I shouldn't care to have to buy many of them a month." "Now, John, you know I've not had a new gown for nearly a year." And then the talk took a departure over a range of topics to which I need not drag my unoffending reader.

This short conversation sufficed to satisfy my curiosity in part as to the boy who was paying me such constant attention; and another event which shortly happened served to bring me into still closer acquaintance with George Reader.

One day there entered the shop a party consisting of half a dozen persons.

One of them was a young man in the dress of a clergyman, and the others I knew well by sight as respectable and respected villagers.
"Good-morning, Mr Argent," said the curate, for the clerical gentleman was none other; "we've come to see you on a little matter of business." "Hope there's nothing wrong with the heating stoves in the church, sir," said Mr Argent, with an anxious face, "I was always against them being used at all." "The stoves are quite well, I believe," said the curate, smiling; "our business is of quite a different kind.

We've come to make a purchase, in fact." Mr Argent's face brightened considerably, partly at the assurance as to the salubrity of the gas-stoves and partly at the prospect of business.
"What can I do for you, sir ?" he said, no longer with his churchwarden's voice, but as the Muggerbridge silversmith.
"Well, we have been asked to select a small present to be given by the choir and congregation of our church to George Reader, who, I suppose you know, is going next week to college." "I have heard tell of it, sir," said Mr Argent, "and my wife and I were only wondering the other day what was to become of the music at the church when he's gone." "We don't like to think of it," said one of the party.