f he's an angel from heaven. I'd think you'd be ashamed
of yourself to come here and speak of such a thing."

"But I ain't ashamed, Clemmie. A drowning man is willing to grab the
first straw he sees. Listen to me, Clemmie," he pleaded, as she turned
to leave the room.

"Me listen to you proposing for me to come over to Little River and
start talk that would ruin the town? Not if I know what Clemmie Pipkin's
doing."

"I tell you I ain't proposing to you, I'm just asking you. As far as
that town goes, a few things more for it to talk about can't do her no
harm."

Miss Pipkin paused on the threshold to give a parting shot, but the
Captain spoke first and spiked her guns.

"The other feller happens to be the new parson."

Her expression changed. Preachers had long been her specialty at the
Poor Farm, and she knew exactly the care and food they needed.

"What was that you said, Josiah?"

"The other feller living with me is the minister at the brick church."

"The minister living with you!"

"Yes."

"With you? But you ain't got religion."

"I cal'late that's the safest guess you ever made, Clemmie, but just now
it's cooking, and not religion, that's bothering me."

"Lan' sakes! You ain't trying to cook for the minister, be you?" she
asked incredulously.

"You put it just right, I'm trying to. I don't know how long he'll be
able to stand it, but he won't go nowhere else."

"Poor thing!" she exclaimed. "Poor thing!"

"Them's my sentiments, too, Clemmie."

"And no doubt he's a frail creature, too, and ought to have the best of
care. So many of them are that way."

A violent fit of coughing seized the Captain.

"Lan' sakes! Now, what's the matter with you? Been going out without
your rubbers, I'll warrant. Men are worse than babies when left to
themselves. I do believe they'd die if the women-folks didn't look after
them once in a while."

"We sartin would," choked out the Captain. "Do you suppose you can
arrange it to come over?"

"When do you want me?"

"Right now. To-day. I come special for you."

"I'll go," decided Miss Pipkin impulsively. "It's plain as day that it's
my duty. I am getting wore out in this place. They've been putting the
work of three on me, and I ain't got the strength."

"It ain't right, Clemmie, for you to be wearing yourself out in this
kind of work. God intended you for something better. I ain't proposing,"
he hastily added, lest his bird take the sudden notion to wing her