Her p'int is that what we call biles or malaria,
or--"

"Bow-legs, mebbe," put in Mr. Cinch both jocosely and ruefully.

"Yes, sir, bow-legs."

"What!"

"Bow-legs, too--why not? Just as easy bow-legs as biles."

"Well, go on."

"All such things, she says, is appearances. Our souls being sick, they
look through our eyes in a sorter cock-eyed way and see something they
call a bile or a pair of bow-legs. The bile and the bow-legs aint really
there, you know; we only think so, which is just as bad as if they was
there. If we was to go to her and get our souls well, we'd look out of
our eyes straight and wouldn't see no bile or bow-legs. Neither would
nobody else. This is the best explaining I can do, sir. I understands it
pretty well, but I can't talk it. She's a daisy talker, though. She can
talk like a dictionary."

"Bob," said Mr. Cinch, solemnly, "do you mean to tell me that this young
woman can talk me into believing that I aint got bow-legs?"

Bob hesitated. He looked at Mr. Cinch long and seriously. Mr. Cinch took
up his walking-stick and slowly lifted himself upon his feet.

"Look at them legs, Bob. You can shove a prize punkin through 'em
without touching. Can this young woman make me believe them legs is
straight? If she can, Bob, if she can, she don't need to buy no hoss,
nor pay no coach-hire any more."

The responsibility of this awful moment was too much for Bob. "If I was
you," he said discreetly, "I'd talk to her about it the next time she
comes in."

[Illustration: "LOOK AT THEM LEGS, BOB!"]

Mr. Cinch made no reply, but he continued for several minutes to look
ruefully down where he believed his legs to be, and then he resumed
his chair. Bob returned to his accounts and a heavy tide of business
flowed in to engage their attention. Business was always well done in
Mr. Cinch's office, and it suffered that morning no more than on any
other morning, and yet there was a certain influence in the room which
seemed to be affecting both him and Bob. They talked together less than
usual and in addressing others were short and sharp. When Bob got off
his stool and said he was going to luncheon he broke a silence which
might almost be called ominous.

He was not long gone, but upon his return the office was empty. It was
so unusual a circumstance for Mr. Cinch to go out that Bob wondered not
a little what had happened. His wonderment increased as the afternoon
drew along and Mr. Cinch did not return.