Silas Van de Lear, "I came in to-night with a little
chill upon me. At my age chills are the tremors from other wings
hovering near. Please let me have the first cup of coffee hot."

"Certainly, papa," said the hostess, making haste to fill his cup. "You
don't at all feel apprehensive, do you?"

"No," said the old man, with his teeth chattering. "I haven't had
apprehensions for long back. Nothing but confidence."

"Oh, pap!" put in Knox Van de Lear, "you'll be a preachin' when I'm a
granddaddy. You never mean to die. Eat a waffle!"

"My children," said the old man, "death is over-due with me. It gives me
no more concern than the last hour shall give all of us. I had hoped to
live for three things: to see my new church raised; to see my son Calvin
ready to take my place; to see my neighbor, Miss Wilt, whom I have seen
grow up under my eye from childhood, and fair as a lily, brush the dew
of scandal from her skirts and resume her place in our church, the
handmaid of God again."

"Amen, old man!" spoke Calvin irreverently, holding up his plate for
oysters.

"Why, Cal," exclaimed the hostess, closing her delicately-tinted eyelids
till the long lashes rested on the cheek, "why don't you call papa more
softly?"

"My son," spoke the little old gentleman between his chatterings, "in
the priestly office you must avoid abruptness. Be direct at all
important times, but neither familiar nor abrupt. I cannot name for you
a model of address like Agnes Wilt."

"Isn't she beautiful!" said Mrs. Knox. "Do you think she can be
deceitful, papa?"

"I have no means to pierce the souls of people, Lottie, more than
others. I don't believe she is wicked, but I draw that from my reason
and human faith. That woman was a pillar of strength in my
Sabbath-school. May the Lord bring her forth from the furnace refined by
fire, and punish them who may have persecuted her!"

"Cal is going into a decline on her account," said Knox. "I know it by
seeing him eat waffles. She refused Cal one day, and he came home and
eat all the cold meat in the house."

"Mr. Salter," the hostess said, raising her voice, "you have a beautiful
woman for a landlady. Is she well?"

"Very melancholy," said Duff Salter. "Why don't you visit her?"

"Really," said the hostess, "there is so much feeling against Agnes
that, considering Papa Van de Lear's position in Kensington, I have been
afraid. Agnes is quite too clever for me!"

"I hope she will be," said Duff