committee, president of the fabulous W. D. Styles Wholesale Hardware Company—the man who had introduced the Bite Edge Ax through all the land from Louisville to Detroit, and introduced white knickers to the Tonawanda Club—this baron, this bishop, of business actually introduced himself to Elmer and made him welcome.
"Glad to see you here, dominie. Played much golf?"
"No, I've only taken it up recently, but you bet I'm going to be a real fan from now on."
"That's fine. Tell you how I feel about it, Reverend. We fellows that have to stick to our desks and make decisions that guide the common people, you religiously and me commercially, it's a good thing for us, and through us for them, to go out and get next to Nature, and put ourselves in shape to tackle our complicated problems (as I said recently in an after-dinner speech at the Chamber of Commerce banquet) and keep a good sane outlook so's we won't be swept away by every breeze of fickle and changing public opinion and so inevitably—"
In fact, said Mr. William Dollinger Styles, he liked golf.
Elmer tenderly agreed with "Yes, that's certainly a fact; certainly is a fact. Be a good thing for a whole lot of preachers if they got out and exercised more instead of always reading."
"Yes, I wish you'd tell my dominie that—not that I go to church such a whole lot, but I'm church treasurer and take kind of an interest—Dorchester Congregational—Reverend Shallard."
"Oh! Frank Shallard! Why, I knew him in theological seminary! Fine, straight, intelligent fellow, Frank."
"Well, yes, but I don't like the way he's always carrying on and almost coming right out and defending a lot of these crooked labor unions. That's why I don't hardly ever hear his sermons, but I can't get the deacons to see it. And as I say, be better for him if he got outdoors more. Well, glad to met you, Reverend. You must join one of our foursomes some day—if you can stand a little cussing, maybe!"
"Well, I'll try to, sir! Been mighty fine to have met you!"
"H'm!" reflected Elmer. "So Frank, the belly-aching highbrow, has got as rich a man as Styles in his fold, and Styles doesn't like him. Wonder if Styles could turn Methodist—wonder if he could be pinched off Frank? I'll ask Rigg."
