VALLEY

A DOUBLE VICTORY 183heaven he can think rarest thing in the world aparson who can think. But he did contradict himself.Ha, ha! Here's a question you might ask him sometimewhen he's awake, girl. 'Can God make a stoneso big He couldn't lift it Himself?' Don't forget now.I want to hear his opinion of it. I've stumped many aminister with that, girl."Faith was glad to escape him and run home.DanReese, standing among the crowd of boys at the gate,looked at her and shaped his mouth into "pig-girl,"but dared not utter it aloud just there. Next day inschool was a different matter. At noon recess Faithencountered Dan in the little spruce plantation behindthe school and Dan shouted once more,"Pig-girl ! Pig-girl ! Rooster-girl!"Walter Blythe suddenly rose from a mossy cushionbehind a littleclump of firs where he had been reading.He was very pale, but his eyes blazed."You hold your tongue, Dan Reese !" he said."Oh, hello,Miss Walter," retorted Dan, not at allabashed. He vaulted airily to the top of the rail fenceand chanted insultingly,"Cowardy, cowardy-custardStole a pot of mustard,Cowardy, cowardy-custard I""You are a coincidence!" said Walter scornfully,turning still whiter. He had only a very hazy ideawhat a coincidence was, but Dan had none at all andthought it must be something peculiarly opprobrious.