The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-07

especially old they CRATE just lnell.
Il am bound to state, my lord, that
what | have to say TO you is of the first
Importance"
The bishop looked at him a little quiz
zically. Possibly the deans exaggerated
preciseness appealed to sense which
there is no reason why even bishop
should be without.
Excuse me, Budgen. II ring when
I'm ready" The secretary withdrew.
Now Pettifer. fire away Who killed
the cat. and which cats been killed?'
Such a fashion of speech was actually
offensive to the dean. Perhaps the spirit
of mischief still fingered in the bishops
breast; perhaps at times the bishop
found the dean almost as trying as the
dean found him. Under the circum-
stances. such bearing on the part of
the bishop shocked the dean almost into
speechlessness. He gazed at his spir-
itual superior in a manner which. unless
he was mistaken made his lordship
vince. HAS your lordship not missed
your lordship's seImon-bag?
At the question his lordship plainly
started
My sermon-bag, Pettifer? What do
you mean"
My lord mean what 1 say"
The lordship was perturbed. Rising
from his chair, he began to fidget about
the room. why do you ask"
Because it has been returned to me-"
Returned to you-nOt'
Yes. my lord: / have il here" The
dean produced the little bag from inside
the larger one. He held it up in front
of him as he had held it up In front or
him at the iTnpromptu meeting at the
deancry. II viii not ask how 1t came
to stray from your lordshp's keeping"
The bishop looked at the dean; the
dean looked straight at him. IL was
evident that his lordship was not COM
pletely at his ease.
l,o ha ri
story"
I regret, my lord. to say that I have"
The bishop plainly flushed; perhaps he
found the deans tone and manner slight
ly CALLING.
perhaps il was not quite the thing
to do. but''-his lordship shrugged his
shoulders-''what does IL NATTER"
The dean, in turn. WINGED.
What does it matter, my lord? Surely
your lordship knows that it matters2'
How did the bag come into your pos
session, Pettifer?'
ct was brought to me by Mr. Boulter
the landlord of The Rose and Crown
''Boulter,-'The Rose and Crown!-No,
by George
His Iordship said. by George and as
he said it the dean shrank back as If
he had received a blow.
MIR Boulter as the price of his sill
ence extracted from me a promise that
his lease should be renewed
The bishop woke up. He showed more
alertness than he had hitherto displayed.
You promised him that his lease
should be renewed-the lease of The
Rose and Crown
Il did. l thought it better that
should do so than that such story
should be told"
STORY? What story?"
The dean. before ne answered. in
duIged himself with pause for con-
sideratiOn.
My lord. If any word which l may
utter seems lacking i'm respect. as COM
ing from me TO you, entreat your par
don. Ny lord. when ! heard that, after
preaching a sermon. and so grand a ser
mon upon total abstinence, you passed
straight from the cathedral pulpit 10 the
bar of common public-hOuse. and
there drank So large q quantity of wine
that in the temporary forgetfulness
which it occasioned. you left the sermon
itself behind YOU in the bar, I felt that
il We're better that 1 should promise
almost anything than that such story
should be told
AS he listened the bishops counten-
ance underwent a variety of changes.
When the dean had finished the bishop
dropped into q chair. and-laughed. Not
a genteel shipper. but a loud and long
guffaw. The dean felt that he could
not endure such levity, even from
bishop-his own bishop, too.
MY lord in such a matter you may
see occasion for merriment but if YOU
could have seen. at the deanery. the faces
of the cathedral clergy as 1 told TO them
this story
"Pettifer what do you mean?"
Springing to his feet the bishop
grasped the speaker by the arm. The
dean was startled.
4 say. if you could only have seen
their faces
'.Do you mean to say that you have
told this story 10 any one?
Il was constrained 10 state my reasons
for giving such a promise to the land
lord Of The Rose and Crown "
Il hardly know if / ought not TO
strike you. Arthur Pettifer.'
My lordl"
Il hardly know if 7 ought not to pill
Tory you in the market place, and so COM
pei you TO do penance for your SANDER
GUS tongue. / have long been conscious
of a certain pharisaical narrowness in
your mental and in your moral outlook.
l have seen in you what has seemed
to me a hideous tendency 10 think the
worst both Of women and Of men. But
! never thought you capable of such
gross obliquity of judgment as you your
self appear now TO own to. is 1t posi-
BILE that you believed that such a story
as you have told me could be true?''
The dean had turned quite pale. He
seemed TO speak beneath his breath.
lis ii possible, Arthur Pettifer, that
YOU could believe that IL Ralph IN
gall, with whose lifes history YOU are as
well acquainted almost as myself-could
so perjure myself that, as Gods minis
ter, in Gods house, 1 could pledge my
self never again to let alcohol pass my
lips in any shape or form, and that then,
with that pledge still warm upon my
lips 1 could pass straight into pot
house. and stupefy myself with wine 80
Was twas il Budgen, then?
"Budgen2 Budgen? Pettifer, this is
worse and worse You know that Budg-
en- has never touched a drop OF alco-
holic stimulant since the day that he
was born. / will tell you the story of
that bag SO far as 1 know it myself.
And l will see that your promise 10 the
man Boulter is kept both in the spirit
and the letter. l will place it upon you.
as an enduring penance, that for the
continued existence OF his drink shop
YOU and you alone. shall be RESPONSE
BILE
The dean was silent He seemed to
totter as a man who received crush
ing blow. The bishop paced up and
down the room. Like an accusing spir-
it-possessed OF a tolerable corporation
he poured out upon the dean a curl
Gus, correct and circumstantial history of
the adventures of his sermon-bag.
There was man at my college whose
name L need not mention. We were or
and will say that he did not take full
advantage Of ms opportunities. l be-
lieve that, for some time now, he has
ceased to exercise his clerical office He
has become a reporter for the - (the
bishop named o paper which all good