The herald., 1898-12-11

God. That Is all have to say. Out Of
a lie you have built enough to rob a
WELL meaning person of her character,
and are about to deprive your pulpit of
pastor"
The minister sat down. His wife had
turned pale. Once in the red heat of
his reproaches, she had half risen to
attract his attention, and had almost
cried out to him to stop. His denuncia-
tions were too severe to bring about
aug'ht but disaster to her plans. She
had not calculated on such virulent
personalities. The look on her face re-
vealed the fact that she was graphing
with the great crisis of her existence.
The fight now lay between her and Ia
bitha. II the people believed the story
about the letters she was saved; but
already Mrs. Murray felt the turgid
waters of despair rising around her.
The congregation sat like a lot of i'm
movable objects for a moment then
Mrs Wittekind rose 1t was a signal
for fresh surprise. Mrs. Murray studied
her face as a man adrift on the ocean
with only a spar between him and
death studies indications of storm,
but 1T told her nothing.
Brother Murray" said Mrs. Witte-
kind in calm, steady voice, kin I put
in q word?'
The minister stood up, and leaned
his quivering hands on the pulpit.
When he spoke it was with a gentle
ness that contrasted in a startling way
with his stentorian tone which had
hardly called in it's echoes from the hills
outside. He was sure she was going
to offer a plea in behalf of her sister,
and he was ready to be magnanimous.
You may, Sister Wittekind." he said.
and then ne swept his eyes over all the
expectant faces to add impressiveness
to his words. you may rest assured
that l meant no slur on you in what l
said. There is not a woman in the
whole world in whom 1 have more faith
that is since my mother died. Since
l have been in this place you have been
my model Christian woman. 1t was. on
your account, very hard for me to say
what / have said this morning. You
may rest assured that you have my Ell
tire sympathy in the trial you have to
bear. Anything you may choose to say
will be listened to by us all. Ever since
this coldness began by the announce
ment of my marriage l have felt that
you have been almost my only SYM
pathizer and l appreciate it from the
depths of my heart"
| He paused, and leaning on the pull
pit, waited respectfully for her to
speak.
THE good Lord knows I don't want
to hurt nobody's feelin's nuther," the
old woman began. Il don't know
whether or no / am a-goin to say ex-
actly what | want to or not. fur l never
| have been much of a hand at speakin'
| even in experience meetins. It's easy
to see what you meant jest now, an I
| feel called on to talk in behalf of the
chief one you was alludin' to--shes my
| sister, an while the good book init
mates that we should love all alike, l
hain't yit got to that state of giorifica-
tion to enable me to accomplish the
| like. l am one, Brother Murray, that
believes you had no greedy intention in
marryin' the woman you tuck. With
me, nobody is ever guilty tell they are
proved guilty, an l cayn't set in judg-
ment on you here. You are not more'n
boy in age an size, an I reckon you
was so much in yore readin an study
| in that it never occurred to you to look
| an inch before yore eyes before you
| jumped, as the feller said, an you was
a easy prey to any woman that was a
lookin fur helpmeet. That much
seed all along, but after you was mar
ried lowed that it would only make
you less useful in the Lords garden
patch to open yore eyes. But this
mornin' you have made sech oper
thrusts ait the character of my sister
that l jest have to talk bit, an eff
do it in a straightforward way fee
that I'm right.
Brother Murray, Tabitha has beer
prosecuted for over twenty years by q
designn' woman who would stoop tC
any act that the devil would drap ir
'er path. That woman set about, twenty
years back, by passel o. well-told lies
to break Tabitha's engagement to &
man an she succeeded. She did that
but what is more to the point she de-
stroyed that will. You have jest nov
said you had faith in me an my char
acter and honesty. Well, she destroyed
1t kase I heerd her confess it with hel
own mouth in a fit of rage to Tabitha
Now them that wants to believe tha
Tabitha ever wrote a line to Joe Meme
fee after he married kin do so, but
know she didn't do any sech thing
The liar Brother Murray, is nghe
yOre home than our mouse, an you an
me are purity nigh neighpors.'
Mrs Wittekind sat down. The preach
er had grown ghastly pale, and quiv
cred from head to foot as he staret
steadily at the face of the speaker. Fo
a moment he looked as if he We're try
ing to read untruth in the frank gaz
she gave him, then he turned toward
his wife. she was not looking a him
: but had fixed the stern, unreadabl