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of amusement in his eyes. Belshue was moved out of his taciturnity to ask who was the man inside.

"That's Professor Lemuel Overall," smiled Ditmas. "I understand he is to teach the Irontown school."

The rather genial satire in the remark and the friendly way Ditmas dropped in at his side inclined the jeweller toward the Northerner. All the other villagers were rather stiff around Belshue—in fact, were a little afraid of him. The engineer, however, paid no regard to the cloven hoof of the village infidel but moved along smiling at the village professor. Presently he said quite gaily, "I really ought to have it in for you, Belshue. You are the one who broke up my ball game last Sunday." He offered the jeweller a cigar.

"I!" exclaimed Belshue in surprise. He took the cigar awkwardly, for such an amenity had been offered him hardly twice in his life.

"Yes, your espousal killed it. It was an instance of 'God deliver me from my friends.'" Mr. Ditmas laughed heartily. "How long have you been living here?"

"All my life," answered the jeweller, puzzled.

"That's odd. With your anti-religious views, somehow I felt you might be a Northern man."

"Are there lots of infidels up there?" asked Belshue naïvely.

"We don't exactly use that term," said Ditmas, his eyes resuming their faintly amused expression. "If we speak of the matter we say a man has liberal ideas. Life in the North doesn't seem to revolve around religious creeds as it does down here. One believes what he likes and nothing is thought about the matter."

"Queer state of affairs," mused Belshue. He could hardly conceive a state of society where religion was not the paramount topic. "What do you Northern folks discuss, what do you think about?"

Ditmas puffed thoughtfully. "Well, when you leave out