hand and said kindly, "Come in, my brother, you look cold and weary.
Come in and sit down before the fire, and we'll have a bite of lunch. I
was just beginning to think of having something to eat, myself."

Philip's wife looked a little remonstrance, but Philip did not see it,
and wheeling an easy chair before the fire he made the man sit down, and
pulling up a rocker he placed himself opposite.

The stranger seemed a little surprised at the action of the minister,
but made no resistance. He took off his hat and disclosed a head of hair
white as snow, and said, in a voice that sounded singularly sweet and
true:

"You do me much honor, sir. The fire feels good this chilly evening, and
the food will be very acceptable. And I have no doubt you have a good
warm bed that I could occupy for the night."

Philip stared hard at his unexpected guest, and his wife who had started
out of the room to get the lunch, shook her head vigorously as she stood
behind the visitor, as a sign that her husband should refuse such a
strange request. He was taken aback a little, and he looked puzzled. The
words were uttered in the utmost simplicity.

"Why, yes, we can arrange that all right," he said. "There is a spare
room, and--excuse me a moment while I go and help to get our lunch."
Philip's wife was telegraphing to him to come into the other room and he
obediently got up and went.

"Now, Philip," she whispered when they were out in the dining-room, "you
know that is a risky thing to do. You are all the time inviting all
kinds of characters in here. We can't keep this man all night. Who ever
heard of such a thing as a perfect stranger coming out with a request
like that? I believe the man is crazy. It certainly will not do to let
him stay here all night."

Philip looked puzzled.

"I declare it is strange! He doesn't appear like an ordinary tramp. But
somehow I don't think he's crazy. Why shouldn't we let him have the bed
in the room off the east parlor. I can light the fire in the stove there
and make him comfortable."

"But we don't know who he is. You let your sympathies run away with your
judgment."

"Well, little woman, let me go in and talk with him a while. You get the
lunch, and we'll see about the rest afterward."

So he went back and sat down again. He was hardly seated when his
visitor said:

"If your wife objects to my staying here to-night, of course, I don't
wish to. I don't feel comfortable to remain where I'm n