f God,' and the letter of St. Peter, the first
Pope, 'Be ye subject, therefore, to every human creature for God's sake;
whether it be to the king as excelling; or to governors as sent by
him--for so is the will of God.'"

"You must have been reading the Bible," interrupted Mr. Allison with a
smile.

"I have," answered Stephen, as he continued with little or no attention
to the interruption.

"The Catholic obeys the voice of his rightly constituted authority
because he feels that he is obeying the voice of his God, and when he
yields obedience to the law of his land, he feels that he is yielding
obedience to God Himself. His ruler is the mouthpiece of God; the
Constitution of his state a most sacred thing because it is the
embodiment of the authority of God and he would rather die than commit
any untoward or unlawful deed which might undermine or destroy it,
precisely because it is from God."

There was no response. All had listened with attention to Stephen as he
emphasized point after point. All, save Colonel Forrest, who wore a
sardonic smile throughout it all.

"You should 've talked like that on Guy Fawkes' Day," he muttered, "if
you wanted t' hev some fun. We'd hev some hot tar fur you."

"Thank God!" replied Stephen. "We shall witness no more such outbreaks
of fanaticism. They have long enough disgraced our country. They are, I
trust, forever ended."

"The Pope Day Celebration ended?" asked Anderson in surprise.

"I hope so. Since General Washington issued the order soon after taking
command of the army, abolishing the celebration, the practice has never
been resumed."

"Wash'ton thinks he owns th' country," mumbled Forrest in a half
articulate manner. "Likes th' Papists, he does. No more Pope Day!
Cath'lic gen'rals! French al-lies! P'rhaps 'll send fur th' Pope next.
Give 'm 'is house, p'rhaps. Give 'im th' whole coun'ry. No damn good to
us, he ain't. No damn good----"

The next moment Stephen was upon him with his hands about his throat,
his face flaming with rage and passion.

"You hound! No more of that; or your treason will end forever."

He shook his head violently, tightening his fingers about his throat. As
he did, Forrest writhing in the chair under his attack, began to fumble
with his hand at his hip as if instinctively seeking something there.
Stephen's eyes followed the movement, even while he, too, relaxed his
hold to seize with his free hand the arm of his adversary. Only for a
moment