The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-06-04

| AOSoA0Ou hSACOAA " - = 4sAiOS OOAAvASSasSAA
that nothing would make much differ
sudden sutton in unresisting silence.
"Tn speak to your felix's" said Ly-
man. He went into the kitchen, and
Louise heard his voice for brief space.
Stephen Pinney and his wife and the
hired girl did not appear to be saying
any thing.
"Wall. I'll 90 over to the Center to-
morrow" said Lyman, coming back
into the sitting-room and shutting the
kitchen door after him. "Andrll come
around for you Sunday night and take
you to meeting. Is'pose every body II
think it's pretty sudden; but I'm willing
If 90 you bep Is'pose you be? Your
pa and ma h'aint no objections"
There did not seem to be any thing
more to say on the subject, and Lyman
took up his hat. He was feeling highly
complacent; he had thoaght no further
than of lilly Dillingham's astonished
chagrin.
There was an unusual attendance at
Injecting" Sunday evening. There had
never been church in the small COM
munity. The two Sunday services and
the Friday evening prayer-meeting were
held in the schoOl-hOuse. Tonight the
rough, wooden seats, scratched and
nOtched and carved with initials, were
full; for every body had heard that Biar
Gillett and the girl at Baldwin's were
going to be married at the close of the
service. Lyman Baker and Louise Pin.
new sat together on front bench. The
young man was flushed and fidgety; the
girl sat motionless. She kept her hand.
clasped together under the red and black
shawl, and she looked shrinkingly to.
wards the door; Biar Gillett and Mandy
Sawyer had not yet arrived. The table
on the small platform at the end of the
room held lamp. and there was a
candle on the shelf, which contained the
WATERFALL with its long tin dipper. A
map of the United States hung on one
of the dingy walls, which was scrawled
over with chalk and lead pencil, and
stuck here and there was paper wad.
The blackboard above the platform con-
tanned humorous sketch, whose figures
had graduated circles for heads and
bodies, and straight lines for legs.
The minister, mild old man with
dim eyes and feeble voice, held the
lamp over his Bible while he read his
text. He had preached for half 4 CEN
fury, buffeted about from post to post
and taking his buffetings meekly. Now
he had found comparative calm in
the little, sparsely attended, morgan
lied church; he had settled into pleas
ant peacefulness, and fallen back into
the vernacular of his youth.
"For he clave to the Lord hain't
no idea," he said, setting down his
lamp and taking off his spectacles
slowly, 'that Hezekiah got none o.
them teachings from his father; it amt
likely that Ahaz done nothing towards
leading him into the way q the Lord.
Ahaz had been one o. the worst O the
kings o Judah. He'd ben idOlertrOus;
he'd broke up the Temple and set up
affairs in every corner of the land and
wOrshipped idols. There amt no sort
o probability that Hezekiah got none o
them teachings from him."
The door had opened and Biar Gillett
had walked in, alone. His face took on
darker tinge as he met the eyes of
the congregation upon him in frank
stare. He sat down in the nearest seat.
lingering the rim of his hat. Louise
Pinney gave q gasp. Her face grew
white and she pressed her hands tightly
together under her shawl to stop her
trembling. He alone; she was not with
him; she had not come. That
was all she was conscious of.
She sat staring across at him;
she saw nothing else and the words
of the preacher were a vague murmur
in her ears. The discourse wandered
on to its end. The last hymn was
given out and sung through. Lyman
Baker prevented the benediction by
striding up the room. mounting the
platform and slapping folded paper
cited and he was keeping an eye on
lilly Dillingham;.
If you'll jest do me the favor to ex-
anime that paper" he said, with an off
hand air, which he had acquired Mt the
shoe store. Its license" he added,
in explanation to the gaping assembly,
''and tho name of the lady
But Louis had stood up. clinging trcm.
blingly to desk.
II can't can't!" she cried family, |
the blood rushing back to her white |
face. and she sank down weakly on her
seat.
There was an excited hum, and then
the formality of the meeting melted
away. 1t became social gathering
sympathetic, inquiring and judicial. A
knot OF women promptly surrounded
Louise. They had Immediately compre.
hended the entire case and they were |
ready to discuss and advise. LYMAN
Baker stood opcn-mouthcd.
Il wouldn't urge her, LYMAN" said |
one of the women, putting into words |
the popular conclusion. Il guess Louise |
hadn't really made up her mind.
wouldn't do any thing more about it |
Just now"
Somebody brought the tin dippcr with |
some water to Louise, but she did not |
take it. She got up and went to the |
door, and Biar Gillett, after q moment |
of hesitation, followed her out. The |
meeting dispersed by lingering degrees,
Lyman Baker with the rest. He was
looked upon, strangely enough, as
something of lion. and he was COM
pOsedly aware of it. He went home |
with lilly Dillingham's elder sister. as
a first step in a gradual and dignified |
return to lilly Dillingham; herself.
Louise Pinney looked up into BARS
face as they walked along.
'.Ain't you going to marry herr" she
said.
oval. no." Biar responded; Il was
calculating to. pose you heard we
L.,