"Well, hardly," frowned Sargent.
We couldn't swing Clark and Chis
holm. At the last minute they sug
gested that we might build lofts, and
the impending fracas seemed too seri-
DUS to take up just now, so we've
tabled the whole thing."
Allison smiled, and slipped his
watch back in his pocket.
"It's fairly definite, however, that
rou won't sell," he concluded.
"Not at your figure," laughed Sar
gent. "If we took your money, Doctor
Boyd would be too old to preach in the
new cathedral."
"He'll pull it through some way," de
clared Allison. "He's as smart as a
whip."
Neither gentleman had noticed Gail.
She had settled back in her chair dur
ing these last speeches, weary and
listless, and overcome with a sense
of some humiliation too evasive to be
properly framed even in thought. She
bad a sense that she had given away
omething vastly precious, and which
would never be valued. Neither did
they notice that she changed suddenly
to relief. She had been justified in
her decision.
She took the reins of conversation
berself after Uncle Jim had left, and
entertained Allison so brightly that he
left with impatience at the tea party
which monopolized her.
