Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-05-26
A SIN NOT TO BE FORGIVEN
BY LIZZIE ". cI1AMPNEY.

Halsey finished his sermon in an aronyo.
apprehension. He wiped away tho heat5s O
perspiration from his forehead. and dur.fr,
the singing of the last hymn REGARDED the
congregation frrtively from Behind hi
handkerchief, expecting in so.no faces
at least to, read scorn and denim
ciation. Instead of this there was
look of pleased surprise and ad-
niration on every countenance He
turned slowly to the right, where the choir
sat There, too, an open eyed and open
mouthed delight was everywhere displayed.
There was one face, however, which be could
not see, though he would have given much to
have known its expression. The doctors
niece sat at the cabinet organ, with her back
toward him-a 1.-THE, willowy figure, using
the pedals with vigor and the stops with
freedom and grace which betokened more
skill than was usual with the organist of
country choir. Her auburn hair was knotted
in loose, abundant mass On her delicate
neck Her bonnet was dainty creation,
with decidedly Parisian air, and her hands,
though ringless, were exquisitely modelled
''Take her to the city," Halsey thought, ''and
no one would detect her country training
Then came q swift conviction that this was
no rural maiden; everything combined to in
dicate the influence Of the city. Yes, he was
in danger of detection, and it was from this
quarter that he must guard against it.
After the close of service the superin-
tendent of the Sabbath school was intro
duced, and Halsey was invited to take
the Bible class. He found himself con-
fronted by three seats full of whispering and
giggling young misses, who relapsed into ap-
parently awe struck silence upon his intro
duction Prominent among them were the
two Misses Pearce, and Halsey remarked in
considerably: II have brought your lantern,
as you suggested. 1t is behind the outer
door" His announcement was greeted by a
violent blush on the part of the older Miss
Pearce, and giggle from her sister, which
started subdued litter throughout the en-
tire class. Halsey dimly perceived that Miss
Pearce looked upon his attendance upon her
the night before as a romantic secret which
his too public return of the lantern had
thoughtlessly divulged. After the opening
hymn the doctors niece left the organ and
took her seat before him. The look of sur
prise and shy appreciation which he had
thought he had discovered in her face the
night before, had given place to a
puzzled doubt, a grave wonder which
showed that something in the morn
ing's sermon had troubled her. Halscys
glance fell before her earnest one-he
could not confront those questioning, truth
loving eyes. The lesson of the day told of
the early inhabitants of Canaan. As they
read the text he asked himself what he knew
or could tell them of the Girgashites the
Amalekites, the Perizzites, the Hittites, the
Amorites the Hivites and the Jebusites. At
the close of the reading the doctors niece
asked question: "The Bible Dictionary says
that tho descendants of these tribes are the
Bedouin Arabs. VIII you tell us something
of your experience among them"
"Who told you that l have had any such
experiences?" he asked, smiling, while fear
of detection seemed to numb all his facul-
ties e,
"In your very interesting talk at prayer
meeting last evening you described the Jeri-
cho road, and incidentally referred to the
Bedouins in a way only possible to one who
had seen both"
Halsey breathed more freely. He
thought he could explain all satisfac-
torily, though it was certainly unfortun-
ate that he had given Mr.. Beecher's
description of the Jericho road in the words
of an eye witness. "Ny Palestine tour was
very meager one," he apologized sit was
only one of Cooks vacation tickets. l cannot
presume to any deep knowledge of the man
ners and customs of the Orientals," and then
us he had recently read Bayard Taylor's
LAND of the Saracenn and Warmers ''ln the
Levant,n he proceeded . give interesting de-
scriptions of imaginary adventures among
the Arabs. The superintendent's bell sounded
as he was describing bazar at Damascus,
and to his confusion he found that he had not
touched upon the lesson, or given any ethno-
logical information concerning the Jebusites
and the Girgashites. Nevertheless, the fact
remained that the class had been vastly en-
tertained He had ascertained, too, by
roundabout questioning, of which he was
heartily ashamed that however conversant
the doctors niece might be with other cities,
she had never been in New York, except TO
pass from the Grand Central to the Jersey
City depot, and had never heard any of the
New York ministers.
In the afternoon Halsey walked over
to the parsonage, hoping to have chat
with Orient Instead of this the doctor re-
caived him in his study and talked divinity
until Halsey was in cold perspiration. 1t
was only by the sharpest exercise of his fac
ulttes and by constant Difference to his
seniors opinions upon all points Of dogma
that he escaped suspicion
After an hour of this ordeal Halsey issued
from the study, feeling that he had under
gone Une horrors OF Une lQulSluloL All SpOIU
had vanished from the situation; he was
guilty criminal who had bafiled his detec-
tives momentarily, but who would be surely
dragged down sooner or later, and that with
out mercy He caught glimpse of his face
in the mirror in the hall hatrack and was
startled by its haggard expression. He had
taken his walking stick, when burst of song
hoated out from the drawing room. 1t was
'Jesus, Lover of My Soul" sung to Abt's
sweetest of melodies. The doctor laid de-
tanning hand upon his arm.
at is our family custom to spend the Sab
bath afternoon in a service of song; will you
not join usF
~ do not sing" Halsey replied "bnt it
would be privilege to listen" He took
seat near the door; his entrance was so noise
less that the young girl seated at the piano
did. not heed it. She sang on, hymn after
hymn, and great healing balm swept over
his tortured nerves. "Flee like bird to the
mountain" brought the sharp tears to his
ewes, for1Was he not ''weary of SIM" weary of