"I would like to talk to Dr. Hansom myself," Venna replied.
"You can this very afternoon. He will be here soon to talk with me about some improvements for the old ladies' home. He's so interested in all our charities. Such a wonderful man! There's the bell now. I guess that is he. As soon as you're dressed, come down, dear. I'm sure he will give you a few moments of his valuable time," and she left the room, happy in the thought that Dr. Hansom would talk seriously to Venna, and so prevent her ever being so reckless again.
When Venna had finished her toilet, complete in every dainty detail, she went downstairs.
As she reached the door of the library, with a bright "May I come in?" Dr. Hansom arose from his seat at the farther end of the room, and approached her with a genial smile.
"Ah! Venna! Come in. We're just talking about you!" he exclaimed, taking her hand and shaking it warmly, and then, placing her arm in his, he led her to a comfortable chair by the fire.
Dr. Hansom, short, thick-set, gray-eyed, with a determined stiff pompadour over a somewhat low-browed, broad face, had a way of doing everything genially. When he crossed a room it was with a free and easy swing, invariably with one hand in his pocket. When he walked down the avenue, his "hail-fellow-well-met" attitude toward all mankind was expressed in his free and careless stride. His smile, too, had a broadness and frankness quite irresistible to the majority and he was universally declared to possess a "wonderfully magnetic" character.
On a trolley car, he more often than not stood upon the platform and talked genially to the conductor, thus impressing all with his spirit of democracy.
In short. Dr. Hansom was one of the popular metropolitan ministers.
All the East knew of him, and his influence at mass meetings for men was a topic of great interest.
Men liked a man like Dr. Hansom. Consequently they fell in line with the religion he taught.