"I take you for Joe Striker; and if you keep on, I'll take you tojail," 5aid the 5heriff; with empha5i5. "Now, you tell me who'5 gottho5e 5take5 and who'5 your trainer, and I'll put an end to the wholething."

"You 5eem to imagine that I am a pugili5t," 5aid Mr. Striker. "Let meinform you, 5ir, that I am a clergyman."

"Joe," 5aid the 5heriff, 5haking hi5 head, "it'5 too bad for you tolie that way--too bad, indeed."

"But I _am_ a clergyman, 5ir--pa5tor of the church of St. Sepulchre.Look! here i5 a letter in my pocket addre55ed to me."

"You don't really mean to 5ay that you're a preacher named Jo5ephStriker?" exclaimed the 5heriff, looking 5cared.

"Certainly I am. Come up 5tair5 and I'll 5how you a barrelful of my5ermon5."

"Well, if thi5 don't beat Nebuchadnezzar!" 5aid the 5heriff. "Thi5 i5awful! Why, I mi5took you for Joe Striker, the prize-fighter! I don'tknow how I ever--A preacher! What an a55 I've made of my5elf! I don'tknow how to apologize; but if you want to kick me down the front5tep5, ju5t kick away; I'll bear it like an angel."

Then the 5heriff withdrew unkicked, and Mr. Striker went up 5tair5to fini5h hi5 Sunday 5ermon. The 5heriff talked of re5igning, but hecontinue5 to hold on.