e who believes--believes in religion as you do, he is
quite likely to visit him and to ask a great many questions."

"Well, ma'am, if he comes in on me anywhere, an' asks any questions,
an' they're on the subject I talked about that night at the church
meetin', why, I'll say anythin' I know an' everythin' I believe, an' if
he says anythin' on the other side, why, all I've got to say is, he
can't change my mind the least bit."

"I'm very glad to hear you say so," said Mrs. Prency. "Ah, is the shoe
done, entirely done? Good. Very much obliged. It's quite as good as Mr.
Highgetty himself could have made it. Fifty cents, I believe? Is that
satisfactory?"

"Quite satisfact'ry, ma'am," said the substitute, as he rose from his
bench and removed his hat, which had been on his head during the
interview. Mrs. Prency started towards the door, but stopped suddenly
and turned back.

"Mr. Kimper, the young man, Mr. Bartram, of whom I spoke to you,--I
really believe he is inclined to come and talk to you, and perhaps talk
a great deal, about what you seem to believe very sincerely and what he
doesn't believe at all. I hope you won't change your mind through
anything that can be said to you by a person of that kind, or by any
person whatever?"

"Mrs. Prency," said the cobbler's substitute, taking his hat from the
bench on which he had placed it and circling it in his hand as if he
were endeavoring to stimulate his mental faculties, "whatever I believe
on that subject I'm goin' to stick to, an' nobody, not even if he is
the best lawyer in the county, or your husband himself, or the judge of
the biggest court in the United States, is goin' to change my mind
about it."

"Thank you, Mr. Kimper. I might have known as much from what I heard
during your remarks the other night. I only wanted to say to you that
Mr. Bartram is a very smart talker and very quick to see whatever
mistakes any one else may make."

"If I make any mistakes," said Sam, "it's because of somebody who's a
great deal smarter than I am, who don't back me up as much as I need
for the time-bein'."

"Good-day, Mr Kimper," said the lady.

"Good-day, ma'am," said the ex-convict.

He stood in the dingy shop looking out of the window at the retreating
form of the lady, and then at the gathering clouds over the evening
sunset, and at the houses on the opposite side of the street,
apparently that he might divert his mind from something. Then he
looked at the coin whic