Here he laughed with a touch of scorn. "I dunno. But, by gum! if you fire him and do him dirt, I don't know what'll become of me, but I guess I'll go straight to hell again."

"No, Harry, no you won't. You'll keep right on, Harry, straight to heaven." It was the preacher's voice, full of cheery confidence.

Mrs. Innes was audibly sniffling; Mrs. Stewart Duff wiping her eyes. It was doubtless this sight that brought her husband to his feet.

"I don't quite know what the trouble is here," he said. "I understand there are arrears. I heard some criticism of the minister's preaching.

I can't say I care much for it myself, but I want to say right here that there are other things wanted in a minister, and this young fellow has got some of them. If he stays, he gets my money; if he doesn't, no one else does. I'll make you gentlemen who are kicking about finances a sporting proposition. I'm willing to double my subscription, if any other ten men will cover my ante."

"I'll call you," said Neil Fraser, "and I'll raise you one."

"I'm willing to meet Mr. Duff and Mr. Fraser," said Miss Quigg, rising from behind her organ with a triumphant smile on her face.

"I ain't got much money," said Harry Hobbs, "but I'll go you just half what I earn if you'll meet me on that proposition."

"Ah may say," said Mr. Innes, yielding to his wife's vigorous vocal and physical incitations, "A'm prepair-r-ed to mak' a substantial increase in my subscreeption--that is, if necessary," he added cautiously.

Then Barry came forward from the back of the church and stood before the platform. After looking them over for a few moments in silence, he said, in a voice clear, quiet, but with a ring in it that made it echo in every heart:

"Had it not been for these last speeches, it would have been unnecessary to allow the motion to go before you. I could not have remained where I am not wanted. But now I am puzzled, I confess, I am really puzzled to know what to do. I am not a great preacher, I know, but then there are worse. I don't, at least I think I don't, talk nonsense. And I am not what Mr. McFettridge calls a 'good mixer.' On the other hand, I think Mr. Innes is right when he says the bairns like me; at least, it would break"--he paused, his lip quivering, then he went on quietly--"it would be very hard to think they didn't."

"They do that, then," said Mrs. Innes, emphatically.

"So you see, it is really very difficult to know what to do. I would hate to go away, but it might be right to go away. I suggest you let me have a week to think it over. Can you wait that long?"

His handsome, boyish face, alight with a fine glow of earnestness and sincerity, made irresistible appeal to all but those who for personal reasons were opposed to him.

"You see," he continued, in a tone of voice deliberative and quite detached, "there are a number of things to think about. Those arrears, for instance, are hardly my fault--at least, not altogether. I was looking over the treasurer's books the other day, and I was surprised to find how many had apparently quite forgotten to pay their church subscription. It is no doubt just an oversight. For instance," he added, in the confidential tone of one imparting interesting and valuable information, "you will be surprised to learn, Mr. Duff, that you are twenty-five dollars behind in your payments."

At this Neil Fraser threw back his head with a loud laugh. "Touche!" he said, in a joyous undertone.

The minister looked at him in surprise, and went on, "And while Mr.

Innes and Miss Quigg are both paid up in full, Mr. Hayes has apparently neglected to pay his last quarter."

"Hit him again," murmured Harry Hobbs, while Mr. Hayes rose in virtuous indignation.

"I protest, Mr. Chairman!" he cried, "against these personalities."

"Oh, you quite mistake me, Mr. Hayes," said the preacher, "these are not personalities. I am simply showing how easy it is for arrears to arise, and that it may not be my fault at all. Of course, it may be right for me to resign. I don't know about that yet, but I want to be very sure.

It would be easier to resign, but I don't want to be a quitter."

"I move we adjourn," said Neil Fraser.

"I second the motion," said Stewart Duff. The motion was carried, and the meeting adjourned.

At the door the minister stood shaking hands with all as they passed out, making no distinction in the heartiness with which he greeted all his parishioners. To Miss Quigg, however, he said, "Thank you. You were splendidly plucky."

"Nonsense!" cried the little lady, the colour flaming in her faded cheeks. "But," she added hastily, "you did that beautifully, and he deserved it, the little beast!"

"Solar plexus!" said Neil Fraser, who was immediately behind Miss Quigg.

The minister glanced from one to the other in perplexity, as they passed out of the door.

"But, you know, I was only--"

"Oh, yes, we know," cried Miss Quigg. "But if those men would only take hold! Oh, those men!" She turned upon Neil Fraser and shook her head at him violently.

"I know, Miss Quigg. We are a hopeless and helpless lot. But we're going to reform."

"You need to, badly," she said. "But you need some one to reform you.

Look at Mr. Duff there, how vastly improved he is," and she waved her hand to that gentleman, who was driving away with his wife in their buckboard.

"He is a perfect dear," sighed Mrs. Duff, as she bowed to the minister.

"And you, too, Stewart," she added, giving his arm a little squeeze, "you said just the right thing when those horrid people were going to turn him out."

"Say! Your preacher isn't so bad after all," said her husband. "Wasn't that a neat one for old Hayes?"

"He rather got you, though, Stewart."

"Yes, he did, by Jove! Not the first time, either, he's done it. But I must look after that. Say, he's the limit for freshness though. Or is it freshness? I'm not quite sure."

"Will he stay with us?" said his wife. "I really do hope he will."

"Guess he'll stay all right. He won't give up his job," said her husband.

But next week proved Mr. Duff a poor prophet, for the minister after the service informed his people that he had come to the conclusion that another man might get better results as minister of the congregation; he had therefore handed in his resignation to the Presbytery.

It was a shock to them all, but he adhered to his resolution in spite of tearful lamentations from the women, wide-eyed amazement and dismay from the bairns of the congregation, and indignation, loudly expressed, from Neil Fraser and Stewart Duff, and others of their kind.

"Well," said Miss Quigg, struggling with indignant tears, as she was passing out of the church, "you won't see Harry Hobbs in this church again, nor me, either."

"Oh, yes, Miss Quigg, Harry has promised me that he will stick by the church, and that he will be there every Sunday. And so will you, dear Miss Quigg. I know you. You will do what is right."

But that little lady, with her head very erect and a red spot burning in each faded cheek, passed out of the church saying nothing, the plumes on her jaunty little hat quivering defiance and wrath against "those men, who had so little spunk as to allow a little beast like Hayes to run them."

CHAPTER V

THE WAR DRUM CALLS

"Well, dad," said Barry next evening as they were sitting in the garden after tea, "I feel something like Mohammed's coffin, detached from earth but not yet ascended into heaven. It's unpleasant to be out of a job.

I confess I shall always cherish a more intelligent sympathy henceforth for the great unemployed. But cheer up, dad! You are taking this thing much too seriously. The world is wide, and there is something waiting me that I can do better than any one else."

But the father had little to say. He felt bitterly the humiliation to which his son had been subjected.

Barry refused to see the humiliation.

"Why should I not resign if I decide it is my duty so to do? And why, on the other hand, should not they have the right to terminate my engagement with them when they so desire? That's democratic government."