Slowly Red drew his right hand out of his pocket. “You want this tribute—to you, as a minister?”
Then Black’s eyes flamed. He took a step backward. “I want no ‘tribute,’ Doctor,—my heaven!—you don’t think that! All I want is—to know that—as a minister you can shake hands with me and believe—that I’m as real as I know you to be. If you can’t do that——” he turned aside. “Oh, never mind! I didn’t mean to try to force it from you. Let’s be off. It must be high time, and it’s more than high time if——”
A hand fell on his shoulder and stayed there. Another hand found his and gripped it tight. “Oh, come along. Bob Black!” said a gruff voice with yet a ring in it. “You’re the realest chap I know. And I’ve tried my darned best not to like you—and I can’t get away with it. Now—are you satisfied?”
CHAPTER IX
“BURN, FIRE, BURN!”
“SIS, I’ll stump you to go to church with me this morning!”
It may have been rather a peculiar form of invitation to attend upon the service of the sanctuary, but that was not the reason for the startled expression on Jane Ray’s face. She simply couldn’t believe that it was her brother Cary who was making the proposal. Church!—when had Cary ever gone to any church whatever?—unless it might have been for the purpose of gathering material for some brilliant, ironic article with which to do his share in that old fight of the world against the forms of religion. As for herself—it had long been her custom to employ her Sunday mornings in making up her business accounts for the week.
Her reply was a parry. “What church would you suggest going to?”
Cary’s glance at her was both sharp and whimsical. “Is there more than one? According to what I hear, the ‘Stone Church,’ as they call it, is the one where the town is flocking to hear our friend, the fighting parson, say things that stop the breath. I understand his trustees are mostly pacifists. It must grind ’em like fun to hear their Scotsman firing his machine-gun, regardless. I admit I want to be in on it. I think this country’s going to get into it before long, and when it does I expect to see Robert Black off like a shot for some place where pacifists are unpopular.”
“He has never asked us to come to his church,” Jane temporized.
“No. That’s why I want to go. I’ve been waiting all this while to have him ask me, so I could turn him down. But he never has, so, being quite human, I’m piqued into going on my own motion. Come along, Sis. I’ll guarantee if an old sinner like me can stand the gaff, a young saint like you will be in her element.”