V + 

For years Elmer had had a waking nightmare of seeing Jim Lefferts sitting before him in the audience, scoffing. It would be a dramatic encounter and terrible; he wasn’t sure but that Jim would speak up and by some magic kick him out of the pulpit. + 

But when, that Sunday morning, he saw Jim in the third row, he considered only, “Oh, Lord, there’s Jim Lefferts! He’s pretty gray. I suppose I’ll have to be nice to him.” + 

Jim came up afterward to shake hands. He did not look cynical; he looked tired; and when he spoke, in a flat prairie voice, Elmer felt urban and urbane and superior. + 

“Hello, Hellcat,” said Jim. + 

“Well, well, well! Old Jim Lefferts! Well, by golly! Say, it certainly is a mighty great pleasure to see you, my boy! What you doing in this neck of the woods?” + 

“Looking up a claim for a client.” + 

“What you doing now, Jim?” + 

“I’m practising law in Topeka.” + 

“Doing pretty well?” + 

“Oh, I can’t complain. Oh, nothing extra special. I was in the state senate for a term though.” + 

“That’s fine! That’s fine! Say, how long gonna be in town?” + 

“Oh, ’bout three days.” + 

“Say, want to have you up to the house for dinner; but doggone it, Cleo⁠—that’s my wife⁠—I’m married now⁠—she’s gone and got me all sewed up with a lot of dates⁠—you know how these women are⁠—me, I’d rather sit home and read. But sure got to see you again. Say, gimme a ring, will you?⁠—at the house (find it in the tel’phone book) or at my study here in the church.” + 

“Yuh, sure, you bet. Well, glad to seen you.” + 

“You bet. Tickled t’ death seen you, old Jim!” + 

Elmer watched Jim plod away, shoulders depressed, a man discouraged. + 

“And that,” he rejoiced, “is the poor fish that tried to keep me from going into the ministry!” He looked about his auditorium, with the organ pipes a vast golden pyramid, with the Chubbuck memorial window vivid in ruby and gold and amethyst. “And become a lawyer like him, in a dirty stinking little office! Huh! And he actually made fun of me and tried to hold me back when I got a clear and definite Call of God! Oh, I’ll be good and busy when he calls up, you can bet on that!” + 

Jim did not telephone. + 

On the third day Elmer had a longing to see him, a longing to regain his friendship. But he did not know where Jim was staying; he could not reach him at the principal hotels. + 

He never saw Jim Lefferts again, and within a week he had forgotten him, except as it was a relief to have lost his embarrassment before Jim’s sneering⁠—the last bar between him and confident greatness. + 