Middletown transcript., 1896-11-07

him If he was married, but he misur
derstood her question, and she hasn'
had second opportunity"
"Well, well, since the ladies are 8
interested, I'll fiud out the next tim
I see him." said her husband.
But he didn't. The next time b
met him he was so intert in pressin
an invitation on him to get in hi
buggy and ride out to the shops, that b
forgot all about his social state.
Meanwhile Mrs. Tarbutton's Laur;
had told the girl who worked in th
junior warden's kitchen that he
mother believed the new rector was |
bachelor; and she with all the fdeiit.
to her impression that could reasonabl!
be expected considering the intense in
terest which the question: had excited
had informed the junior warden's wifi
positively that he was a bachelor; an,
she in turn had equally as positivel.
asserted the same to the Woman
Guild, Mrs. Tarbutton being absent or
that occasion.
And so it was settled to all inquir.
ing minds in the parish.
AS for the last named worthy EN-.
bodiment of feminine imagin alton, she
was content to allow the general i'm
preston to remain so until something
more definite should come to hand witt
which to entertain-and perhaps startl'
the parish.
CHAPTER II.
The junior warden's daughter tossed
torn envelope to table with an ex-
clamation of disappointment mixed
with anger. She was not pleasing tt
look upon at best; and the frown that
wrinkled up her forehead added nothing
to her little attractiveness whatsoever
She was large, ungraceful of figure
close to thirty FIVE, and reminiscent ol
lost opportunities, or opportunities that
had never come. There was in her ex.
preston, moreover, something persist
ant1y suggestive of the mental appe.
tite that placed Mrs. Tarbutton's facts
and fancies away above par. In fact
Mrs. Tarbutton always enjoyed her
presence in her audiences.
"Mother," she called to the junior
warden's wife in another room, 'did
DIR. Whitney come to our last recep-
tion?"
s'Why yes, dear. Have you forg OF
ten how delightfully."- he entertained u s
with an account of his visit to Lin
coin cathedralp"
~ don't believe he likes to com Q
here at all, !" said the daughter appar-
emily not needing the reminder. "He
has sent his regrets at least half a
dozen times this winter-and now he
says he will be out of town next We'd
nesday."
The disappointment and anger pic
tured in the daughters face was inten-
sifed in the mothers as she came into
the room.
81 don't know what to make of that
mani" she exclaimed, hotly. Last
week he declined your fathers invita-
tion to spend his vacation with US at
the country place-and I had SO
hoped"
Her emotion overcame her. H er
chin trembled, and tears of vexation
started from her eyes.
Controlling herself with an effort,
she said:
"Carrie, my dear-I fear we have not
that we have overdone this thing.
Perhaps"
She was interrupted by ring of the
door bell.
The caller was an old school friend
of the daughter whose wereabouts had
been long lost to her knowledge.
''-As was saying" she began at
the second hour, "we moved from Sill
verton year ago"
"Whyp the daughter gasped. "That
is where DIR. Whitney came fromp'
"Dr. Whitney-oh yes, he was rec
tor of st. Paul church there"
"He is our rector now-and tell me''
with mock tragedy, albeit she ill-con-
cealed the intensity of the question:,
isis he marriedP"
"WEy yes. His wife's lovely wo-
man. What"
At such times as these do the fates
to play human fortunes into
the power of evil.
For looking out across the street,
bleak with the slush and mud of early
spring, the daughter saw young man
richly wrapped, with grip in hand, en-
ter the side door of the church that led
to DR.. Whitney's study.
CHAPTER III.
Had Elijah's servant been a meter. |
sologist, he would undoubtedly have
figured out the origin Of the little |
cloud like mans hand that rose out
IF the sea in answer to the prayer of |
he old prophet on Mount Carmel. |
Perhaps he would have left a record of |
,he things that produced the historic |
storm which broke the long drouth in |
;he reign of the wicked Ahab. For |
sught know there have been many |
similar storms since which have been |
studied by the scientists, the
,auses and conditions of which have
,een minutely recorded. ALI 1 can say
8 that those who have watched the
tile neb ule Of scandal grow and grow,
Until its ominous folds have overcast
4 30 \