"Who wants to go int' yer ol' church," he muttered as he turned
away. The man growled a surly response but Tode did not look back.
On the corner he stopped, wondering how he could best elude the
unfriendly sexton and slip into the building, without his
knowledge. He dropped down on the curbstone and sat there thinking for
some time. At last a voice above him said quietly,
"Well, my boy, aren't you coming to church?"
Tode looked up, up a long way it seemed to him, into such a face as he
had never before looked into. Instinctively he arose and stepped back
that he might see more plainly those clear blue eyes and that strong,
tender mouth. The boy gazed and gazed, forgetting utterly to answer.
"You are coming into church with me, aren't you?"
So the question was repeated, and Tode, still lookingly earnestly up
into the man's face, nodded silently.
"That's right, my son--come," and a large, kindly hand was laid gently
upon the boy's shoulder.
Without a word he walked on beside the stranger.
The sexton was standing in the vestibule as the two approached. A look
of blank amazement swept across his face at sight of the boy in such
company. He said no word, however, only stepped aside with a bow, but
his eyes followed the two as they passed into the church together, and
he muttered a few angry words under his breath.
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