w to be an accusing
eye, as she brought up those arrears of housekeeping which always await
the housewife on the return from any vacation; and he knew that he did
not conceal his guilt from her.

They both ignored the stress which had fallen back upon him, and which
accumulated, as the days of the week went by, until the first Sunday
came.

Ewbert dreaded to look in the direction of Hilbrook's pew, lest he
should find it empty; but the old man was there, and he sat blinking at
the minister, as his custom was, through the sermon, and thoughtfully
passing the tip of his tongue over the inner edge of his lower lip.

Many came up to shake hands with the minister after church, and to tell
him how well he was looking, but Hilbrook was not among them. Some of
the university people who had made a point of being there that morning,
out of a personal regard for Ewbert, were grouped about his wife, in the
church vestibule, where she stood answering their questions about his
health. He glimpsed between the heads and shoulders of this gratifying
group the figure of Hilbrook dropping from grade to grade on the steps
outside, till it ceased to be visible, and he fancied, with a pang, that
the old man had lingered to speak with him, and had then given up and
started home.

The cordial interest of the university people was hardly a compensation
for the disappointment he shared with Hilbrook; but his wife was so
happy in it that he could not say anything to damp her joy. "Now," she
declared, on their way home, "I am perfectly satisfied that they will
keep coming. You never preached so well, Clarence, and if they have any
appreciation at all, they simply won't be able to keep away. I wish you
could have heard all the nice things they said about you. I guess
they've waked up to you, at last, and I do believe that the idea of
losing you has had a great deal to do with it. And _that_ is something
we owe to old Ransom Hilbrook more than to anything else. I saw the poor
old fellow hanging about, and I couldn't help feeling for him. I knew he
wanted to speak with you, and I'm not afraid that he will be a burden
again. It will be such an inspiration, the prospect of having the
university people come every Sunday, now, that you can afford to give a
little of it to him, and I want you to go and see him soon; he evidently
isn't coming till you do."

XV.

Ewbert had learned not to inquire too critically for a logical process
in his wife's