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Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920

"The Minister's Charge"


Again he forbore question or comment.
"Well--well! we must look you up, Mrs. Sewell and I. We must come to
see your--the lady." He found himself falling helplessly into
Lemuel's way of describing her. "Just write me your address here,"--
he put a scrap of paper before Lemuel on the davenport,--"and I'll
go and get you the money."
He brought it back in an envelope which held a very little more than
Lemuel had asked for--Sewell had not dared to add much--and Lemuel
put it in his pocket.
He tried to say something; he could only make a husky noise in his
throat.
"Good night!" said Sewell pressing his hand with both of his again,
at the door. "We shall come very soon."
"Married!" said Mrs. Sewell, when he returned to her; and then she
suffered a silence to ensue, in which it seemed to Sewell that his
inculpation was visibly accumulating mountains vast and high.
"_What did you say_?"
"Nothing," he answered almost gaily; the case was so far beyond
despair. "What should _you_ have said?"


XXXIV.

Lemuel got a conductor's overcoat and cap at half-price from a man
who had been discharged, and put by the money saved to return to
Sewell when he should come. He entered upon his duties the next
morning, under the instruction of an old conductor, who said,
"Hain't I seen you som'ere's before?" and he worked all day, taking
money and tickets, registering fares, helping ladies on and off the
car, and monotonously journeying back and forth over his route.


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