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God what should he do about the desecration that threatened the village Sabbath.

His answer irritated Mrs. Biggers instantly. "You don't know! Do you mean you are not goin' to stan' up for your Lord and Saviour against the devil?"

The banker's wife, who was perhaps the most tactless woman in all Irontown, now said in her flat nasal tone, "Perry does a lot of business with them railroad folks . ." and this was the truth.

Mr. Northcutt glanced at the fat mother of his children in sharp irritation. She had blurted out what he had meant to say by careful, self-respecting innuendo. The wife's answer set off his sister.

"Trade! Bankin'! Givin' over God's day to revellers for dollars! What good will dollars do you when you come to die?"

"Now, Roxie, I didn't say that; Nannie there said that!"

"You know that's the real reason," stated Nannie in her flat, matter-of-fact voice.

"There are a lot of things to be considered," pursued the banker, disregarding this interruption. "You must remember Ditmas is a Yankee, and Northern people don't look at these things like we do. I don't think they live quite as close to God as we do."

"What's that got to do with it? We've got laws against disturbing the Sabbath, ain't we, even if the Yankees ain't? No, Perry Northcutt, you know yore duty as well as I do, and if you don't go down and stop that game this afternoon, I'll do it myself!"

With that she started out of the room. The banker made a gesture after her.

"Now, don't you be flying off like that. If it's got to be done, I'll do it."

"Well, see that you do," and Mrs. Biggers left the house and went striding back to her home at her characteristic gait.

The contemplated action was thoroughly distasteful to