CHAPTER V.

HOPE FARWELL'S MINISTRY

"Useful hands they were, made for real service."


After dinner was over and they had visited awhile, the Doctor introduced
Dan to his landlady across the way and, making some trivial excuse about
business, left the boy in his room. The fact is that the Doctor wished
to be alone. If he could have done it decently, he would have gone off
somewhere with his fishing tackle. As he could not go fishing, he did
the next best thing. He went to his office.

The streets were not so crowded now, for the people were at the ball
game, and the Doctor made his way down town without interruption. As he
went he tried to think out what it was that had come between him and the
boy whom he had known so intimately for so many years. Stopping at the
post office, he found a letter in his care addressed to "Rev. Daniel H.
Matthews." In his abstraction he was about to hand the letter in at the
window with the explanation that he knew no such person, when a voice at
his elbow said: "Is Brother Matthews fully rested from his tiresome
journey, Doctor?"

The Doctor's abstraction vanished instantly, he jammed that letter into
his pocket and faced the speaker.

"Yes," he growled, "I think Brother Matthews is fully rested. As he is
a grown man of unusual strength, and in perfect health of body at least,