"
"Humph!" said the lawyer, still handling the papers. "Deacon, I'll make
you a straightforward proposition concerning that money. If you will
agree that I shall be agent of both parties in any settlement of these
agreements which I hold in my hand, and that you will accept me as sole
and final arbitrator in any differences of opinion between you and the
signers, I will agree personally to lend you the amount you need, on
your simple note of hand, renewable from time to time until you are
ready to pay it."
"Ray Bartram," exclaimed the deacon, stopping short and looking the
lawyer full in the face, "what on earth has got into you?"
"Religion, I guess, deacon," said the lawyer. "Try it yourself: it'll
do you good."
The lawyer walked off briskly, and left the deacon standing alone in
the street. As the deacon afterwards explained the matter to his wife,
he felt like a stuck pig.
CHAPTER XVIII.
"Tom," said Sam Kimper to his eldest son one morning after breakfast,
"I wish you'd walk along to the shop with me. There's somethin' I want
to talk about."
Tom wanted to go somewhere else; what boy doesn't, when his parents
have anything for him to do? Nevertheless, the young man finally obeyed
his father, and the two left the house together.
"Tom," said the father, as soon as the back door had closed behind
them, "Tom, I'm bein' made a good deal more of than I deserve, but
'tain't any of my doin's, and men that ort to know keep tellin' me that
I'm doin' a lot o' good in town.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156