"I understand," said Theron, with an effort at polite calmness of tone.
"And--is there anything else?"

"There's this," broke in Brother Pierce: "we're commanded to be
law-abiding people, an' seven per cent WAS the law an' would be now if
them ragamuffins in the Legislation--"

"Surely we needn't go further into that," interrupted the minister,
conscious of a growing stiffness in his moral spine. "Have we any other
business before us?"

Brother Pierce's little eyes snapped, and the wrinkles in his forehead
deepened angrily. "Business?" he demanded. "Yes, plenty of it. We've
got to reduce expenses. We're nigh onto $300 behind-hand this minute.
Besides your house-rent, you get $800 free an' clear--that is $15.38
every week, an' only you an' your wife to keep out of it. Why, when
I was your age, young man, and after that too, I was glad to get $4 a
week."

"I don't think my salary is under discussion, Mr. Pierce--"

"BROTHER Pierce!" suggested Winch, in a half-shuckling undertone.

"Brother Pierce, then!" echoed Theron, impatiently. "The Quarterly
Conference and the Estimating Committee deal with that. The trustees
have no more to do with it than the man in the moon."

"Come, come, Brother Ware," put in Erastus Winch, "we mustn't have no
hard feelin's. Brotherly love is what we're all lookin' after. Brother