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the banker. It threatened to break up his highly profitable relations with the railroad if he antagonized Ditmas; still, to violate the Sabbath was wrong; he shouldn't allow it. Moreover, he had been praying earnestly to God for direction in this crisis of his life and—Roxie had come. . . .

While the forces for righteousness were thus mobilizing in the village, a very half-hearted spirit moved the baseball players themselves. When the crowd gathered in the old field south of the railroad site nobody really wanted to play. All the players wanted to drop the matter but could not because they were victims of their own gregariousness. Even the score or so of spectators were uncomfortable.

Mr. Tug Beavers was the only man who refused point-blank to enter the game. He stated flatly, "When I do a wrong thing, I mean her to be wrong and I don't pertend she's right like Mr. Ditmas is tryin' to do. By God, no matter what I do myself, my influence is goin' to go in the right direction."

The players were impressed with this stand. There was something bracing about it. One or two others withdrew, there was a re-selection from the spectators, and the game finally proceeded.

During all this preparation a mere breath of persuasion would have broken up Sunday baseball in Irontown, but unfortunately, at this juncture, Mr. Perry Northcutt arrived.

The banker came walking over the railroad levee from the direction of the village; a thin figure clad in funereal black. From the moment he appeared the game halted automatically and all eyes focussed on Northcutt. When he came nearer the crowd saw he had a bloodless, placatory smile on his thin face and that he was rubbing his hands together in a most diplomatic manner. In his heart the banker earnestly wished to be diplomatic and agreeable. He knew that thousands of dollars in bank deposits and the good will of the managing engineer hung on the outcome of his venture.