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drop. She forewent her plan for evangelization and thought hurriedly for another topic, for she was never at ease in Belshue's presence.

"Had you heard Mr. Ditmas was going to buy some land from Railroad Jones?"

"No, I don't hear much gossip."

"Some men were talking about it in the store."

The disconnection of this conversation was in odd contrast to the silent strife about the swing which was still going on beneath their words. The jeweller tried to break through this irrelevant patter by saying earnestly, "Why do you stick in that store, Nessie? That's no place for a girl like you—in a store—trimming hats."

"I really like trimming hats," she parried quickly. "I like working with colours. Then, it's hot everywhere—I bet it's hot at the dance to-night." This last speculation popped out because she was wondering if Abner had gone on to the dance without her.

"The dance where?"

"At Mr. Warrington's."

A faint jealous suspicion aroused in Belshue. He glanced at her aslant.

"Did you want to go?"

"I couldn't. I belong to the church."

Belshue continued studying her in faintly suspicious speculation. "Did someone ask you to go?"

She said no, no one had asked her. Then a faint colour came into Nessie's face. She sat extremely still, moistened her lips, and a moment later began talking rapidly of any topic that came into her head: of a hat she had sold, of an engine which Railroad Jones would bring to his new railroad in a week or two, of a new mortgage which Perry Northcutt was asking Railroad Jones to put on his property to protect the bank.

This scramble back to the irrelevant filled the jeweller with a kind of rancorousness. He explained with stony patience that no doubt the expenses of the railroad were