n explanation and,
rather reluctantly, the undertaker told me, proceeding with his
programme as he explained that there was a "kink" in the insurance.

"Well," I said, "we can fix that up all right."

"Yes," he said, "you can fix it up with cash; but we are not in the
undertaking business for our health, you know."

"Well, stop for a moment," I pleaded, "and let us talk it over!"

"Have you got the dough?" he asked.

"Not here," I replied, "but I am the pastor of that church up there on
the corner, and surely we are good enough for the small expense of
this funeral."

By this time he had the lid on the casket and was proceeding to carry it
out. The old woman was now on her feet and almost in hysterics. I was
mightily moved by the situation, and asked the man to wait; but he
jabbed the end of the casket under my arm--perhaps accidentally--pushing
me to one side on his way to the door. I was there ahead of him however;
locked the door and put the key in my pocket.

"Now, will you wait for one moment till we talk it over?"

His answer was a volley of oaths. I waited until he subsided, and then
I said:

"I will be responsible for this financially. You are wringing the
heart's blood out of this poor old woman, and I don't propose to stand
by and allow it." I raised my voice and continued--"I will give you
two minutes to put that corpse back in the casket and arrange it for
burial, and if you don't do it, there may be two to bury instead of
one."

I began to time him, making absolutely no answer to anything he said.
I quieted the old woman, stood very close to her and put my hand on
her head. I said, "It's all right, Mary. Everything is all right. You
are not friendless. You are not alone."

The two minutes were up. I took off my coat, rolled up my shirt
sleeves and advanced toward him.

"Are you going to do the decent thing?"

There was one long look between us. Then he put the body back in the
casket, arranged it for burial, and I opened the door and the crowd
came in, not, however, before I had put my coat on again. I read the
service and preached the sermon, and the undertaker did the rest.

Some months afterward, I was at work in my study in the tower of the
old church, when I heard a loud knocking at the church door--a most
unusual thing. I came down and found that undertaker and a gentleman
and lady, well dressed, evidently of the well-to-do class, standing at
the door.

"Here is a couple that want