I had so
many things to attend to in the rush of departure. I--er--I hope you
didn't wait for me."
"I had nothing else to do, sir," said Samuel.
"The truth is," continued the other, "I'm afraid I shan't be able to
do for you what I thought I could."
Samuel's heart went down into his boots.
"You see," said the professor a trifle embarrassed, "my sister wanted
a man to look after her place, but I found she had already engaged
some one."
There was a pause. Samuel simply stared.
"Of course, as the man is giving satisfaction--you see--it wouldn't do
for her to send him away."
And Samuel continued to stare, dumb with terror and dismay.
"I'm very sorry," said the other--"no need to tell you that. But I
don't know of any other place."
"But what am I to do?" burst out Samuel.
"It's really too bad," remarked the other.
And again there was a silence.
"Professor Stewart," said Samuel in a low voice, "what is a man to do
who is out of work and starving?"
"God knows," said the professor.
And yet again there was silence. Samuel could have said that himself--
he had the utmost faith in God.
And after a while the professor himself seemed to realize that the
reply was inadequate. "You see," he went on, "there is a peculiar
condition here in Lockmanville. There was an attempt to corner the
glass industry, and that caused the building of too many factories,
and so there is overproduction.
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