ed."

"Don't waste any sympathy on me, sir. If Mr. Bascom attempts to molest
me, I shall take the matter to the courts and sue him for damages."

"Your language is somewhat forcible, considering that you are supposed
to be his pastor and spiritual advisor."

"Very well; tell Mr. Bascom that as his spiritual advisor I strongly
suggest that his spiritual condition will not be much improved by
attempting to molest us here."

"But to be perfectly frank with you, Mr. Maxwell, he can force you to
leave, by stopping the payment of your salary, even if he does not
eject you by force."

"I rather think not. Until he can bring specific charges against me,
he is liable for the fulfillment of our original contract, in his
writing. Moreover, I may have more friends in the parish than he
imagines."

Nelson was visibly disturbed by the rector's firm hold on the
situation.

"But," he stuttered, "Mr. Bascom is the richest man in the parish, and
his influence is strong. You will find that everyone defers to his
judgment as a matter of course."

"All right; then let me add, for your own information, that I can earn
my living honestly in this town and take care of myself without Mr.
Bascom's assistance, if necessary; and do my parish work at the same
time. I have two muscular arms, and if it comes down to earning a
livelihood, independent of my salary, I can work on the state road
hauling stone. Williamson told me yesterday he was looking for men."

"I can scarcely think that the parishioners would hold with their
rector working like a common laborer, Mr. Maxwell," admonished
Nelson.

"We are all 'common,' in the right sense, Mr. Nelson. My view is that
work of any kind is always honorable when necessary, except in the
eyes of the ignorant. If Mr. Bascom is mortified to have me earn my
living by manual labor, when he is not ashamed to repudiate a
contract, and try to force me out of the parish by a process of slow
starvation, his sense of fitness equals his standard of honor."

"Well, I am sure that I do not know what I can do."

"Do you want me to tell you?"

"If it will relieve your feelings," Nelson drawled insolently.

"Then get out of this place and stay out. If you return again for any
purpose whatever I am afraid it is I who will have to eject you. We
will not argue the matter again."

"Well, I regret this unfortunate encounter, and to have been forced to
listen to the unguarded vituperation of my rector." With w