"Let me in here," someone demanded. The minister stopped in the middle of a sentence and turned in the direction of the authoritative voice. He saw McMichael elbowing his way through the crowd to the center of the ring where his friend Springer and himself were facing each other. "Benton, your damn Klan has played hell in this community." The lawyer spoke in a loud, harsh voice. "You seem to be excited. What is the trouble?" the minister asked. "Trouble enough. Now that we have Dan Brown as sheriff, Stanton as county attorney and Rider as judge, all of them Klansmen, life and property will not be safe in Wilford Springs and there will be no justice." "You are mistaken, Mr. McMichael. Bootleggers and gamblers are objecting now because they are getting justice." "No one can get justice in a community where there are Klan officials. If I were governor of this state, do you know what I would do?" "No, I don't have any idea what you would do as governor," the minister replied. "Well, sir, I'll tell you what I would do. I'd put every town that has Klan officers under martial law until the people of the town forced the Klan officials to resign." "Well, Mr. McMichael," said Benton, laughing, "if you were governor and should attempt to coerce the people and trample upon their sacred rights in such a despotic manner, I fear that you wouldn't long remain governor; but would soon join the ranks of the has-beens along with ex-governor Slydell and others who made fools of themselves." The crowd laughed and applauded and the minister made his way through the crowd and started for home. As Rev. Benton and Mr. Jackson walked up the street together they met a dapper young man and a girl of the flapper type. "That is Chester Golter, Stover's nephew," Jackson volunteered. "I have heard of him but have never seen him to know who he was before. And who is the young lady with him?" "Her name is Gladys Glendenning. She has been here for a few weeks teaching dancing lessons." The following day Rev. Benton saw in the paper an account of the marriage of Gladys Glendenning to Chester Golter and a few days later notice of a breach of promise suit brought against Chester Golter by Pearl Gardner who asked twenty thousand dollars as heart balm. Later he heard that the case was settled out of court for three thousand dollars. "I wouldn't think that a heart that has been wounded through misplaced love could be repaired by payment of money," remarked Mrs. Benton. "My dear, money can not heal a heart wound that is very deep," replied the minister, and then added, "a girl who would ask to have her fiance frightened into keeping his engagement is entirely lacking in true love upon which real homes are built and which binds hearts together through both sunshine and storm." Chapter XXIX Ruth Babcock was seated at the dresser curling her hair when her aunt entered the room. "Going out tonight, Ruth?" "Yes, Mr. King and I are going to drive to Zala."