t was one of Adam's days when he was at
his deefest. Reverend he shouted in his ear, 'You must experience
religion--and get a change of heart--and be conwerted before you die!'
'What d' you say?' Adam he ast. Then Reverend, he seen that wouldn't
work, so he cut it short, and he says wery loud, 'Trust the Lord!' Now,
ole Adam Oberholzer in his business dealin's and speculatin' was always
darned particular who he trusted, still, so he looked up at Reverend,
and he says, 'Is he a reliable party?' Well, by gum, I bu'st right out
laughin'! I hadn't ought to--seein' it was Adam's death-bed--and
Reverend him just sweatin' with tryin' to work in his job to get him
conwerted till he passed away a'ready. But I'm swanged if I could keep
in! I just HOLLERED!"

The doctor threw back his head and shouted with fresh appreciation of
his story, and Fairchilds joined in sympathetically.

"Well, did he die unconverted?" he asked the doctor.

"You bet! Reverend he sayed afterwards, that in all his practice of his
sacred calling he never had knew such a carnal death-bed. Now you see,"
concluded the doctor, "I tended ole Adam fur near two months, and
that's where I have a hold on his son the school-directer."

He laughed as he rose and stretched himself.

"It will be no end of sport foiling Jake Getz!" Fairchilds said, with
but a vague idea of what the doctor's scheme involved. "Well, doctor,
you are our mascot--Tillie's and mine!" he added, as he, too, rose.

"What's THAT?"

"Our good luck." He held out an objectionably clean hand with its
shining finger-nails. "Good night, Doc, and thank you!"

The doctor awkwardly shook it in his own grimy fist. "Good night to
you, then, Teacher."

Out in the bar-room, as the doctor took his nightly glass of beer at
the counter, he confided to Abe Wackernagel that somehow he did, now,
"like to see Teacher use them manners of hisn. I'm 'most as stuck on
'em as missus is!" he declared.

XXIII

SUNSHINE AND SHADOW

Tillie's unhappiness, in her certainty that on Saturday night the Board
would vote for the eviction of the teacher, was so great that she felt
almost indifferent to her own fate, as she and the doctor started on
their six-mile ride to East Donegal. But when he presently confided to
her his scheme to foil her father and Absalom, she became almost
hysterical with joy.

"You see, Tillie, it's this here way. Two of these here directers owes
me bills. Now in drivin' you over to