Bob Hampton of Placer

"Do you mean Billy McNeil, over on Sinsiniwa Creek?" broke in Herndon.

"I think quite likely, uncle; would n't he make a splendid addition to

Mr. Wynkoop's church?"

Herndon choked, his entire body shaking with ill-suppressed enjoyment.

"I should imagine yes," he admitted finally. "Billy McNeil--oh, Lord!

There 's certainly a fine opening for you to do some missionary work,

Phoebe."

"Well, and I 'm going to," announced the young lady, firmly. "I guess

I can read men's characters, and I know all Mr. McNeil needs is to have

some one show an interest in him. Have you a large church, Mr.

Wynkoop?"

"Not large if judged from an Eastern standpoint," he confessed, with

some regret. "Our present membership is composed of eight women and

three men, but the congregational attendance is quite good, and

constantly increasing."

"Only eight women and three men!" breathlessly. "And you have been

laboring upon this field for five years! How could it be so small?"

Wynkoop pushed back his chair, anxious to redeem himself in the

estimation of this fair stranger.

"Miss Spencer," he explained, "it is perhaps hardly strange that you

should misapprehend the peculiar conditions under which religious labor

is conducted in the West. You will undoubtedly understand all this

better presently. My parish comprises this entire mining region, and I

am upon horseback among the foothills and up in the ranges for fully a

third of my time. The spirit of the mining population, as well as of

the cattlemen, while not actually hostile, is one of indifference to

religious thought. They care nothing whatever for it in the abstract,

and have no use for any minister, unless it may be to marry their

children or bury their dead. I am hence obliged to meet with them

merely as man to man, and thus slowly win their confidence before I

dare even approach a religious topic. For three long years I worked

here without even a church organization or a building; and apparently

without the faintest encouragement. Now that we have a nucleus

gathered, a comfortable building erected and paid for, with an

increasing congregation, I begin to feel that those seemingly barren

five years were not without spiritual value."

She quickly extended her hands. "Oh, it is so heroic, so

self-sacrificing! No doubt I was hasty and wrong. But I have always

been accustomed to so much larger churches. I am going to help you,

Mr. Wynkoop, in every way I possibly can--I shall certainly speak to

both Mr. Moffat and Mr. McNeil the very first opportunity. I feel

almost sure that they will join."