ears, and they must have startled him, for he hastened to add:
"I don't see where no sense o' jestice comes in, nohow, in allowin' a
man on the very eve of doin' his Christian duty to lose his most
important wherewithal!"

This plea was no doubt in mild extenuation of the explosive that had
preceded it, and as he turned and drew himself forward by his elbows to
compass a new section of the room, which, by-the-way, seemed suddenly
expanded in size, he began to realize that the plea was in itself most
sinful--even more so than the outburst, perhaps, being an implication of
divine injustice.

A lump came into his throat, and as he proceeded laboriously along on
his dry swim, he felt for a moment in danger of crying.

Of course this would never do, but there was just so much emotion within
him, and it had begun to ferment.

Before he realized his excitement his arms were flying about wildly and
he was shrieking in a frenzy.

"But _I must have 'em_! I _must have 'em_! I must, I say; O Lord, I
must--I MUST HAVE THEM SPECTACLES! Lor-r-d, I have work to do--FOR
THEE--an' I am eager to perform it. All I ask is FIVE MINUTES' USE O'
MY EYES, so thet I may pursue this search in patience--"

His voice broke in a sob.

And just now it was that his left hand, fumbling over the foot of the
sewing-machine treadle, ran against a familiar bit of steel wire.

If it had connected with an ordinary electric battery, the resulting
shock could scarcely have been more pronounced.

There was something really pathetic in the spasmodic grasp with which he
seized the glasses, and as he rose to a sitting posture and lifted them
to his eyes, his hand shook pitifully.

"Thank the Lord! _Now I can see to look for 'em!_" And as he
tremblingly brought the curved ends of the wire around his ears he
exclaimed with fervor, "Yas, Lord, with Thy help I will keep my
vow--an' pursue this search in patience." His wet, red face beamed
with pleasure over the recovery of his near vision. So happy was he,
indeed, in the new possession, that, instead of rising, he sat still
in the middle of the floor, running his eyes with rapid scrutiny over
the carpet near him. He sat here a long time--even forgetting his
discomfort, while he turned as on a pivot as the search required.
Though the missing articles did not promptly appear at his side,
Bradley felt that he was having a good time, and so he was,
comparatively. Of course he would find the glasses presently.