The Green Forest tribune., 1915-11-26
CHAPTER II.
"Why7"


 "Snow!" exclaimed Gail in delight, turning up her face to the delicate flakes And the sun shining. That means snow tomorrow!"
 Allison helped her into his big, pi- ratical-looking runabout, and tucked her in as if she were some fragile hot house plant which might freeze with the first cool draft.
 "The pretty white snow is no friend of mine," he assured her, as he took the wheel and headed toward the ave nue. He looked calculatingly into the sky. This particular downfall is likely to cost the Municipal Transpor- tation company several thousand dol lars"
 Pm curious to know the conner cial value of a sunset in New York;" Gail smiled up at him. Allison had the impression that under the cover of her exquisitely veined lids she was looking at him cornerwise, and having a great deal of fun all by herself.
 We haven't capitalized sunsets yet, but we have hopes," he laughed
 Then there's still a commercial op- portunity." she lightly returned. "I feel quite friendly to money, but it's so intimate here. I've heard nothing else since I came, on Monday"
 Even in church," he chuckled. You delivered a reckless shock to Rev. Smith Boyd's vestry."
 "Well?" she demanded. Didn't he ask my opinion?"
 q don't think he'll make the mis- take again." and Allison took the cor ner into the avenue at a speed which made Gail, unused to bare inches of leeway, class Allison as a demon driver. The tall traffic policeman around whose upraised arm they had circled smiled frank tribute to her beauty, and she felt relieved. She had cherished some feeling that they should be arrested.
 However, even church must dis cuss money" went on Allison, as if he had just decided problem to which he had given weighty thought
 Fifty millions isn't mere money" retorted Gail; tits criminal wealth. If no man can make a million dollars honestly, how can church?"
 Allison swerved out into the center of the avenue and passed red limou- sine before he answered. He had no- ticed that everybody in the street stared into his car. and it f1attered him immensely to have so pretty a girl with him.
 "The wealth of Market Square church is natural and normal" he explained. Tt arises partly from the increase in value of property which was donated when practically worth less. Judicious investment is respon- sible for the balance"
 "Oh, bother!" and Gail glanced at him impatiently. Your natural i'm pulse is to defend wealth because it is wealth; but you know that Market Square church never should have had a surplus to invest The money should have been spent in charity. Why are they saving it?"
 Allison began to feel the same re- spect for Calls mental processes which he would for mans, though, when he looked at her with this thought in mind, she was so thor oughly feminine that she puzzled him more than ever.
 Market Square church has an am bition worthy of it's vestry," he in- formed her, bringing his runabout to rest, with swift glide, just an accu- rate three inches behind the taxi in front of them When it has fifty mil lion dollars, 1t proposes to start build ing the most magnificent cathedral on American soil"
 "Why?" she pondered. Will fifty million dollar cathedral save souls in proportion to the amount of money in vested?"
 Allison enjoyed that query thor oughly.
 You must ask Rev. Smith Boyd" he chuckled. You talk like hea- then!"
 "Oh, no," returned Gail gravely, and with a new tone. "I pray every morn ing and every night, and God hears me-" The note of reverence in her voice was a thing to which Allison gave instant respect. ''I have no quarrel with religion. Why, MT Ali son. 1 love the church" Her eyes were glowing, the same eyes which