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〃Is　your　wife　better？〃　he　asked。



〃Much　better；　thank　you。　　A　turn　in　the　air　always　relieves　her；

and　she　is　quite　herself　again。　　I　have　returned　because　it　is

necessary　for　me　to　leave　the　city　by　the　evening　train；　and　my

time　is；　therefore；　short。　　Will　you　be　kind　enough　to　show　the

ring　to　your　employer；　and　ask　him　if　he　will　purchase？〃



The　clerk　returned；　and　said　that　the　firm　would　pay　two　hundred

and　fifty　dollars；　but　must　be　assured　of　his　right　to　dispose　of

it。



〃Did　you　mention　my　name？〃　asked　the　adventurer。



〃I　mentioned　that　you　were　a　clergyman。　　I　could　not　remember　the

name。〃



〃The　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre；　Connecticut。　　I　have

been　preaching　there　foris　it　six　or　seven　years；　my　dear？〃



〃Seven；〃　said　his　wife。



〃I　should　think　that　would　be　sufficient。　　You　may　mention　that

to　Mr。　Ball　or　Mr。　Black；　if　you　please。　　I　presume　after　that　he

will　not　be　afraid　to　purchase。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　said　this　with　an　air　of　conscious　respectability

and　high　standing；　which　might　readily　impose　upon　strangers。　

But；　by　bad　luck；　what　he　had　said　was　heard　by　a　person　able　to

confute　him。



〃Did　you　say　you　were　from　Hayfield　Centre？〃　asked　a　gentleman；

standing　a　few　feet　distant。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery。



〃I　think　you　said　your　name　was　Barnes？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃And　that　you　have　been　preaching　there　for　the　last　seven

years？〃



〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　Mr。　Montgomery；　but　there　was　rather　less

confidence　in　his　tone。　　In　fact　he　was　beginning　to　feel　uneasy。



〃It　is　very　strange；〃　said　the　other。　　〃I　have　a　sister　living　in

Hayfield　Centre；　and　frequently　visit　the　place　myself；　and　so　of

course　know　something　of　it。　　Yet　I　have　never　heard　of　any

clergyman　named　Barnes　preaching　there。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　saw　that　things　looked　critical。



〃You　are　strangely　mistaken；　sir；〃　he　said。　　〃However；　I　will　not

press　the　sale。　　If　you　will　return　the　ring　（to　the　clerk）　I

will　dispose　of　it　elsewhere。〃



But　the　clerk's　suspicions　had　been　aroused　by　what　had　been

said。



〃I　will　first　speak　to　Mr。　Ball；〃　he　said。



〃There　is　no　occasion　to　speak　to　him。　　I　shall　not　sell　the　ring

to…day。　　To…morrow；　I　will　come　with　witnesses　whose　testimony

will　outweigh　that　of　this　gentleman；　who　I　suspect　never　was　in

Hayfield　Centre　in　his　life。　　I　will　trouble　you　for　the　ring。〃



〃I　hope　you　don't　intend　to　give　it　to　him；〃　said　the　gentleman。　

〃The　presumption　is　that；　as　he　is　masquerading；　he　has　not　come

by　it　honestly。〃



〃I　shall　not　deign　to　notice　your　insinuations；〃　said　Mr。

Montgomery；　who　concealed　beneath　a　consequential　tone　his　real

uneasiness。　　〃The　ring；　if　you　please。〃



〃Don't　give　it　to　him。〃



As　the　clerk　seemed　disinclined　to　surrender　the　ring；　Mr。

Montgomery　said：　　〃Young　man；　you　will　find　it　to　be　a　serious

matter　to　withhold　my　property。〃



〃Perhaps　I　had　better　give　it　to　him；〃　said　the　clerk；　imposed

upon　by　the　adventurer's　manner。



〃Require　him　to　prove　property。　　If　it　is　really　his；　he　can

readily　do　this。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Barnes；　〃we　will　leave　the　store。〃



〃What；　and　leave　the　ring？〃



〃For　the　present。　　I　will　invoke　the　aid　of　the　police　to　save　me

from　being　robbed　in　this　extraordinary　manner。〃



He　walked　to　the　street　door；　accompanied　by　his　wife。　　He　was

deeply　disappointed　at　the　failure　of　the　sale；　and　would　gladly

have　wreaked　vengeance　upon　the　stranger　who　had　prevented　it。　

But　he　saw　that　his　safety　required　an　immediate　retreat。　　In

addition　to　his　own　disappointment；　he　had　to　bear　his　wife's

censure。



〃If　you　had　the　spirit　of　a　man；　Mr。　Montgomery；〃　she　commenced；

〃you　wouldn't　have　given　up　that　ring　so　easily。　　He　had　no

business　to　keep　it。〃



〃I　would　have　called　in　a　policeman　if　I　dared；　but　you　know　I　am

not　on　the　best　of　terms　with　these　gentlemen。〃



〃Are　we　to　lose　the　ring；　then？〃



〃I　am　afraid　so；　unless　I　can　make　them　believe　in　the　store　that

I　am　really　what　I　pretend　to　be。〃



〃Can't　you　do　it？〃



〃Not　very　easily；　unless　stay；　I　have　an　idea。　　Do　you　see　that

young　man？〃



He　directed　his　wife's　attention　to　a　young　man；　evidently　fresh

from　the　country；　who　was　approaching；　staring　open…eyed　at　the

unwonted　sights　of　the　city。　　He　was　dressed　in　a　blue　coat　with

brass　buttons；　while　his　pantaloons；　of　a　check　pattern；

terminated　rather　higher　up　than　was　in　accordance　with　the

fashion。



〃Yes；　I　see　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery。　　〃What　of　him？〃



〃I　am　going　to　recover　the　ring　through　his　help。〃



〃I　don't　see　how。〃



〃You　will　see。〃



〃How　do　you　do？〃　said　the　adventurer；　cordially；　advancing　to

the　young　man；　and　seizing　his　hand。



〃Pretty　smart；〃　said　the　countryman；　looking　surprised。



〃Are　your　parents　quite　well？〃



〃They're　so's　to　be　around。〃



〃When　did　you　come　to　the　city？〃



〃This　mornin'。〃



〃Do　you　stay　any　length　of　time？〃



〃I'm　goin'　back　this　afternoon。〃



〃You　didn't　expect　to　meet　me　now；　did　you？〃　asked　Mr。

Montgomery。



〃I　s'pose　I'd　orter　know　you；〃　said　the　perplexed　youth；　〃but　I

can't　think　what　your　name　is。〃



〃What！　　Not　know　Mr。　Barnes；　the　minister　of　Hayfield　Centre？　

Don't　you　remember　hearing　me　preach　for　your　minister？〃



〃Seems　to　me　I　do；〃　answered　the　young　man；　persuading　himself

that　he　ought　to　remember。



〃Of　course　you　do。　　Now；　my　young　friend；　I　am　very　glad　to　have

met　you。〃



〃So　am　I；〃　said　the　other；　awkwardly。



〃You　can　do　me　a　favor；　if　you　will。〃



〃Of　course；　I　will；〃　said　Jonathan；　〃if　it's　anything　I　can　do。〃



〃Yes；　you　will　have　no　trouble　about　it。　　You　see；　I　went　into　a

jeweler's　near　by　to　sell　a　valuable　ring；　and　they　wanted　to

make　sure　I　was　really　a　minister；　and　not　intending　to　cheat

them。　　If　you　will　go　in　with　me；　and　say　that　you　have　often

heard　me　preach；　and　that　I　am　the　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hayfield

Centre；　I　won't　mind　paying　you　five　dollars　for　your　trouble。〃



〃All　right；　I'll　do　it；〃　said　the　rustic；　considering　that　it

would　be　an　unusually　easy　way　of　earning　few　dollars。



〃You'll　remember　the　name；　won't　you？〃



〃YesParson　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre。〃



〃That　is　right。　　The　store　is　near　by。　　Walk　along　with　us；　and

we　will　be　there　in　five　minutes。〃







CHAPTER　XXIII



A　NEW　EXPEDIENT



〃I　believe　your　name　is　Peck？〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　hazarding　a

guess。



〃No；　it's　Young；　Ephraim　Young。〃



〃Of　course　it　is。　　I　remember　now；　but　I　am　apt　to　forget　names。　

You　said　your　parents　were　quite　well？〃



〃Yes；　they're　pretty　smart。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；　I　have　the　pleasantest　recollections　of

your　excellent　father。　　Let　me　see；　didn't　you　call　there　with　me

once；　Mrs。　Barnes？〃



〃Not　that　I　remember。〃



〃You　must　go　with　me　the　next　time。　　I　want　you　to　know　the

parents　of　our　young　friend。　　They　are　excellent　people。　　Do　you

go　back　this　afternoon；　Mr。　Young？〃



〃Yes；　I　guess　so。　　You　don't　know　of　any　sitooation　I　could　get

in　a　store　round　here；　do　you？〃



〃Not　at　present；　but　I　have　some　influential　friends　to　whom　I

will　mention　your　name。　　Suppose；　now；　I　could　obtain　a　situation

for　you；　how　shall　I　direct　the　letter　letting　you　know？〃



〃Just　put　on　the　letter　'Ephraim　Young。'　Everybody　in　Plainfield

knows　me。〃



〃So　he　lives　in　Plainfield；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery　to　himself。　

〃It's　as　well　to　know　that。〃　　Then　aloud：　〃I　won't　forget；　Mr。

Young。　　What　sort　of　business　would　you　prefer？〃



〃Any　kind　that'll　pay；〃　said　the　gratified　youth；　firmly

convinced　of　his　companion's　ability　to　fulfill　his　promise。　

〃I've　got　tired　of　stayin'　round　home；　and　I'd　like　to　try　York　a

little　while。　　Folks　say　it's　easy　to　make　money　here。〃



〃You　are　right。　　If　I　were　a　business　man；　I　would　come　to　New

York　at　once。　　For　a　smart　young　man　like　you　it　offers　a　much

better　opening　than　a　country　village。〃



〃That's　what　I've　told　dad　often；〃　said　the　rustic；　〃but　he's

afraid　I　wouldn't　get　nothing　to　do　and　he　says　it's　dreadful

expensive　livin'　here。〃



〃So　it　is　expensive；　but　then　you　will　be　better　paid　than　in　the

country。　　However；　here　we　are。　　You　won't　forget　what　I　told

you？〃



〃NoI'll　remember；〃　said　the　young　man。



The　reappearance　of　Mr。　Barnes　and　wife　so　soon　excited　some

surprise　in　the　store；　for　it　had　got　around；　as　such　things

will；　that　he　was　an　impostor；　and　it　was　supposed　that　he　would

not　venture　to　show　his　face　there　again。　　The　appearance　of　his

rustic　companion　likewise　attracted　attention。　　Certainly；　Mr。

Montgomery　（it　makes　little　difference　what　we　call　him）　did　not

exhibit　the　slightest　appearance　of　apprehension；　but　his　manner

was　quite　cool　and　self…possessed。　　He　made　his　way　to　that　part

of　the　counter　attended　by　the　clerk　with　whom　he　had　before

spoken。　　He　observed　with　pleasure　and　relief　that　the　man　who

had　questioned　his　identity　with　any　of　the　ministers　of　Hayfield

Centre　was　no　longer　in　the　store。　　This　would　make　the　recovery

of　the　ring　considerably　easier。



〃Well；　sir；〃　he　said；　addressing　the　clerk；　〃I　suppose　you　did

not　expect　to　see　me　again　so　soon？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



〃Nor　did　I　expect　to　be　able　to　return　for　the　ring　before

to…morrow；　not　supposing　that　I　could　bring　witnesses　to　prove

that　I　was　what　I　represented。　　But　fortunately　I　met　just　now　a

young　friend；　who　can　testify　to　my　identity；　as　he　has　heard　me

preach　frequently　in　Plainfield；　where　he　resides。　　Mr。　Young；

will　you　be　kind　enough　to　tell　this　gentleman　who　I　am？〃



〃Parson　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre；〃　said　the　youth；　confidently。



〃You　have　heard　me　preach；　have　you　not；　in　Plainfield？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　man；　fully　believing　that　he　was　telling

the　truth。



〃And　I　have　called　on