We're nigh onto $300 behind-hand this minute.Besides your house-rent, you get $800 free an' clear--that is $15.38every week, an' only you an' your wife to keep out of it.
Why, when I was your age, young man, and after that too, I was glad to get $4 a week.""I don't think my salary is under discussion, Mr.Pierce--""BROTHER Pierce!" suggested Winch, in a half-shuckling undertone.
"Brother Pierce, then!" echoed Theron, impatiently.
"The Quarterly Conference and the Estimating Committee deal with that.The trustees have no more to do with it than the man in the moon.""Come, come, Brother Ware," put in Erastus Winch, "we mustn't have no hard feelin's.Brotherly love is what we're all lookin' after.Brother Pierce's meanin'
wasn't agin your drawin' your full salary, every cent of it, only--only there are certain little things connected with the parsonage here that we feel you ought to bear.
F'r instance, there's the new sidewalk we had to lay in front of the house here only a month ago.Of course, if the treasury was flush we wouldn't say a word about it.
An' then there's the gas bill here.Seein' as you get your rent for nothin', it don't seem much to ask that you should see to lightin' the place yourself.""No, I don't think that either is a proper charge upon me,"interposed Theron."I decline to pay them.""We can have the gas shut off," remarked Brother Pierce, coldly.
"As soon as you like," responded the minister, sitting erect and tapping the carpet nervously with his foot.Only you must understand that I will take the whole matter to the Quarterly Conference in July.I already see a good many other interesting questions about the financial management of this church which might be appropriately discussed there.""Oh, come, Brother Ware!" broke in Trustee Winch, with a somewhat agitated assumption of good-feeling."Surely these are matters we ought to settle amongst ourselves.
We never yet asked outsiders to meddle with our business here.