Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-01-30

Gould he do them in that little home
church?
1t was not at all contrary to his reg
ular habits of life that he kneeled down
and prayed. 1t was prayer Of thanks
giving and also one Of petition. He
knew with perfect clearness as he
kneeled in his darkened room that he
loved Dorothy Gilbert with all his
might. The complete absurdity of his
position had nothing to- do with the
fact that he loved her. She was rich,
she was accomplished, she was beauti-
full, she was Of an old and distinguish
ed family, but he loved her. He was
poor, he was plain looking, he had no
prospects beyond his scholarship and
$500 or $500 a year in a home mission
airy church, but he loved Dorothy Gill
bert. 1t made no difference that his
Christian training seemed to rebuke
his choice of ore so far removed from
him in every way. That did not de-
stroy his feeling for her and did not
change 1t. In his prayer he cried for
wisdom; he asked to be led by the
Spirit.
He was not the man to wreck q life
OF Christian service on a passion of the
heart, even if its hunger were never
fed. But when he arose and went over
to the alumni hall to join the class
there at the final banquet he carried
with him the knowledge that the fu-
ture for him must have Dorothy Gil
bert with it if he would do or be all
that he felt he had right to pray for.
The week that followed commence
ment day at Hermon found Kirk al
most alone in the seminary building.
He had been employed by one Of the
professors in doing some special copy
Ing of book manuscript. In a few
days this would be finished. He had
fixed on the following Thursday to sail
for Liverpool. He had determined to
begin his studies as soon as possible.
He had been to see the president Of
the faculty about his scholarship and.
to his great relief, found that he was
largely free to study in the way that
seemed of most value to himself.
you see, it's this way, SIR he had
explained to the president. ut will do
me very little good to go to German
university and take some special course
in language or history. l feel the need
OF another method Of study. If can
use this scholarship to study human
conditions in large Cities. going to the
people for my material at first hand, it
will be Of infinitely larger value to me
and to the seminary than a course in
lectures and books"
''You are free to mark out your own
methods of study" replied the presi-
dent. According to the terms of the
scholarship, the only condition is a
year spent abroad in some regular
course Of study, with a report Of it to
be made within six months to the sem.
mary"
So Kirk was happy in his thought of
the years work, and when the treas
urer had given him the check for the
500 and he had gone to Boston and en-
gagged his passage in the intermediate
cabin he felt as If he had a very inter
esting years life before him.
He had come back to his room and
made his final preparations for leaving.
They were very simple necessarily. He
was going light handed to live in the
most frugal, economical manner posi-
bic. 1t was now Tuesday evening. His
vessel sailed Thursday afternoon. he
was all ready to 60, and yet he had an
Irresistible longing to see Dorothy GIL
bert before he went.
He fought against the inclination un-
til 8 o'clock and then did what he knew
he would do all along-he dressed In
the most careful manner he knew how
and walked straight across the campus
to her house.
As he went up the steps he heard the
piano. Dorothy was playing. When
he was in the hall, he glanced into the
parlor and saw Francis Raleigh stand
ing there.
Then a fit Of timidity seized him.
Something in Raleigh's face and man.
ner made him feel that it was impossi-
BILE to see Dorothy Gilbert with the
gifted artist. He asked the servant If
Mr.. Gilbert was at home and said he
wanted to see him few moments.
= 1t was the nearest to a lie that NAL
com Kirk ever approached. However,
when the servant ushered him into Mr..
Gilbert's library he was not sorry to
have talk with the publisher.
Mr.. Gilbert had been abroad. Kirk
asked him several questions about cit
les and people on the continent. He
grew every moment more interested
and staid for more than an hour. Mr..
Gilbert insisted on presenting him with
two or three copies Of Baedeker and
followed him out into the hall when he
finally rose to go, wishing him sue
cessful year Of study.
The piano had stopped, and the door
into the parlor was closed, but Kirk
could hear voices, and It seemed to him
that they were unusually earnest, He
imagined he could detect tone Of
pleading in one of them.
He went out into the night and walk
ed the seminary campus under the
grave elms for two or three hours. he
felt disappointed. He went over his
prospects. He viewed from all sides
his position as man with a career,
and before he let himself into his dingy
room he had gone down into depth Of
self depreciation that measured q val
ley Of humiliation for him.
But when he awoke the next day he
determined, with dull obstinacy that
was a part Of his character, that he
would see Dorothy Gilbert before he
went away. And when evening came be
walked over to the house again.
She was playing the plano again, but
this time alone. She turned around
as Kirk entered and smiled as IL she