“Oh, yes,” cried the minister’s wife enthusiastically. “Isn’t he a perfect dear? I think he is a lovely boy. And so shy. I can’t get hold of him, somehow. But he is doing wonderful work in the Mission, all the same, with the men and boys. Jack is quite taken with him. You know, all this summer he has taken those boys for hikes down the water-side. He camps with them, quite in the Indian fashion—you know he lived for years among the Indians.” “So I understand,” said Mrs. Gunning. “I know he is doing Dalton good. That young man has been keeping straight all this summer. Of course, he never goes to church, you know, but he is always at the Mission. Such a clever young fellow—brilliantly clever, Frank says—but very fast, my dear, very fast. You know what I mean.” The minister’s wife did not know, but her nod might mean anything. “I do hope,” she said, “that the Board won’t be mean about it. Jack is so very keen about the boys. There! I hear him.” She jumped to her feet and ran to the door. There followed exclamations and silences, and Jack came in, triumph written on his face. “We put it over, Mrs. Gunning! We put it over! Or at least your excellent husband did.” “Oh, indeed? And of course you just looked on.” “Well,” said the minister, “I gave the thing a shove. Gunning will be along in a minute or two and he will give you the details.” In a short time Gunning arrived, a big man with a thoughtful, intelligent face and shrewd eyes with a humorous twinkle in them. The minister’s wife welcomed him warmly. “So you did it!” she cried. “It was perfectly splendid of you. We have just heard from Jack.” “Heard what?” said Mr. Gunning, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “Heard all about you and how you put it over.” “Oh, indeed?” replied Mr. Gunning. “Well, that’s very nice hearing, I must say.” After the first cups of tea had been disposed of, the minister’s wife demanded a full account of the evening’s proceedings from her husband. “Did you have a big fight, Jack? Tell us all about it. And begin at the beginning.” “Fight? I should say so. I was backed into my corner and over the ropes when friend Gunning waded in. And after he got through we only had to shovel up the remains.” “Do begin at the beginning, Jack. I don’t like your way of jumping into the middle of things.” “Well,” said Jack, “it is a good story, a great story, and I shall give it to you as best I can. But you ought to have been there to really get the atmosphere. The proposition I put up to the Board, you see, was this, that if they would undertake the equipment of a Mission House I, with my friends down there, would undertake the erection of a building; I would look after the outside if they would look after the inside, in other words. Well, I put up the bluff as vigorously as I could, threw the dare at them and told them to come on.” “But, Jack,” remonstrated his wife in a shocked tone, “you can’t do that.”