The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-23

ton consumed several moments Of time,
but they two were alone ia thc car, out
side of which We're only stU1blc fields.
from which no one but thc birds could
see. The girl did not protest even when
she found manly arm upon her shout
der. and slowly. gently. yet firmly en-
circliug her throat When the courteous
duty was reluctantly finished. the youth
brcathed a long sigh and calculated;
Thank heaven.
Amen whispered the girl
Gradually the couple began again to
chat cheerily and c0nndentially- The
Rev. Arthur begged ana received permits
sion to call the girl Grace. and he also
begged that she would call him Arthur,
ana when the name seemed 20 hesitate on
her lips ne ventuTed 10 help II with kiss
He told her Of his entire life. and his
hopes and his fears. particularly regard
ing the coming trial sermon. He had not
intended TO make the story long, but as
he talked the girls look seemed so won
dering and also so adOring that he added
detail after detail. He begged her 10 be
present in the church the next morning.
She hesitated, but when he solemnly as
sured her that the knowledge of her pres
ence would add a valuable human element
TO the Inspiration which he hoped 10 re-
ceiyc from above, and that were he 10
succeed he would feel eternally her deb
tor, she promised. Then she promised.
apparently with some hesitation, to pray
for him in the meantime. She insisted
that her prayers would scarcely DO him
any good, but he insisted that he was the
best judge Of such matters. and she mod
estly admitted that probably he was
right.
When Rivershore was at last reached.
Arthur begged the privilege of escorting
Grace TO her home. but she said, with a
blush and a laugh, that she couldn't
N Of a
tention from more important matters.
She promised, however. 10 write him Sun
day. after morning service.
Next morning all the pews in St. Hez-
ekiah's church were filled before the
tolling of the bell that announced that
the services were about to begin. At the
last stroke of the bell the congregation
saw in the pulpit a young man of noble.
reverent, yet eXultant face. and before
the sermon had half ended they all knew
that the Rev, Arthur Jerritt would be
called to the pastorate.
After service, the young man dined with
the leading official of the church, whose
guest he was to be for the day and al
though the dinner was good, and the COM
pany was cOngenial, the minister's
thoughts wandered toward a face he had
recognized in a distant pew during the
services. How that girl had seemed to
devour his very wordsl He had preached
directly at her, from first to
last; he had read the hymns
to her; he guiltily feared that his
prayers, even, had been addressed more
to her than to heaven. He already knew
fairly well what the influential members
of the congregation thought of his ser
mon, but he did long for the letter which
she had promised to write after the morn
ing service. Probably she would send it
by mail but oh, that she might know how
he would long for it until 1t reached him.
As the host, after dinner, led the way to
the billiard room. which on Sundays was
reserved for devotions to nicotine. a serv-
ant brought in letter and package.
ITO the Rev. Arthur Jerritt." said the
host reading the address. why, my dear
sir, do believe some Of our lady members
are beginning already to send slippers to
the new pastor"
kindly excuse me a moment?" said Ar
thur, breaking the seal of the note. He
read as follows:
Dear Sir; am keeping my word TO write
to you, for l can't lie to anyone who has
been so kind to me. You will never want
to hear from me again when / tell you
that l am not Grace Trewsome at all
l am one of the smartest shoplifters and
pickpockets in the United States, and l
stole Miss Trewsome's handbag al the
station, while she was buying her ticket
l do wish she hadn't laid it down for a
minute, but I'd known for three days that
she was coming to town to spend a lot
of money, and l went down to your town
for the express purpose of getting that
money. on the train or some other way.
You must blame yourself for all that
happened on the train 1 didn't make any
advances, though l was glad enough 10
have you mistake me for her, as l might
have needed someone to swear to my re-
spectability if the telegraph had been used
to put the police in waiting for me. !
didn't mean to encourage you to be sweet
on me, but when you began l hadn't the
heart to stop YOU for, oh, dear, it's SO
long since I've met a true gentleman. !
send you Miss Trewsome's handbag with
everything in it, just as l got It, and I'm
sure you will give it back to her. If she
looks so much like me as you seem To
think and if you meant all you said to
me. as l shall always be happy and mis-
cradle to believe, the best thing you can
do to go marry her at once, I'm never
going to steal again; I've said it often
before, but this time I mean it. If you
believe praying does any good, pray fol
me-quick, and try not to hate me; you
wouldn't If you knew how sweet a little
love is to a woman who never had any
before that she wasn't ashamed of.
heard your sermon, as / promised, but
you won't care now to know what
thought of it, l prayed for you too; turn
about is fair play; don't forget"
why, my dear Mr.. Jerritt, what has
happened? Nothing serious, l hope?" ex.
claimed the hest, for the color had gene
from the young mans face, and his lips
were pinched.
"a poor sinner-whom I once accident.
ally met" stammered the young man
writes me, repentantly from this YER,
city. Excuse me, sir, but = The Rev
erend Arthur Jerritt fell upon his knees
and bowed his head while the host SOFTLY
closed the door, stood against It, and tooT
his just-lighted cigar from his mouth.
Within few moments the young minis.
ter was outwardly himself again, and
when, later in the afternoon, the entire
examining committee of the church
| dropped in informally, he was as frank in
conversation and as skilful in sparrina
over theological points as if he had been
/ in the business all his life. Then the ne.
culiarities of the church and CONGREGATION
| were talked over, and displayed at their
| very worst, but they did not appear tC
/ brighten the candidate in the least. The
! church debt was then discussed, for bust
/ ness purposes-the pillars of the church
wanted the young man to understand thai