Part 17 (1/2)

”Will you go before the deacons of the church and tell them that--if it is necessary?”

”No,” replied Bylow uneasily; ”at least I don't want to go before any meeting. I only know that's right; that's the way it happened; and I don't want any one to blame Mr. Hartigan.” Here Charlie abruptly ended and went away.

Higginbotham turned back to his house. Hannah listened with the keenest attention and then said: ”It's easy to straighten it all out. I'll see Belle and tell her to go to Jim at once and keep him from talking. You know what he is when he gets going. He'll talk too much and spoil it all.” Thus these two loyal friends laid plans to screen him.

At Jebb's house, Higginbotham took the earliest occasion to warn Jim.

”Now don't talk. Simply answer one or two questions when asked and as briefly as possible. 'Yes' or 'No' is enough. You know we've got to satisfy the old Deacon Blight crowd somehow.” And Jim promised to obey.

Dr. Jebb called the meeting to order and, at once, Higginbotham arose and said: ”Mr. Chairman, I think it would be better for Mr. Hartigan to retire to another room.” So Jim went out.

Dr. Jebb then gave a brief and rather halting account of a ”certain rumour reflecting on the sobriety of his a.s.sistant.” Before he had more than outlined the facts, Higginbotham jumped up:

”Dr. Jebb, you have alluded to a rumour. I call it a shameful fabrication, with no basis in fact. I have made a thorough investigation and am prepared, with two reliable witnesses, to prove that Mr. Hartigan went to the Bylow cabin to prevent a disgraceful spree, as he did once before. They had prepared by getting a keg of whiskey. This liquid sin, if I may so call it, Mr. Hartigan spilled on the floor; unfortunately, it was in a small, close cabin and the fumes affected his head so that he was temporarily ill. These are the facts; and to prove them I have two reliable witnesses. Call in Charlie Bylow and John Lowe.” He looked with a pretense of expectation toward the door; getting no response he said: ”Humph, not arrived yet. Well, we won't wait. In the meantime, I must say that to my mind altogether too much has been made of this accident and I am satisfied to dismiss the subject if the rest of the deacons consent.”

”No, I don't consent; I don't think we should,” said Deacon Blight. ”We can't afford to have a scandal about our spiritual leader. Let's prove it or disprove it right now.”

And, acting on the majority vote, Dr. Jebb called Jim Hartigan to appear. Dr. Jebb was supposed to be chairman, but Higginbotham was irrepressible.

”I want to ask one or two questions,” he called out; and, without waiting for permission, he began: ”Now, Mr. Hartigan, I understand that you went to the Bylow Corner last Sat.u.r.day night to prevent a whiskey spree, as we know you have done before; that in some way the fumes of the liquor entered your head and so overpowered you that you were ill afterward; and that it was a painful surprise to you, as one well known to be a teetotaller. Isn't that so?”

”Well, yes,” said Jim, in some perplexity; ”but it was this way----”

”Never mind the way of it,” said Higginbotham emphatically. Then, turning to the others: ”I don't see that we need go any further.”

”Hold on, hold on,” said Deacon Blight; ”I'd like to ask one or two questions. You admit being under the influence of liquor at Bylow's?”

”Yes,” was the reply.

”Were you ever under the influence of liquor before?”

”I was.”

”Once, or more than once?”

”More than once,” said Jim. He would have said ”many times” but for a scowl from Higginbotham.

”Oh, ho!” said the deacon. ”When was that?”

”Before I was converted.”

”Never since?”

”No; except last Sat.u.r.day.”

Here Dr. Jebb interrupted. ”It seems to me that we need not follow the subject any further than to inquire into the mental att.i.tude of the brother who fell into the snare. I know it is one of absolute contrition now, especially as the affair was of the nature of an accident during the discharge of his duty. It seems to me, therefore, that we should accept his expression of penitence coupled with a promise to abstain so long as he is here with us.”

Jim volunteered to abstain for all time, but Higginbotham's moderate counsels prevailed.

Deacon Blight thought that the transgressor should be suspended from office pending a fuller investigation. Deacon Higginbotham thought that it had already been more than fully investigated. Deacon Whaup had never heard of the affair until this evening, but thought that Mr. Hartigan ought to retire during further discussion.