The herald., 1898-12-04

it be known by standing.
Nearly all the congregation rose
simultaneously. but Hettie and Tabi-
tha kept their seats. Both were star
ing perplexedly at the minister, who
remained standing, and Mrs. Menefee,
who sat still, her eyes downcast.
II wonder eff she's a-goin' to vote
agin it?" whispered Tabitha.
mo, goose! don't you see through
it?" gasped Hettie. MY Lord. It's as
plain as barn door!"
stand up" ordered Mrs. Wittekind,
"what in the name O. common sense is
the matter?"
Slowly, as if in a dream, Tabitha
stood up, and with her rose Hettie al
most pale, her little eyes flashing
strange intelligences at her most inti-
mate friends.
Lawyer Bates frowned as he took in
the fact that Mrs. Menefee had not
risen. He drew his calculations quick
ly. 1t was as he had feared ever since
she had refused him the privilege of
calling: she had allowed herself,
through constant daily association
with the young divine to become too
interested in him, and she was going
to make public exhibition of her
feelings by openly voting against the
leave of absence.
| Bates became angry during the awk-
| ward pause that ensued, for the en-
| tire assembly seemed now to be spec
| ulating on the cause of the widows
strange conduct.
I'VE might as we'll call it unani-
NOUS" said Bates with a level glance
at the offender. II am sure that the
/ only opposing voter did not fully un-
derstand my proposition"
| Mrs. Menefee received the thrust in
silence, her eyes turned appealingly on
the preacher.
1T seems" stammered Mr.. Murray,
that Mrs. that the lady-is the only
one who really does understand the sit
uation. Under the circumstances, she
| is right in not voting either way
THE truth is. l am not asking for
vacation to get married. but for leave
of absence to take a short bridal trip
to my fathers. This afternoon Mrs.
Menefee and I were quietly married by
/ Rev. Simon Hawkes. at his house in
the country. We thought we had bet
ter marry quietly. l thank you all for
your unanimous consent to my depar-
ture, and feel sure that 1 shall return
refreshed for my duties.'
The greatest of surprises are often
borne in silence. The faces before the
young minister We're as blank as if
they had never mirrored a thought.
He dropped his eyes before that COM
posite stare of dead stunor and went
and stood by his wife, as if to protect
her from the criticisms that We're be-
ginning to shoot like electric bolts from
the minds of his flock
The benches groaned and creaked and
banged as the people sank upon them.
Only Jason Bates and the bridegroom
kept their feet. Bates sense seemed
closed to propriety. A cloud lay darkly
on his brows his nostrils rose and fell
and he glared like a furious brut q
first at the preacher, and then at the
mature, sagacious woman who sat with
eyes downcast.
Married." he gasped. you two?"
The bride smiled Whitley Her smile
was her armor and she wore it with
brave recklessness, though the signal
light of fear was in the glance she gave
the lawyer.
Brother Bates" said the minister
you have often urged upon me the
advisability of marrying. and-and
am sure you cannot find fault with the
choice 1 have made
Bates seemed unable to formulate c
reply. The hand he laid for suppor
upon the back of the bench before hin
shook as if deprived of muscular
power. He hesitated. still staring
blankly at Mrs. Murray, and then hs
sat down.
Mr.. Murray smiled as if hattered al
the effect of his announcement, anl
then said:
For this once we will omit the doX-
ology, and if there are any who wish
to come forward and speak to us, we
shall be glad to receive them here"
He sat down, put his arm on the
back of the bench behind his wife and
whispered something to her. The con-
gregation sat as if dead. A profound
silence seemed to steal in from the out
side and fill the room. 1t was broken
by an audible grunt from Hettie Mel
win. She seemed conscious that it had
reached all parts of the building and
rendered her conspicuous, yet she was
not desirous Of GisoWning it.
MY Lord" Immediately followed the
grunt, "who ever heerd tell O. the like
Poor boy. poor boy!"
"Sh," Kissed Mrs Wittekind, rising
|
which the announcement of the preach
er had plunged her. Hush, they'l
heer you.'
I'll be daddratted." calculated TX:
Wittekind, and he turned to look at tht
rows of faces behind him. "Ill be bum
fuzzled." He caught Bates eye, but
the lawyers face was bloodless ant
yellow; he stared through Ike as if h
We're clear glass.
Tabtha said nothing. She had put
her thin hand to the side of her face
and was staring open-mouthed at tho
bride as if at q specter. Presently hel
glance swept on and hardened as it fel
on the churchyard. she could see the
branches of a tall poplar that shaded
Joe Menefees grave.
Hardly cold in yore grave, joe" shr
thought, "an' yet another-a mere
spindln' boy is in yore place an {
feedin on yore hard savins" A luml
was in Tabitha's throat; she could no
have spoken then without an audible
exhibition of her emotion.
Mrs. Wittekind's face was rapidly di
vesting itself of indications of discour
teous astonishment. She even smiled
at an intimate or two, but received NJ
response so cheerful as her smile. Sh,
caught Ike by the arm and drew hi
eyes from a curious contemplation o
Lawyer Bates countenance.
Bates looks like somebody hat
kicked i'm in the pit o. the stomach,
he began, but his wife interrupted him
"This'll never do in the world" sh
I'D hllrriedly to make uD for lost time