“Do you mind telling me who has given you this handsome fortune?”
“Guy,” answered the minister, briefly.
“I didn’t come here to be made a fool of!” said the deacon, angrily, half rising in his chair.
“No one has tried to make a fool of you,” returned Guy, quickly. “I have been very fortunate, and can well afford to give my father twenty-five thousand dollars. He is anxious to get time to write a commentary on the Gospels, and so I have induced him to ask for a colleague.”
“Is this really true, Guy?”
“You can rely upon it, Deacon Crane. Father may have occasion to consult you about the investment of his money.”
“I’ll be very glad to oblige him,” said the deacon, generously. “When will he come into possession of the amount?”
“I congratulate you heartily, Guy,” said the deacon, very cordially. “I always thought you were a smart boy.”
“I am sorry you don’t want Noah to come to see me. I have brought him a gold watch from New York.”