that I wouldn't be ready to lead a meeting
like that unless I had put this thing of being a Christian up to you,
anyway. You're the only real chum I've got. Mr. Drury said something a
little while ago that made it mighty plain."

"Yes," said Marty, "I can see that. But why did you never say anything
to me about it when there wasn't any meeting coming? Haven't we always
shared everything else, since away back? This is the one subject that
you and I have kept away from in our talk of all we've ever thought
about, and I was wondering why."

"Well, I don't exactly know," J.W. replied. "It may have been that it
never seemed to be any of my business; that it was the preacher's
business, or the Sunday school teacher's, or somebody's. And you know
I've always been surer of what you really are than I have of myself. I
think I was always afraid you would either make fun of me or believe I
was letting on to be better than you were. But when the League got into
this Win-My-Chum plan, why, the name itself was an eye-opener. And I've
seen lately that a fellow's got to be a Christian, out and out, or his
religion is no good. And when I heard the preacher say, not long ago,
that a fellow might dodge Win-My-Chum week, but he couldn't forever
dodge his chum, I knew I had to speak to you. But you're sure you're not
offended?"

"Let me admit a thing to you, J.W. I've never said so before, but I've
been wanting somebody to ask me to be a Christian for a long time. I was
a coward about it, and wouldn't let on. I've been wanting to find out
what I've got to do, but I wouldn't ask. Do you think I _could_ be a
Christian?"

"I know you could be a long way better Christian than I am," J.W.
answered with unwonted feeling. "And if you did take Jesus Christ to be
your Master, it would be more than just your getting religion. You would
be the biggest kind of stand-by for me and for other people I know of.
It's the one thing you need to be a hundred per cent right. I'm a pretty
poor Christian, myself, Marty, partly because I don't know how to think
much about it, but you'd be dead in earnest to get all that there is in
the Christian life, and maybe I could follow along behind. You've always
helped every other way, and I've always wanted you to help me be a
genuine Christian."

Marty put his hand on J.W.'s shoulder and looked him straight in the
eye: "You've got me rated a lot too high," he said. "How can I help you?
But we two have been pretty