"A man wants ter see ye," she announced, shortly, her hand on the knob.

"Oh, I'm in no shape for play to-night; go back and tell him so."

"Sure, an' it's aisy 'nough ter see thet wid half an eye. But this un

isn't thet koind of a man, an' he's so moighty perlite about it Oi jist

cud n't sind the loikes of him away. It's 'Missus Guffy, me dear

madam, wud ye be koind enough to convey me complimints to Misther

Robert Hampton, and requist him to grant me a few minutes of his toime

on an important matter?' Sure, an' what do ye think of thet?"

"Huh! one of those fellows who had these rooms?" and Hampton rose to

his feet with animation.

The landlady lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper.

"It's the Reverend Howard Wynkoop," she announced, impressively,

dwelling upon the name. "The Reverend Howard Wynkoop, the Prasbytarian

Missionary--wouldn't thet cork ye?"

It evidently did, for Mr. Hampton stared at her for fully a minute in

an amazement too profound for fit expression in words. Then he

swallowed something in his throat.

"Show the gentleman up," he said, shortly, and sat down to wait.

The Rev. Howard Wynkoop was neither giant nor dwarf, but the very

fortunate possessor of a countenance which at once awakened confidence

in his character. He entered the room quietly, rather dreading this

interview with one of Mr. Hampton's well-known proclivities, yet in

this case feeling abundantly fortified in the righteousness of his

cause. His brown eyes met the inquisitive gray ones frankly, and

Hampton waved him silently toward a vacant chair.

"Our lines of labor in this vineyard being so entirely opposite," the

latter said, coldly, but with intended politeness, "the honor of your

unexpected call quite overwhelms me. I shall have to trouble you to

speak somewhat softly in explanation of your present mission, so as not

to disturb a young girl who chances to be sleeping in the room beyond."

Wynkoop cleared his throat uneasily, his naturally pale cheeks flushed.

"It was principally upon her account I ventured to call," he explained

in sudden confidence. "Might I see her?"

Hampton's watchful eyes swept the others face suspiciously, and his

hands clinched.

"Relative?" he asked gravely.

The preacher shook his head.

"Friend of the family, perhaps?"

"No, Mr. Hampton. My purpose in coming here is perfectly proper, yet

the request was not advanced as a right, but merely as a special

privilege."




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