to ez soon ez evah I gets de chanst now."

"Uh, huh," said the preacher, and he began to hasten his steps homeward.

"Seems lak you in a pow'ful hu'y to-night," said his companion, with
some difficulty accommodating his own step to the preacher's masterly
strides. He was a short man and his pastor was tall and gaunt.

"I has somp'n' on my min,' Brothah Middleton, dat I wants to thrash out
to-night in de sollertude of my own chambah," was the solemn reply.

"Well, I ain' gwine keep erlong wid you an' pestah you wid my chattah,
Brothah Hayward," and at the next corner Isaac Middleton turned off and
went his way, with a cheery "so long, may de Lawd set wid you in yo'
meddertations."

"So long," said his pastor hastily. Then he did what would be strange in
any man, but seemed stranger in so virtuous a minister. He checked his
hasty pace, and, after furtively watching Middleton out of sight, turned
and retraced his steps in a direction exactly opposite to the one in
which he had been going, and toward the cottage of the very Sister
Griggs concerning whose charms the minister's parishioner had held
forth.

It was late, but the pastor knew that the woman whom he sought was
industrious and often worked late, and with ever increasing eagerness he
hurried on. He was fully rewarded for his perseverance when the light
from the window of his intended hostess gleamed upon him, and when she
stood in the full glow of it as the door opened in answer to his knock.

"La, Brothah Hayward, ef it ain't you; howdy; come in."

"Howdy, howdy, Sistah Griggs, how you come on?"

"Oh, I's des tol'able," industriously dusting a chair. "How's yo'se'f?"

"I's right smaht, thankee ma'am."

"W'y, Brothah Hayward, ain't you los' down in dis paht of de town?"

"No, indeed, Sistah Griggs, de shep'erd ain't nevah los' no whaih dey's
any of de flock." Then looking around the room at the piles of ironed
clothes, he added: "You sutny is a indust'ious ooman."

"I was des 'bout finishin' up some i'onin' I had fu' de white folks,"
smiled Sister Griggs, taking down her ironing-board and resting it in
the corner. "Allus when I gits thoo my wo'k at nights I's putty well
tiahed out an' has to eat a snack; set by, Brothah Hayward, while I
fixes us a bite."

"La, sistah, hit don't skacely seem right fu' me to be a-comin' in hyeah
lettin' you fix fu' me at dis time o' night, an' you mighty nigh
tuckahed out, too."

"Tsch, Brothah Hayward, taint no ha'da