第93章

There was a big chap there from the wild and woolly, and he made 'em sit up.Why, you know him, I guess.He's that 'Varsity football chap the fellows used to rave about.""Oh, yes, I know," said Brown."Macgregor.Shock, we used to call him.""Yes, of course.I remember I saw him last year at the McGill match.""Well, what was up?" said Brown, scenting something good."Let us have it.Do the reporter act.""Well, it's good copy, let me tell you, but I don't want to allow my professional zeal to obliterate my sense of the decencies of polite society.""Go on," said Brown, "I want to hear.You know, I played quarter behind him for three years, and Miss Fairbanks is interested, Iknow."

"You did? Well, if he bucked up as he did this afternoon, you must have had good hunting.Well, then, when that committee met you never saw a more solemn-looking bunch in your life.You would think they had all lost their mothers-in-law.And when they broke up they didn't know but they were standing on their heads.""What was the matter?"

"Oh, there was a big deficit on, and they had to go up to your big council--conference--what do you call it in your pagan outfit?

Assembly? Yes, that's it--and take their medicine.Twenty thousand dollars of a debt.Well, sir, on the back of all that didn't their Grand Mogul--archbishop--you know, from the West--no, not Macgregor--their chief pusher.Superintendent? Yes--come in and put an ice pack on them in the shape of a new scheme for exploration and extension in the Kootenay country, the Lord knows where, some place out of sight.Well, you ought to have heard him.He burned red fire, you bet.Pardon my broken English, Miss Fairbanks.""Go on," said Helen, "I like it," and Brown gave himself a little hug.

"I am glad you do," continued Tommy, "for it is bad enough to write copy without having to speak it.Well, the war began, some in favour of the scheme, some against, but all hopeless in view of the present state of finances.Better wait a little, and that sort of talk.

Then, let's see what happened.Oh, yes.The question of the man came up.Who was the man? The Superintendent was ready for 'em.It was Macgregor of some place.Frog Lake? No, Loon Lake.Then the opposition thought they had him with a half-nelson.Old Dr.

Macfarren jumped on to the chief with both feet.His man was no good, a flat failure in his field, no tact.Beg your pardon, Miss Fairbanks.What did you say?""Oh, never mind," said Helen."Go on."

"He appealed for corroboration to his friend, the chap up at Park Church, you know, that sleek, kid-gloved fellow.""Burns?" asked Brown, innocently, delighted in the reporter's description of Lloyd and desiring more of it.

"No.You know that orator chap, liquid eyes, mellifluous voice, and all the rest of it.""Oh, Lloyd."

"Yes.Well, he took a whirl and backed up Macfarren.Evidently didn't think much of the Superintendent's choice.Remarked about his being a Highlander, a man of visions and that sort of thing.""What else did he say?" inquired Brown, who was in a particularly happy mood.

"Oh, a lot of stuff, in his most lordly, patronizing tone.Macgregor was a very good, earnest fellow, but he should judge him to be lacking in tact or adaptability, fine sensibilities, and that sort of rot.But never mind.Didn't he catch it! Oh, no.My Sally Ann!

Boiling lard and blue vitriol, and all in the chief's most sweet-scented lavender style, though all the time I could see the danger lights burning through his port-holes.I tell you I've had my diminished moments, but I don't think I was ever reduced to such a shade as the Park Church chap when the Superintendent was through with him.Serve him right, too""What did the Superintendent say?" continued Brown, delighted to find somebody who would express his own sentiments with more force and fulness than he could command.

"Say! Well, I wish I could tell you.'Mr.Lloyd says he is a Highlander.Yes, he is, thank God.So am I.He is a man of visions.

Yes, he has vision beyond the limits of his own congregation and of his own native cross-roads, vision for what lies beyond the horizon, vision for those men in the mountains who are going to the devil.' Aquotation, Miss Fairbanks, I assure you.'These miners and lumbermen, forgotten by all but their mothers, and God.' Say, it was great.If I could reproduce it there would be a European trip in it.

Then he turned on Dr.Macfarren.It seems that Macgregor somehow had to quit some place in the West on the plea that he was not adaptable, and that sort of thing.'Dr.Macfarren says he was a failure,' went on the old chief, using at least five r's, 'Mr.Lloyd says he is not adaptable, he is lacking in fine sensibilities.It is true God did not make him with sleek hair'--which, by Jove, was true enough--'and dainty fingers.And a good thing it was, else our church at Loon Lake, built by his own hands, the logs cut, shaped and set in place, sir, by his own hands, would never have existed.

He was a failure at the Fort, we are told.Why? I made inquiries concerning that.I was told by a gentleman who calls himself a Presbyterian--I need not mention his name--that he was not suitable to the peculiarly select and high-toned society of that place.No, sir, our missionary could not bow and scrape, he was a failure at tennis, he did not shine at card parties,' and here you could smell things sizzling.'He could not smile upon lust.No, thank God!' and the old chap's voice began to quiver and shake.'In all this he was a failure, and would to God we had more of the same kind!' 'Amen,'

'Thank God,' 'That's true,' the men around the table cried.Ithought I had struck a Methodist revival meeting.""What else did he say?" said Brown, who could hardly contain himself for sheer delight.