"Of course," responded Young. "I knew Helen was interested in the Christmas festival, and I thought you'd do as well as I." "And so I did, brother," replied Ebenezer, pompously, "and your vote turned the tide into the channel God wanted it. Some members allowed their human feelings to run away with 'em." Ebenezer's mysterious words suddenly awakened Deforrest's interest. "Has something out of the ordinary occurred?" he queried. "Yes," assured Eb, "but I've attended to it all right!" Professor Young sighed. "That's good! There, now, I'll sit by the grate and warm up while you tell me about it." He dropped into a large chair, and extended his feet to the cheerful blaze. Waldstricker paused before making his explanation. At length: "We put a member out of the church last Wednesday," said he, steadily. Deforrest Young turned completely around and stared at his brother-in-law. "Put a member out of the church!" he repeated, thunder-struck. "Why church a member?... That _is_ out of the ordinary, I should say. What'd he do?" "It wasn't a man, 'twas a woman." "Well, for God's sake!" Deforrest's voice was low, deep, and filled with disgust. "I hope you men didn't make a mess of yourselves.... What happened?... Some girl kissed her sweetheart under the pine trees?" The elder glanced over the top of his brother-in-law's head. "Worse than that!" said he. "Much worse than that!... We churched a Magdalene!" It took an appreciable length of time for Young's tall figure to rise from the chair. He turned around and stood with his back to the fire. "I didn't know we had a Magdalene in the church," he commented drily, and then more impetuously, "Oh, Lord, why don't you spit it out and not beat all around the bush telling me?" There was something about Ebenezer's slow manner of approaching the point that made Young impatient. In the meantime his mind was rapidly running over the women in the Hayt's congregation. Waldstricker got up, too, drawing his big frame to its full height. "We churched--Well, the fact is,--We churched Tessibel Skinner." When the name fell upon Deforrest Young's ears, every muscle in his body became rigid, making him taller by inches. "Tessibel Skinner?" he repeated mechanically, as if he'd heard awry. "Did you say Tessibel Skinner?" Waldstricker took a long breath. Deforrest was receiving the action of the church with better grace than he had anticipated. "Yes, Tessibel Skinner!" he repeated. "She's with child." In the awful minute after the torturing words had fallen from the other man's lips, Deforrest Young felt as if he must tear the lie from the speaker's throat. For it was a lie! God! What a lie! A lie told against Heaven's best--the best girl in all the world. Without a word, he reached for his overcoat. "What're you going to do?" demanded Ebenezer, a little perturbed. "You needn't see her.... She's been justly dealt with."