But to turn me out of the
church?"
"Samuel," cried the distracted clergyman, "am I not the rector of this
church?"
"But, doctor," cried Samuel, "it is the church of God!"
There was a long pause.
Finally, Samuel took up the conversation again. "Tell me, Dr. Vince,"
he said. "When Mr. Hickman came to see you, did he deny that he had
committed that crime?"
"I did not ask him," replied the other.
"You didn't ask him!" exclaimed the boy in dismay. "You didn't even
care that much?"
Again there was a pause. "I asked Mr. Wygant," said Samuel in a low
voice. "And he confessed that he was guilty."
"What!" cried the other.
"He confessed it--his whole conversation was a confession of it. He
said everybody did those things, because that was the way to make
money, and everybody wanted to make money. He called it competition.
And then I asked him why he came to the church of Jesus, and he
ordered me out of his house."
Dr. Vince was listening with knitted brows. "And what do you propose
to do now," he asked.
"I don't know, sir. I suppose I shall have to expose him."
"Samuel," exclaimed the clergyman, "in all this wild behavior of
yours, does it never occur to you that you owe some gratitude to me?"
"Oh, doctor!" cried the boy, clasping his hands in agony. "Don't say
anything like that to me!"
"I do say it!" persisted the other. "I saved you and helped you; and
now you are causing me most terrible suffering!"
"Doctor," protested Samuel, "I would do anything in the world for you-
-I would die for you.
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