Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-02-23
CuAJ'rEp IN

VOID was Il monument, Il wonderful and
marvellous structure OF gray granite. rails
ed upon Il fight Of steps. and consisted
Of am object like unto Clcopatra's Needle
s,%rmounting Il family urn. 1t had been
erected by one Nathaniel Crupps, a we'll
,o-do farmer in the parish, upon the
death of his second wife. The first part
nor OF his affections had been previously
inferred also in the same spot, but it was
not until the death of the second Mrs.
Crupps. who WAS undoubtedly his favor-
lite. that Nathaniel bcthought him of i'm
mortalizlne the memory OF both ladies by
onc bold stroke of fancy. as cXcmpliticd
hy this portcntious granite monstrosity.
1t was upon this graceful structure
that Vera Nevill leaned one foggy morn
ing in the first week of November, and
surveyed the church in front of her. She
was waiting for Jimmy GriNiths and
looking ut the church because she had
nothing else to look nj. The chanccl
belonged. as most chanccls do. to the lay
rector. and the lay rector was Sir John
Tynasiou.
AS soon as ii became bruitcd abroad
that Sir John WAS coming down TO the
Old mouse for the winter there was IL gen
oral excitement throughout the parish.
but no one Iartook of the excitement TO
a greater degree than did lis worthy
vicar.
II WAS the dream of I";lstacc Dain-
trees life to get his church restored, and
more especially to get the chanccl re-
built. When. therefore. the news was
known that Sir John was actually com
ing down, MIR. Daintrcc's thoughts flew
nj once to his beloved church.
Now wc shall get the chanccl done at
last. he said to his wife glcciully. rub
blns his lands. And the very day after
Sir Johns arrival Eustacc went IN to
III" Hall after dinner to SEQ him ,pon che
subject.
lie came back sorrowful and abasbcd.
Slr .,ohn had been civil. very civil: he
had insisted on his sitting down at his
table. fIc had inquired about many of
thu people, and had expressed n friendly
interest in the parish generally: hut with
regard to the c%hancci. he had been as adj
nmant.
rue Iiev. EuS:acc came down from the
Han dislcartcnrd and discounted. with
All IN" spirit crushed out of him; and the
!adl"S OF his family. for once. were of
one mind about the matter. There arose
;i""n' nm Il storm of Indignation and Il
s';sh of sympathy, which could not fail
To soothe him somewhat.
And tue next morning in the church,
.ya'aa tcra leaned against the Cruppsian
inirophagns. and thought about it.
"Feor old Eistarc." She said to her
self: how ] wish | We're very rich, and
'oniH d" his chancrl for him. How pleas
ri NJ would b": aud whn, n good fellow
!" is! What Il mean curmudgcon Sir
John must he. by the way. | should
not have thought it from his photograph:
''i'si Il frank. open. generous face he
'cenlci i" have. However, we all know
how photographs can mislcad one. i
wonder where that wrctched hoy can
be-"
The "wretchcd boy MAS Jimmy Crit
lihs aforementioned; he WAS the youth
who wns in the habit of blowing the or.
saii. The schoolmastcr. who was also
tir o. sinist. was ill. and had sent word
n" M Daintrec that he would be unable
20 lie at the church ON the morrow. l.us-
tice had asked Vera to take his place.
Suddenly somebody came up close behind
Der aud spoke to her.
tan You tell me. please. where the
keys OF the church are kcpt:"
n gentleman stood beside her, lifting
mis- hat as he spoke. Vera started a lit
lie at Icing so suddenly spoken to. hit
answered quite quietly and unconfusrdly.
"Ihey are generally kept ut the vicar
age. or else in the clerks cottage"
"Ihank YOU: then 1 will go and fetch
Them"
"Hut they are not there now,' said
Vera.
II YOU will kindly tell me where | can
hni them continued the stranger. very
politely, Il will 70 and get thcm.''
II am afraid .yon can't do that" said
vera. with just the vestigc of a smile
playlis upon her face. because they are
ut present in my pocket
"Ch. | beg your PARDON aud the stran-
ger smiled outright.
but viii let You into the church. il
you like she said, quite simply.
"Hes, if you please Vera moved nm
The path to the porch. She turned the
key in the heavy door. IF you will 20
in. please, will take the keys: i must
not leave them in the door," The gentle
man went in. and Vera looked mt him ne
he passed by.
Most undressing. was her ycrdic,
forty, at the very least. What a bcnuti-
ful situation for an adventure, What a
romantic incident. \. stranger. cyidcn;-
~; perhaps he WAS staying at some neigh
boring country house. and had walked
over to Sutton for the sake of exercise:
but what on earth could he want to sec
the church for:
The stranger stood just inside the door
with his hat off, locking at her.
Won't you come in and show it To
mey' he asked. rather hesitatingly.
"The church? oh. certainly. If you like,
but there is nothing to see in it," She
came in. closing the door behind her. and
stood behind him. 1t did not strike her
as unusual or interesting. but the most
commonplace and uncxci,ing proceeding.
that she should do the honors of the
church TO this middle-agcd stranger.
"lt is very hidcous." she said, almost
apolosetically, Especially the %clancel:
Mr.. Daintree wants to have it restored,
but i suppose that can't be done at. nj!
now"
"Why can't it be donc?"
"Oh, because nothing can be done I'M
less the chanccl is pulled down; that be-
longs to the lay :ector, and he has rcfus-
ed to restore it."