along, drunk as a lord. Jove! you ought to have seen her walk! She
couldn't walk,--that was about the truth of it; and she had a miserable
yelling brat in her arms. It seemed as though she'd fall half a dozen
times. Well, while we were standing there, I saw that man coming down the
street. I didn't know him then,--somebody told me his name, afterwards. I
give you my word, sir, when he saw that woman, he stood still one minute,
as though he was thunderstruck by the sight of her,--not hesitating, you
know, but just amazed to see a woman looking like that,--and then he went
right up to her, and took that dirty, screeching child out of her arms;
and then, I'm damned if he didn't give her his arm and walk down the
street with her!"

Mr. Dale felt the shock of it. "Ah!" he said, with a quick indrawn
breath.

"Yes," continued Dick, who enjoyed telling a good story, "he walked down
that crowded street with that drunken, painted creature on his arm. I
suppose he thought she'd fall, and hurt herself and the child. Naturally
everybody looked at him, but I don't believe he even saw them. We stood
there and watched them out of sight--and--but of course you know how
fellows talk! Though so long as he was a _minister_"--Dick grinned
significantly, and looked at Mr. Dale for an answer; but there was none.

Suddenly the old man stood still and gravely lifted his hat: "He's a good
man," he said, and then trudged on again, with his head bent and his
hands clasped behind him.

Mr. Forsythe looked at him, and whistled. "Jove!" he exclaimed, "it
doesn't strike you as it did Dr. Howe. I told him, and he said, 'Bless my
soul, hadn't the man sense enough to call a policeman?'"