"I'd do more than that for Doug and for Lost Chief," said Inez soberly, "Doug isn't the only person who loves this old hole in the hills." Judith turned to Douglas with a sudden wistfulness in her eyes, a sudden flare of a fire he had not seen in them before. He waited for her to speak but she only turned away toward the door. "I'll look for you about six then, Inez," he said, and he followed Judith. When the girls appeared at the cabin that evening, the table was set and the steak was frying. Inez and Judith winked at each other when Mr. Fowler said grace but otherwise the meal progressed decorously enough. It was Inez who brought up the tabooed subject. They had been sitting round the stove listening to a tale of old lynch law which the preacher told with real skill, when Inez interrupted him with entire irrelevance. "Mr. Fowler, do you really believe there is such a thing as right and wrong?" The preacher paused, studying Inez' face. Her dark eyes were steady and thoughtful. Her mouth, except for the slightly heavy lower lip, was sensitive. Her whole expression was one of pride and independence. "Yes, I believe in right and wrong," replied Mr. Fowler, deliberately. "What makes you believe that a man who lived nearly two thousand years ago can decide what is right or wrong for Lost Chief?" she asked. "The Bible," answered the preacher. "But the Bible is full of things that I would call crooked. Those prophets were always putting slick tricks over on each other and the people. There was a lot of dirty work done in the name of the Lord by those ancient Jews." The preacher leaned toward the woman. "Do you believe in right and wrong, Inez Rodman?" "No, I don't. I believe in kindness and in beauty. That's all." "How does one believe in beauty?" asked Mr. Fowler. "I mean," she replied, "that if you fill your mind with the beauty of this Lost Chief country and with poetry, there is no room for anything ugly." "What would you call ugly?" "Being mean to other people is one kind of ugliness." "That's what I believe too," said Judith suddenly. "Then, of course, neither of you two would have anything to do with the attempt to run the preacher out," suggested Douglas. "No, I wouldn't," replied Inez; "and I told Scott so. That doesn't mean that I don't consider you plumb loco, Doug. Mr. Fowler isn't the kind to make the folks see the beauty of these hills. If he was I'd be helping instead of indifferent." "If the folks would let God enter their hearts," cried the preacher, "they'd see beauty in these hills they never dreamed of." "Well, as far as beauty goes, Inez," Douglas spoke thoughtfully, "you can't say there isn't considerable of that in the Bible. Take the Songs of Solomon. There never was finer love-making than that!" "The Songs of Solomon don't deal with human passion," said Mr. Fowler hastily. "They are a recital of man's love for the Almighty and His works."