ge.
Is that the Methodist theory?"

"Now you're talking like yourself," Mr. Drury told him. "Yes, that's the
Methodist theory. For the fifty years of the old Freedmen's Aid
Society--now the Board of Education for Negroes--it has run these
schools, eighteen of them now, with five thousand seven hundred and two
earnest students enrolled, on a double theory. The first part of the
theory is that every child--black, white, red or yellow--ought to have
all the education he can use. Anything less than that would be as good
as saying that America cares to develop its human resources only just so
far, and not to the limit. The other part of the theory is that the last
person in the world to be put off with half an education is a preacher
or a teacher. The best is just good enough for all teachers, whether
they teach from a desk or from a pulpit."

"I guess that's so too," said J.W. "You're getting me interested. Now go
on and tell me some more."

"The new pastor of Saint Marks told me," said Mr. Drury, irrelevantly,
"that they would be wanting some new roofing for the barn they're
turning into a community house. I shouldn't be surprised if you sold the
church a nice little bill of goods. And while you are at it, you might
talk to the pastor--Driver's his name--about this thing from his side of
the road. He knows more than I do."

J.W. said he would. And, though he would have meant it in any case, the
hint about roofing made certain that "Elder" Driver would have a call in
the morning from a rising young hardware salesman.

By this time they were at the Farwell gate, and J.W. said goodnight. Mr.
Drury walked home, but before he got ready for his beloved last hour of
the day, with its easy chair and its cherished book, he called up his
colored colleague, and they had a brief talk over the 'phone.

Now, Walter Drury had taken no one into his confidence about the
Experiment, nor did he intend to; he had the best of reasons for keeping
his own counsel, through the years. So Elder Driver could not know the
true inwardness of this telephone call; indeed, it was so casual that he
did not even think to mention it to J.W. when that alert roofing
specialist turned up next morning.

"I heard you were going to put new roofing on that barn you are fixing
up, Mr. Driver, and I thought I might get your order for the job. Maybe
you know that we do a good deal of that sort of work, and we can give
you expert service; the right roofing put