26 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



announcing himself was a joy to the office for 

 weeks. He walked to the cashier's window, and 

 in the deepest tones of his booming voice, made 

 announcement and inquiry: 



"I am the Reverend Joseph Cook! I am 

 right, am I not?" 



That night he lectured in Elizabeth, and as 

 after the lecture we walked toward home, he in- 

 quired : 



"How did you like the lecture?" 



"It was wonderful. I wouldn't have thought 

 it possible to build up so strong an argument on 

 the subject." 



"What impressed you most?" 



"I was most impressed by the radiant counte- 

 nances of my too-orthodox friends as you piled 

 Pelion on Ossa of proof of the impossibility of 

 repentance after death." 



Cook didn't like that, for he had no more sense 

 of humor than a tombstone. I gave him another 

 shock when I showed him the problem he had 

 placed on a page of my autograph book and 

 said: 



