The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-18
THE MINISTER'S FILTRATION.
pY " QUAD

tore that congregation. He was also pop
uiar In a social way. and. taken ali
around. he hed standing that few young
ministers could boast Of When he had
been IN Homerville six months. he had
made just two enemies These were an
oia maid named Angelina Harris and her
father. Neither was open enemies. but
Angelina was plqued and provoked and
somewhat emblttered because the min
ister had kept clear OF the matrimonial
net she would have thrown about hin.
she would have been willing TO make
match OF il with almost any one. but It
was the ambition OF her soul 20 marry 4
clergyman. She struck the young rever
ends tran at an early date and she fol.
lowed Il with ardor and perslstency until
he was obliged 10 give her the cold snub.
As she was one Of his flock. and ss AR
father was a would-be pillar OF he
church, the snub wasn't ice cold OF fun OF
carpet tacks. but he made his meaning
plain. nevertheless.
From that hour Angelina Harris had
II in mind TO do that good man up. she
didn't give her hand away by throwing
out little slurs and innuendoes. because
she would have found no one 10 listen 10
her. but she set herself to watch and
bfde hfr time. He who watches ana
bides finds an opening sooner or later.
AZ Angelina was keeping tab or current
events a widow named Moreland moved
| to Homerville from Chicago. She was
young, rich vivaeious, and took her place
at the head OF society at once. She occu-
pied a house exactly opposite the one In
which the minister lodged. and Ii was also
next door on the left 10 that occupied BY
Mr.. Harris. She hadn't got settled yet
| when Angelina made up her mind that
her cue was 20 watch for something be-
tween the new arrival and the minister
she sized the widow up for a fIrt, and.
| though she had never seen the Rev. Pet
ers indulge IN anything OF the kind there
was no telling what he might do IL cOaxed
on by a designing woman.
A couple OF weeks had passed when ona
hot afternoon the Chicago widow sat
down al an open window to read and fan
| herself She hadn't been there ten min
utes when the Rev Peters sat down at
one Of his second-story windows to do the
same thing. The widow didn't see him,
/ and he didn't see the widow. but Angelina
| saw them both. She saw the widows fan
waved In a way that said, Glad TO see
| you" and the reply was waved back
| MANY thanks" Then the widows fan
| began an outrageous Irritation, and the
ministers fan kept company with II, and
even when she waved that she thought
| she could love him for himself alone he
wasn't driven off the field, The snubbed
girl had watched and bided and In day
| or two a social thunderclap shook the
| town.
The father Of Angelina, would-be pillar
&c, had not found the Rev. Peters as
| clay In his hands, as he had hoped for.
and his effort TO run things connected
with the church to suit his own Ideas had
not proved successful He had put up
with defeat as meekly as possible, but,
| like Angelina. he was on the watch and
| the bide. That his only child and favorite
| should have failed TO make a sentimental
| impression was another thorn In his side,
and a smile of satisfaction lighted his
| face as she called him to witness the last
| five minutes Of the filtration. With his
| own eyes he saw those fans working as
| IL driven by steam power. He wasn't
man to stand anything of that sort even
| If he hadn't had a grievance. He drew the
/ line at minister riding the bike or plsy-
/ ing croquet. and thought he was over
| liberal at that. Within a day he and An
| gelina had taken care that about fifty
y
| been posted On the Irritation. II is need
less to say that people were dumfounded.
and that the Rev. Peters wabbled abolJ
and almost fell down In a faint when he
heard the gossip. As for the Widow
Moreland, she was more than astonished,
| but of course she had to giggle over IT,
! When the elders OF the church doubted
/ the sanity OF Angelina's father In spread
ing such a yarn. he vigorously replied:
'I'll show you whether L m crazy or not,
Call a meeting Of the vestTy, and I will
be there 10 make my statement and prove
IL! When l see a filtration with my own
eyes, l guess 1 know IL from a load of
coalr'
meeting Of the elders was called II
/ had to be. The minister wanted IL as
/ well as Mr.. Harris When all was ready
90 take up the charges. IL was Elder
Spooner who asked in his slick, suaye
way:
Now, Brother Harris, how long since
you fiirted with a wOman?'
Never In all my lifeP' was the indg-
nant answer.
Then will you please tell Us how you
knew this was fiirtation?"
'Why-why. they we're waving theIr
fans at each other"
But we have seen Llenty OF fans used
in church. You don't mean TO say that
firtations were being carried on during
service. DO your"
"Of course rot but this was different.
Shed fan, and then he'd fan"
And what did you understand the mo-
tions OF the fans to mean? Give US the
filtration code"
DO you mean 10 insult me?" roared
Brother Harris as his face got very red.
l don't know the code, as you call Il.
but do know that they were talking By
signals-that is. Angelina"
'Oh, II was your daughter Angelina
who interpreted the signals to you. We
must have her here as q witness. I
don't think any one Of US ever suspected
Angelina OF fiirtauons but IL seems she
must have had quite number 10 be ia
miliar with the code"
Angelina shall not come herey' ex-
claimed the hste brother as he realized
that he had put his foot In II. "And how
dare you charge my daughter with iirt-
ing?p
But II she hasn't firted how does she
know the c0de2 You have made q grave
charge here. brother and We look 70 see
you support H. You say you saw part Of
the Irritation. What did IN widow convey
70 the pastor BY her signals? Take this
ian AID show Us how she used a."
IL can't % II. II Angelina vas"
Oh, II Angelina was here she could"
said Elder spoonsr as the other caught
himself Vel. let US send for her, a. /
suggested before"
I'll never co it,
But the charge. brother-the charge.
Here Il a charge Of Irritation against our
pastor. You mace H. but you haven't sub
mittsd one iota % proof thus far. What
are sou going 70 Co about ig?''
'Aebbs Il wasn't exactly q hrtatlon."
suAsEly admitted the brother after
a gai.s.
The Rev. Peters said he vas using The
lsn 70 drive Away the files and bring a
breath of cool air as hs read over The ssr-