The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-26

: tho name It seems to me vaguely that have heard him spoken of. too. isn't there Aa emo t.ona. old preacher in some sensationa; church f1 New York by that name?"
 The girl made no response, and the other rers on Well, he's like all othe- oic nae1--toos fond of the sound of his soice and so garru:o,.s zbou. his youth. thought he never would gct through telling anecdotes of his young dayssi meant to be kind to him. but, when you consIder that he was keeping me away from you. yoa can imagine that was not vitally inte-ested ia hlz reminiscences
 There was interlude of appropriate szisrcs after this, and then the girl asked, Flows your poor tooth?o
 really thought could not go through tbe service. By the way, Helen. darling, what did you thzn ;xs of the sermon in the evening? Didn't it strike yo1 as pretty good? thought that point abous thes health of content was not so bad It really seems odd to me sometimes that should hare so little trouble about speaking without notes It just seems to come natural to me"
 Tt was wonderful breathed the girl, raptur- ously-'wonderfu1! felt the tears in my eyes all the time-and when thought how you were suffering every minute from toothache I--e '
 There was another silence Then the young minister spoke again.
 You know how worried have been about ar-z ranging the heating plant of that old house were going to. parish -house2 We'll it was the funniest shing--all the while this old man was talking kept turning it in my mind-it's really been making me lose my appetite; I thouxbtz was no good, and not fit to be the leader Of a@ parish because couldn't solve that problen-and finally inspiration about straight pipe up from the old kitchen came to me from figure he was drawing idly on the dust with his cane =, Be paused and laughed little with a sboyis1,s rnss. chief. T hope it wasn't deceiying and un-(1frfz tian, but just couldn't keep the joke to myself and when said goodnight to my old sermonize> l told him he never could know how he had helDex7 me. He never will. either.''
 he Fl lane amusement and admiration that disappearesz se-z fore the sudden severity of her sweethearts voice as he went on. tBut, if he is clergyman. as bez claims, he has the most extraordinary ideas on theology Really, HeIen," he spoke with youth fully solemn condemnation-..I really shou1dnst think him quite safe. He lowered bis voice to n grester hush Honestly. he didn't sound quits---< quite orthodox to me!'
 There is a limit to all things Al fbf. fhe Reverend pr. Michael Burke sprang from his bed and. rushing the floor an agility he had not suspected to be in him. he slammed the win dow down. banging it so that echo resounded through all the house.
 But he Irish for other things than for quick sympathies. and before he reached his bed azain he was shaken by laughter that seemed to tear him away from all his old moorings. He buried bis face in his pillows to stihe the sound of hIs noisy peals of mirth-he felt overwhelmed z| drowned. wave after wave of hilarity swept over him. His tired reacted from their tense strain of few moments before into wild jangie of hystercal realization of the joke on him It seemed to him that he could never stop Iaueh- ing. Every time he recalled the scene under fbe pine tree he burst into guraws and beat his hands upon the pillow. He thought of his last meditation before the dialogue outside began NO mattert about me-it is immortal soul to be saved z, and his piqued vanity was fairly annihilated by his of the inimtable irony of the situation The same quality in him that made him an instrument exquisitely responsive to emotion made him Ue alone in the darkened room and plunge from one 7onfb of 1.1, convulsion of laughter subsided into fafnf 5reathless chuckIes. old phrases of his exhorta-i tion foated across his braiR-.the joy of reaIixnr ones final insignifcance in .he world ovg cheer iul it made middle-age know that youth always ludicrously exaggerated its importancep and he lay back on his pillows. shouting and crowins hysterica1ly until his breath gave and he shook in noiseless giggles.
 Finally he realized that he was dog-tired and at the same time he felt dimly that he was re- faxed and unstrained he had not been for many months but before he could stop to phiIoso-3 phize on this he fell suddenly aslsep like 1itte child 2 When he awoke the sun was shining brirbf1vs< J reached for his watch and looked at it incredu- ] 1ousiy. It pointed to twenty minutes to twelve He had slept almost half the day. The fourteen { year-old of his landlord passed the open win dow and he called him in Don't you want to go fishing with to-daye" he asked @yazvrrrfr1< F. happily as he sat up and rubbed his eyes I'm going fishing the rest of the time I'm here Come along"
 After the boy had gone he rose and went to the mirror. On the way, belated spasm of daughter overlook him, and when he looked at himself hc hardly recognized the heathily flushed and smiling face which greeted him. He surveyed this care- free image compfacently for time. and finally with freakish return to his boyhood ae stuck oz, his tongue and shook jocular fist the looking glass. Sure an 'tis rot you that caa iver sat .r does good to fave b is owE pa-ssz att.-'. he cried. assuming his broadest brcgue, and ther. .'Och, faith! ar' I wish Lulu ceuls sec ss< ,oS!"