r- and experience-meeting around at the church to-night, I
thought I'd come around and tell you that 'twould be a sensible thing
to go there and tell what the Lord's done for you. It will put you on
record, and make you some friends; and you need them, you know."

Sam was pallid by nature, more so through long confinement, but he
looked yet more pale as he stammered,--

"Me--speak--in meetin'? Before folks that--that's always b'longed to
the church?"

"You must acknowledge Him, Samuel, if you expect Him to bless you."

"I hain't no objections to acknowledgin' Him, deacon, only--I'm not the
man to talk out much before them that I know is my betters. I ain't got
the gift o' gab. I couldn't never say much to the fellers in the
saloon along around about election-times, though I b'lieved in the
party with all my might."

"It doesn't take any gift to tell the plain truth," said the deacon.
"Come along. Mrs. Kimper, you come too, so Samuel will have no excuse
to stay home."

"Me?" gasped Mrs. Kimper. "Me?--in meetin'? Goodness, deacon, it gives
me the conniptions to think of it! Besides,"--here she dragged her
scanty clothing about her more closely,--"I ain't fit to be seen among
decent folks."

"Clothes don't count for anything in the house of the Lord," said the
deacon, stoutly, though he knew he was lying. "Meeting begins at
half-past seven, and the sun's down now."

"Nan," whispered Sam, "come along. You can slip in a back seat an'
nobody'll see nothin' but your face. Stand by me, Nan: I'm your
husband. Stand by me, so I can stand by my only friend."

"Deacon ain't no friend o' yourn," whispered the trembling woman in
reply.

"I'm not talkin' about the deacon, Nan. Don't, go back on me. You're my
wife, Nan; you don't know what that means to me now,--you reelly
don't."

Mrs. Kimper stared, then she almost smiled.

"I mean it, Nan," whispered the man.

Mrs. Kimper rummaged for a moment in the drawers of a dilapidated
bureau, and finally folded a red handkerchief and tied it over her
head.

"Good!" said the deacon, who had been watching the couple closely.
"We'll go around by the back way, so nobody'll see either of you, if
you don't want them to. I'll take Samuel along with me, and you can
drop in wherever you think best, Mrs. Kimper. I'm not going back on any
man who is going to turn over a new leaf. Come along."

CHAPTER IV.

The church at which Deacon Quickset worshipped was not large, nor wa