The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-19

of the manse, somewhere in the
crumbling wainscoting, the little bor-
ing creature called a death-watch
licked like the ticking of an old verge
watch. Mr.. Welsh broke off with a
sudden causeless anger very appal
ling in one so sage and sober in de-
meanor.
"There's that beast againl" he said !:
soften have l thought it was ticking
in my head. ] have heard it ever
since the night she died"
II wonder at man like you," said
Ralph, with your wisdom and Chris
tan standing, caring for worm"
"You're very young man and
when you are older maybe you'll
wonder at deal fewer things" ans
wered the minister with kind of ex-
cited turbulence very foreign to his
habit, "for myself am worm and
no man." he added dreamily. "And
often tried to kill the beast. Ye see
thae marks" he broke off again
TT bored for it till the boards are
honeycomb; but the thing aye ticks
on"
"But, Mr.. Welsh said Ralph Gag
erly, with some sympathy in his
voice, "why should you trouble your
self about this story now-or |, for
the matter of that? l can understand
that Winsome Charters has somehow
to do with it, and that the knowledge
has come to you in the course of your
duty; but even if, at any future time,
Winsome Charters were aught to me
or l to her-the which have at pres
ent only too little hope Other for
bears, be they whomsoever they
might, were no more to me than
Julius Caesar. | have seen her and
looked into her eyes. What needs
she of ancestors that is kin to the
angels?"
Something like pity came into the
minister's stern eyes as he listened to
the lad. Once he had spoken just
such wild, heart-eager words.
Il will answer you in a sentence"
he said. 81 that speak with you am
the cause. | am he that has preached
law and the Gospel-for twenty years
covering my sin with the Pharisee's
strictness of observance. | am he
that was false friend but never false
lover-that married without kirk or
blessing. | am the man that clasped
a dead woman's hand whom | never
owned as wife, and watched afar off
the babe that | never dared to call
mine own. | am the father of Wini-
fred Charters, coward before man,
castaway before God. Of my sin two
know besides my Maker-the father
that begot you, whose false friend l
was in the days that were, and Walter
Skirving, the father of the first Wini-
fred whose eyes this hand closed
under the Peacock tree at Crossth.
waith."
The broad drops fell on the win
dow panes in splashes, and the thun
der-rain drummed on the roof.
The minister rose and went cut,
leaving Ralph Peden sitting in the
dark with the universe in ruins about
him, The universe is fragile at twen-
ty-ohe,
And overhead the great drops fell
from the brooding thunder-clouds,
and in the wainscoting of Allen
Welsh's study the death watch
licked.
Moreover" said the minister
coming in an hour afterwards to take
up the interrupted discussion-"the
kirk of the Marrow overrides all con-
siderations of affection or self-inter-
est. If you are to enter the Marrow
kirk, you must live for the Marrow,
and fight for the Marrow, and, above
all, you must wed for the Marrow"
GAS you did, no doubt, " said Ralph,
ungenerously.
Ralph had remained sitting in the
study where the minister had left
him.
"No, for myself" said the minister,
with a certain irmness and high
civility which made the young man
ashamed of himself. ~ am no true
son of the Marrow. l have indeed
served the Marrow kirk in her true
and only protesting section for twen-
ty- five years; but / am only kept in
my position by the good grace of two
men of your father and Walter
Skirving. And do not think that
they keep their mouths sealed by any
love for me. Were there only my own
life and good name to consider they
would speak instantly, and l should
be deposed without cavil or word