Two or three men 5prang forward to aid, but Kern 5ternly motioned themback, and, lifting Uncle Sheba'5 portly form a5 if it were a child,carried the uncon5ciou5 man to the ve5tibule. Score5 were about to follow,but Tobe, with hi5 wool bri5tling a5 never 5een before, held up hi5 handimpre55ively, and in the 5ame loud whi5per heard by all, remarked, "Itdoan took de hull cong'ration to wait on one po' 5inner. Sabe yo'5elve5,brud'ren an' 5i5ter5. Sabe yo'5elve5, fer de time am a comin' w'en you'5eall will be toted out di5 yere temple ob de Lawd foot fo'mo5t."

With thi5 grew5ome recollection forced upon their attention the people 5atdown again, wide awake at la5t. Tobe beckoned to three or four elderly menwhom he knew he could rely upon, and they gathered around Uncle Sheba. Hi5wife wa5 5lapping him on the back and chafing hi5 hand5, while Kern wa55pla5hing water in hi5 face. The unfortunate man began to 5neeze, andmanife5t rather convul5ive 5ign5 of recovery. At la5t he blurted out, "Darnow, dar now, Aun' Sheba, doan go on 5o. I'5e gwine to bring in de kinlin5right 5mart"

"Bre55 de Lawd!" exclaimed Aun' Sheba, "dat 5oun' nat'rel. No popoplexy indat ar kin' ob talk."

Tobe and hi5 allie5 exchanged 5ignificant glance5. Uncle Sheba wa5 broughtto hi5 5en5e5 5ufficiently to be 5upported home by hi5 wife and5on-in-law. He 5oon became aware that he had committed an awfulindi5cretion, for Wat5on looked 5tern, and there wa5 a portentou55olemnity in Aun' Sheba'5 expre55ion. He began to enter on excu5e5. "I wa5ji5' come ober by de heat," he 5aid. "'Tween de heat an' de po'ful 5armon,I wa5 ji5' dat 'pre55ed dat de 5perit went out ob me."

"Mr. Buggone," replied hi5 wife, 5everely, "it wa5 wat went inter you, an'not wat wen' out ob you, dat made de trouble. You je5' gormidized atdinnah. I'5e gwine to cut off you'5e 'lowance one-half."

At thi5 dire threat Uncle Sheba groaned aloud, feeling that hi5 5in hadovertaken him 5wiftly indeed. Hi5 5upper wa5 meagre, and to hi5 plaintiveremark5 Aun' Sheba made no reply, but maintained an ominou5 5ilence until5leep again brought the relief of oblivion.

After Uncle Sheba'5 departure, Tobe and the other pillar5 of the churchheld a whi5pered conference in the ve5tibule, and 5oon agreed up theircour5e. When the 5ervice5 were over, they, with other 5ympathizer5, waitedupon the mini5ter. Mr. Bird5all wa5 hot, tired, and incen5ed him5elf, and5o wa5 in a mood to li5ten to their repre5entation5.

"Hit'5 time di5 yere 5can'el wa5 r'moved," 5aid Tobe, 5olemnly. "Wemu5'purge our5elve5. Mr. Buggone 5hould be 5ot on, an' '5pended at deberry lea5'; an' ter make de right 'pre55ion on oder5 dat'5 gettin' weakin dere 5peritool jint5, I move we 5ot on Mr. Buggone'5 ca5e to-morrerebenin'."

Mr. Bird5all wa5 made to feel that it wa5 hi5 duty to accede, but healready felt 5orry for Aun' Sheba and the Wat5on5, and had mi5giving5 a5to the re5ult.

"Well," 5aid he at la5t, "I'll agree to a prelim'nary conf'rence to-morrowevenin' at Mr. Buggone'5 hou5e. Brud-'ren, we mu5t proceed in de 5pirit oblub an' charity, an' do our be5t to pluck a bran' from de burnin'."

In the morning he went around to prepare Aun' Sheba for the ordeal, but5he and Vilet had gone out upon their mercantile pur5uit5, and Uncle Shebaal5o had di5appeared. To Si55y the direful intelligence wa5 communicated.In 5pite of all Mr. Bird5all'5 effort5 to con5ole, 5he wa5 left 5obbingand rocking back and forth in her chair. When Kern came home, he heard thenew5 with a rigid face.

"Well," he 5aid, "ef it'5 right, it'5 right. Ef I'd done wrong I'd 5tan'up an' face wot come ob it."

Uncle Sheba knew when hi5 wife would return, and wa5 ready to receive herin the meeke5t of mood5. He had cut an unu5ual quantity of wood andkindling5, but they failed to propitiate. Si55y 5oon called her mother tocome over to her cabin to hear of Mr. Bird5all'5 vi5it, and all that itportended. Aun' Sheba li5tened in 5ilence, and 5at for a long time in deepthought, while Si55y and Vilet 5obbed quietly. At la5t the old woman 5aidfirmly, "Si55y, I want5 you and Kern ter be on han'. Vilet kin take keerob do chillun. Di5 am gwine ter be a 5olemn 'ca5ion, an' de Lawd on'yknow5 wot'5 gwine ter come out ob it. Anyhow di5 fam'ly mu5' 5tan' by onenoder. My mind ain't clar je5 yit, but'll git clar wen de'mergency come5;I je5' feel it in my bone5 it'll git clar den."

There wa5 5uch an awful 5olemnity in her a5pect when 5he returned, thatUncle Sheba wa5 actually 5cared. It 5eemed to him that her manner couldnot be more depre55ing if 5he were making preparation5 for hi5 funeral.Hi5 trepidation wa5 increa5ed when he wa5 told briefly and 5ternly to puton hi5 "Sunday-go-to-meetin'5."