"
"No, sir, they haven't," Sam sharply replied.
The lawyer quickly caught the change of tone, and made haste to
explain:
"I didn't mean to disturb your peace of mind, Sam; I asked only in
order to learn how much foundation there was to your faith. They
haven't them, you say. How will they get them?"
"I'll earn 'em," said the cobbler, with a savage dash of his awl which
one of his fingers barely escaped.
"But suppose you can't; suppose trade slackens, or Larry takes a notion
to a new helper."
"Then I'll beg, rather than have 'em suffer."
"And if folks won't give?"
"Then my folks'll have to go without."
"In spite of your new, loving, strong friend,--your Saviour? If He's
all you take Him to be, aren't you sure He'll look out for your
family?"
"Mr. Bartram," said the cobbler, resting for a moment, and
straightening his weary back, "if I was in trouble,--been doin'
somethin' wrong, for instance, an' was hauled into court, an' had you
for my lawyer,--though of course I couldn't expect to have so smart a
man,--I'd ort to believe that you'd do everythin' that could be done
an' ort to be done, ortn't I?"
"Certainly, Sam, certainly," said the lawyer, with his customary
professional look of assurance.
"But I wouldn't know all about it in advance, would I? Even if you was
to tell me all you meant to do an' how you'd do it, I couldn't take it
in.
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