he said sullenly, "I only wanted his own good. You ought to see that--
a parson!"

"But you forget; I don't know what it was about."

Mr. Wright's face twitched. "Well," he said spasmodically, "I'll-tell
you. I--"

"Yes?"

"I--" his voice broke, then he coughed, then he tried to laugh.
"Simple enough; simple enough. I had occasion to send him to Mercer.
He was to come back that night." Mr. Wright stopped; poured some
whiskey into his glass, and forgetting to add any water, drank it at a
gulp, "He didn't come back until the next afternoon."

"Yes. Well?"

"In those days I was of--of somewhat hasty temper."

"So I have heard," said Dr, Lavendar,

Benjamin Wright glared. "When I was young, listening to gossip was not
thought becoming in the cloth. When he came, I learned that he had
stayed over in Mercer--without my consent, mark you--_to go to the
theatre!_"

"Well?" said Dr, Lavendar. "He was twenty-four. Why should he have
your consent?"