f pills
or a principle. When they re-cognize Ezekiel Corwin ain't goin' to lie
about 'em to curry favor with 'em, they're ready to believe he ain't
goin' to lie about Jones' Bitters or Wozun's Panacea. And, wa'al, I've
been on the road just about a fortnit, and I haven't yet discovered that
the original independent style introduced by Ezekiel Corwin ever broke
anybody's bones or didn't pay."

And he told the truth. That remarkably unfair and unpleasant spoken man
had actually frozen Hanley's Ford into icy astonishment at his
audacity, and he had sold them an invoice of the Panacea before they had
recovered; he had insulted Chipitas into giving an extensive order in
bitters; he had left Hayward's Creek pledged to Burne's pills--with
drawn revolvers still in their hands.

At another time Demorest might have been amused at his guest's audacity,
or have combated it with his old imperiousness, but he only remained
looking at him in a dull sort of way as if yielding to his influence.
It was part of the phenomenon that the two men seemed to have changed
character since they last met, and when Ezekiel said confidentially: "I
reckon you're goin' to show me what room I ken stow these duds o' mine
in," Demorest replied hurriedly, "Yes, certainly," and taking up
his guest's carpet-bag preceded him through the hall to one of the
apartments.

"I'll send Manuel to you presently," he said, putting down the bag
mechanically; "the servants are not back from church, it's some saint's
festival to-day."

"And so you keep a pack of lazy idolaters to leave your house to take
care of itself, whilst they worship graven images," said Ezekiel,
delighted at this opportunity to improve the occasion.

"If my memory isn't bad, Mr. Corwin," said Demorest dryly, "when I
accompanied Mr. Blandford home the night he returned from his journey,
we found YOU at church, and he had to put up his horse himself."

"But that was the Sabbath--the seventh day of the command," retorted
Ezekiel.

"And here the Sabbath doesn't consist of only ONE day to serve God in,"
said Demorest, sententiously.

Ezekiel glanced under his white lashes at Demorest's thoughtful face.
His fondest fears appeared to be confirmed; Demorest had evidently
become a Papist. But that gentleman stopped any theological discussion
by the abrupt inquiry:

"Did Mrs. Demorest say when she thought of returning?"

"She allowed she mout kem to-morrow--but--" added Ezekiel dubiously.

"Bu