For some time a rumour which did violence to the good name of Sophy Davis had been filtering through the community. But it had only filtered, until the girl's disappearance a day or two before had allowed the gossips to talk openly, and great was the talk. The young minister had looked on and listened in silence. He had always known and liked Sophy, and if what the gossips said of her was true, he pitied the girl. On this particular evening it was plain that Mr. Simpson had come to talk about the affair. After some preliminary remarks, he said, "You have a great chance, dear Brother Brent, for giving the devil in this particular part of the moral vineyard a hard blow." "I don't clearly see why now, more than before," returned Brent. "Because you are furnished with a living example of the fruits of evil: don't you see?" "If there is such an example furnished, the people will see it for themselves, and I should be doing a thankless task to point it out to them. I would rather show people the beauty of good than the ugliness of evil." "Yes, that 's the milk-and-water new style of preaching." "Well, we all have our opinions, to be sure, but I think it rather a good style." Brent was provokingly nonchalant, and his attitude irritated the elder man. "We won't discuss that: we will be practical. I came to advise you to hold Sophy Davis up in church next Sunday as a fearful example of evil-doing. You need n't mention any names, but you can make it strong and plain enough." Brent flushed angrily. "Are there not enough texts in here," he asked, laying his hand upon the Bible, "that I can cite and apply, without holding up a poor weak mortal to the curiosity, scorn, and derision of her equally weak fellows?" "But it is your duty as a Christian and a preacher of the gospel to use this warning." "I do not need to kick a falling girl to find examples to warn people from sin; and as for duty, I think that each man best knows his own." "Then you are n't going to do it?" "No," the young man burst forth. "I am a preacher of the gospel, not a clerical gossip!" "Do you mean that I am a gossip?" "I was not thinking of you." "Let me preach for you, Sunday." "I will not do that either. I will not let my pulpit be debased by anything which I consider so low as this business." "You will not take advice, then?" "Not such as that." "Be careful, Frederick Brent. I gave you that pulpit, and I can take it away,--I that know who you are and what you come from." "The whole town knows what you know, so I do not care for that. As for taking my pulpit from me, you may do that when you please. You put it upon me by force, and by force you may take it; but while I am pastor there I shall use my discretion in all matters of this kind." "Sophy 's been mighty quiet in her devilment. She does n't accuse anybody. Maybe you 've got more than one reason for shielding her."