The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-11-11
III.
- Martha"

Martha.''
eyes, mother"
Ishould like to 60 into that church
instead of taking walk. Surely there
must be a gallery where the poor may
find seat"
"What use? God has forgotten usr'
An old woman and girl stood be-
meath dripping umbrella. The words
of the girl, uttered with concentrated
bitterness, reached the ear of another
pedestrian, a stout gentleman with
bronzed complexion and pleasant eyes,
who had paused to cross the street. He
watched the pair enter the church. and
it occurred to him that the sacred edi-
fee resembled another built of gray
stone, with square tower, once famil-
lar to him in his native city OF Boston,
while the remark of the girl had been
unusual, even startling-G0dh has forgot
ten as! What did she mean? He fol-
lowed her into the church and the gal
lery, inspired by the benevolence of q
philanthropist and the curiosity of a
student of human nature. Time hung
very heavily on his hands. The two
women had already seated themselves;
Mr.. Mark Hunter chose place behind
them. He wished to ascertain why a
young girl had proclaimed ON a street
corner that God had forgotten her. The
words aroused him from a sombre mood.
Had she been alone he would have sus-
pected tragic love affair, with des-
perate rush for ferry-boat or railway
track in the mad impulse of suicide.
The old woman, meek, patient, tremu-
lous, clad in the dusty black of decent
poverty, sat with folded hands. The
girl remained, with head slightly thrown
back, and a pale, pure profile turned
toward the observer. The face was in
teresting rather than handsome, mass
i've, firm, courageous. only trifle worn
and bitter just now. Mr.. Hunter took
a card from his pocket and wrote on it.:
I" Tell me why you believe God has for
gotten YOU" He read this, hesitated,
tore up the card. The service went on.
Outside, the soft rain was falling; with
in the church all was dark and strangely
peaceful.
"My God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus" preached the clergyman,
iu sonorous tones.
The meek old woman in the gallery
looked at her companion; the girls face
became more obstinate; Mr.. Hunter
only half listened. Suddenly the girl
moved, bent forward and gazed at the
opposite wall. What did she see? MIR.
Hunter also scanned the wall. An il
Illuminated text was designed like a
scroll on the white surface, "Thy word
shall be lamp unto my feet" The
girls eyes dilated, smile irradiated
her features, and she nodded her head
slightly. Evidently she had discovered
some clew, vainly sought before. The
organ breathed a subdued minor chord;
the girl rose to her feet and sang the
hymn in a full rich voice. vibrating with
passion.
After the service Mr.. Hunter feigned
interest in recovering his hat, thus al
lowing his neighbors to pass out. When
he gained the street the old woman and
the girl, sheltered by the cotton UNI
brella, had disappeared. He went home
disappointed.
Mr.. Hunter no longer occupied the
guest-chamber of his sister. Instead,
he had selected modest bachelor quar-
tiers in an questionable locality, and he
did not daily enter the charmed circle
of the young Erskines. Sister Hetty
was very kind, even anxiously civil,
about the change: but the move was eff
fected, and the man who came home
spent many solitary hours, in which
the Rip Van Wrinkle sentiment gained
irresistible sway.
A within led him to the east side of
the town as remote from sister Hetty's
sphere. A month had not elapsed since