Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-02-27


Really, however, 1 know that it is be-
cause her feeble old aunt requires all
her time and care for the present"
A few hours later Arnold Lyle was
walking with a quick, elastic step up
the valley toward wide, grassy slope
on the hillside, where the people were
already assembling to meet the preach
er' many of them coming from a con-
siderable distance.
Miss Orme had driven to the spot in
her low open carriage, drawn by a
pair OF fiery ponies, whom her little
hands could scarce have held in if a
groom had not stood at their heads.
She was still seated in it, talking to
the preacher, who had just accepted
her invitation to stay at her house till
| the following day; and as Arnold came
up to greet her she introduced him to
the missionary, whom she had known
before, saying: II want you to come
and meet Mr. Moore at dinner at my
house this evening. You will do so,
will you not?''
'Most gladly" he answered. 1--WE
might walk there together, after serv-
ice; if that will suit you," he added,
turning to Mr.. Moore. 1T will be a
great pleasure to me to have such an
opportunity of making acquaintance
with you" He was somewhat sur
prised, as he spoke, to find the mis-.
sionary's eyes fixed on him with a
peculiar expression.
II beg your PARDON said Mr..
Moore, Ibid I hear right that your
name is Lyle? Are you not the son OF
the''-he paused, then went on-"the
proprietor of this valley?"
Eyes, replied Arnold. II am sorry
that my father is too great an invalid
to be present with us this afternoon u
Mr.. Moore said no more, but moved
away to take his place on moss-clad
rock, from whence he was to address
the people, and there was no time for
any further convers alton.
| The address, founded on the solemn
question as to ''what it shall profit q
man to gain the whole world and lose
his own SOUL" was a most powerful
and heart-stirring appeal, and no one
present was more deeply impressed by
it than Arnold Lyle.
When the service was over Arnold
only waited to see Miss Orme drive
away in her little carriage toward her
home, after bidding him follow with
Mr.. Moore as quickly as he could, and
then he eagerly joined the preacher
Tor the five-mile walk which would
| bring them to her castle. He began
at once to speak on the subject which
had so long been a source of distress
| to him, and asked Mr.. Moore if he
could suggest any expedient for sup
plying the people of the valley with
more frequent means of religious wor-
ship and instruction than they had
hitherto possessed.
MIR. Moore turned round and looked
1ixedly at Arnold, maintaining perfect
silence for a few minutes while he
scanned the young mans frank, noble
countenance with searching eyes; then
he placed his hand firmly on his
shoulder.
*'Arnold Lyle" he said. II exoner-
ate you from all blame in the cruel
wrong which has desolated this valley,
and starved the souls Of the people for
we'll nigh thirty years; but I see
you are in complete ignorance
of it, but I feel that it is
my plain duty to tell you all the
truth. Thirty years ago came to hold
a service in this valley. Mr.. Penrhyn,
the last proprietor, was present, and
was deeply moved. He took me home
with him after the service was over,
and told me that as he was childless,
he had no near relation with any claim
upon him, he had resolved to bequeath
the whole of his property to the serv-
ice OF God; the land should be sold,
and with the proceeds church should
be built and endowed, while his dwell
ing house should be separately be-
queathed to be the parsonage of a res
ident clergyman. I highly applauded
Mr.. Penrhyn's resolution, and often
thought afterward with great satisfac-
ton of the inestimable benefit which
hoped had been secured to the
valley. It happened, however,
that Immediately after my inter-
view with Mr.. Penrhyn I had a
sudden call to a mission in Africa, and
L was absent for three years in a re-
mote part of the Dark Continent, where
l could have no communication at all
with England. On my return at the
end of that time found a letter await
ing me from Mr.. Penrhyn, written on
his death-bed, more than two years
before. It stated that in my absence
he had made over his property in trust
to a young man to whom he had fully
explained his purpose with regard to
it. and who had undertaken to carry
out his wishes to the letter. He was
to soil the land, see the church built,
and install a suitable clergyman in the
house destined for him. Mr.. Penrhyn
added that he had given to the young
man in question, whose name was