“That’s a clever way of putting it,” commended Jim Sargent. “It’s time we did something to get rid of our disgrace,” and he was most earnest about it. He had been the most uncomfortable of all these vestrymen in the past few days; for the disgrace of Market Square Church had been a very reliable topic of conversation in Gail Sargent’s neighbourhood.
The nasal voice of smooth-shaven old Joseph G. Clark drawled into the little silence which ensued.
“What about the Cathedral?” he asked, and the hush which followed was far deeper than the one which he had broken. Even the Reverend Smith Boyd was driven to some fairly profound thought. His bedroom and his study were lined with sketches of the stupendously beautiful cathedral, the most expensive in the world, in which he was to disseminate the gospel.
“Suppose we come back to earth,” resumed Clark, who had built the Standard Cereal Company into a monopoly of all the breadstuffs by that process. “If we rebuild we set ourselves back in the cathedral project ten years. You can’t wipe out what you call our disgrace, even if you give all these paupers free board and compulsory baths. My proposition is to telephone for Edward E. Allison, and tell him we’re ready to accept his offer.”
“Not while I’m a member of this vestry,” declared Nicholas Van Ploon, swivelling himself to defy Joseph G. Clark. “We don’t sell the property.”
“I put Mr. Clark’s proposition as a motion,” jerked W. T. Chisholm, and in the heated argument which ensued, the Good Shepherd in the window, taking advantage of the shifting sun, removed from the room the light of the red robe.
In the end, the practical minded members won over the sentimentalists, if Nicholas Van Ploon could be classed under that heading, and Allison was telephoned. Before they were through wrangling over the decision to have him meet them, Allison was among them. One might almost have thought that he had been waiting for the call; but he exchanged no more friendly glances with Clark and Chisholm, of the new International Transportation Company, than he did with any of the others.
“Well, Allison, we’ve about decided to accept your offer for the Vedder Court property,” stated Manning.
“I haven’t made you any, but I’m willing,” returned Allison.
Jim Sargent drew from his pocket a memorandum slip.