usual and
from their dejected appearance Mrs. Rossmore divined bad news. The
judge was painfully silent throughout the meal and Stott was
unusually grave. Finally the latter took her aside and broke it to
her gently. In spite of their efforts and the efforts of their
friends the Congressional inquiry had resulted in a finding
against the judge and a demand had already been made upon the
Senate for his impeac