“I didn't know it was going on,” said Miller, testily. “I assure you I never run from a thing like that. The best thing to do is to add fuel to the fire--it burns out quicker.” “Well, you will go out to meeting, won't you?” insisted the sweet-voiced woman. “You won't have them all thinking you have no respect for the religion of our father and mother--will you?” Rayburn squirmed under this close fire. “I shall go occasionally when there is _preaching_,” he said, reluctantly. “I would be out of place at one of the--the knock-down and drag-out shouting-bees.” Then, seeing her look of horror at the words which had unthoughtedly glided from his lips, he strove to make amends. “Oh, sister, do--_do_ be reasonable, and look at it from my point of view. I don't believe that's the way to serve God or beautify the world. I believe in being happy in one's own way, just so that you don't tread on the rights of other people.” “But,” said Mrs. Lampson, her eyes flashing, “you _are_ treading on the rights of others. They are trying to save the souls of the rising generation in the community, and you and your social set use your influence in the other direction.” “But what about the rights of my social set, if you want to call it by that name?” Miller retorted, warmly. “We have the right to enjoy ourselves in our way, just as you have in yours. We don't interfere--we never ask you to close up shop so we can have a dance or a picnic, but you do. If we dare give a party while some revivalist is filling his pockets in town the revivalist jumps on us publicly and holds us up as examples of headlong plungers into fiery ruin. There is not a bit of justice or human liberty in that, and you 'll never reach a certain element till you quit such a course. Last year one of the preachers in this town declared in the pulpit that a girl could not be pure and dance a round dance. It raised the very devil in the hearts of the young men, who knew he was a dirty liar, and they got up as many dances out of spite as they possibly could. In fact, some of them came near knocking the preacher down on the street. I am a conservative sort of fellow, but I secretly wished that somebody would slug that man in the jaw.”