Concerning Dan and
Hope he could only conjecture, but the Doctor's conjectures amounted
almost to certainties. That the lad so dear to him was passing through
some tremendous crisis he knew, for he had talked with Dr. Harry that
afternoon. Seeing by the light in the window that Dan had returned, he
had run across the way to see if all was well with the boy. It was
characteristic of the Doctor that, while he did not make known the object
of his visit in words, he made the minister feel his sympathy and
interest, and his readiness, as he himself would have said, "to stand
by."
Grasping his young friend's hand in greeting and placing his other hand
on Dan's shoulder, he studied his face as he would have studied a
patient. "Come boy," he said, "don't you think we better go fishing?"
The minister smiled back at him. "I wish I could, Doctor; I need it, all
right. But you see there's that convention tomorrow."
"Humph!" grunted the Doctor, as he seated himself. "Heard who's going?"
Dan named a few of his church people. The Doctor grunted again. They were
nearly all of the inner circle, the Judge's confidantes in matters of the
church.
"Judge Strong is going too," offered the Doctor.
Dan said nothing.
"Uh-huh; told me this evening." The old man chuckled. "I rather thought
I'd go myself."
"You!" Dan said in surprise.
The other's eyes twinkled. "Yes, me; why not? I've never been to one of
these affairs, but for that matter neither have you.
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