I + 

The Reverend Jacob Trosper, D.D., Ph. D., LL.D., dean and chief executive of Mizpah Theological Seminary, and Professor of Practical Theology and Homiletics, was a hard-faced active man with a large active voice. His cheeks were gouged with two deep channels. His eyebrows were heavy. His hair, now gray and bristly, must once have been rusty, like Eddie Fislinger’s. He would have made an excellent top-sergeant. He looked through the students and let them understand that he knew their sins and idlenesses before they confessed them. + 

Elmer was afraid of Dean Trosper. When he was summoned to the dean’s office, the morning after the spiritual conference in Frank Shallard’s room, he was uneasy. + 

He found Frank with the dean. + 

“God! Frank’s been tattling about my doings with women!” + 

“Brother Gantry,” said the dean. + 

“Yes, sir!” + 

“I have an appointment which should give you experience and a little extra money. It’s a country church down at Schoenheim, eleven miles from here, on the spur line of the Ontario, Omaha and Pittsburgh. You will hold regular Sunday morning services and Sunday School; if you are able to work up afternoon or evening services and prayer meeting, so much the better. The pay will be ten dollars a Sunday. If there’s to be anything extra for extra work⁠—that’s up to you and your flock. I’d suggest that you go down there on a handcar. I’m sure you can get the section-gang boss here to lend you one, as it’s for the Lord’s work, and the boss’ brother does a lot of gardening here. I’m going to send Brother Shallard with you to conduct the Sunday School and get some experience. He has a particularly earnest spirit⁠—which it wouldn’t entirely hurt you to emulate, Brother Gantry⁠—but he’s somewhat shy in contact with sin-hardened common people. + 

“Now, boys, this is just a small church, but never forget that it’s priceless souls that I’m entrusting to your keeping; and who knows but that you may kindle there such a fire as may some day illumine all the world⁠ ⁠… providing, Brother Gantry, you eliminate the worldly things I suspect you of indulging in!” + 

Elmer was delighted. It was his first real appointment. In Kansas, this summer, he had merely filled other people’s pulpits for two or three weeks at a time. + 

He’d show ’em! Some of these fellows that thought he was just a mouth-artist! Show ’em how he could build up a church membership, build up the collections, get ’em all going with his eloquence⁠—and, of course, carry the message of salvation into darkened hearts. + 

It would be mighty handy to have the extra ten a week⁠—and maybe more if he could kid the Schoenheim deacons properly. + 

His first church⁠ ⁠… his own⁠ ⁠… and Frank had to take his orders! + 