The Opelousas courier., 1901-12-21
THE MINISTER'S YOUNG WIFE.

ing, meanwhile, Win deep
to the conversation.
1t was a discounted committee
which issued from the low porch an
hour later.
why didn't you say something"
asked Brother Mcpherson, impatiently'
of Brother White.
How could l. with the minister's
wife sitting there so smiling and
cheerful" returned MI. White, justly
indignant at the question.
80 good of them to call, wasn't
it, Homer" said Della. enthusiastical-
ly, as she put away the precious Vene-
tian glasses in which she had passed
lemonade to the guests. 1T shows
how fond they are Of you.
Mr.. Post was leaning on. the mantel
and did not seem to hear the remark.
He knew very well that those five men
had not come in to make a friendly
call. There had been something at the
bottom Of 1t. But If there was some
thing wrong, why had they not men
toned it?
AS the months passed by Mrs. Post
went on her way with a calm and un-
disturbed spirit. 1t never occurred to
her that people did not approve Of
her. Everybody had loved her at
home.
There was me place where Mrs.
Posts actions were above reproach,
and even stfict old Brother Mcpherson
acknowledged that. This was in the
Sunday school. whefe the minister's
wife was very successful
There were four girls in her class.
One was Mary White, another was a
young woman from Mrs. Dale's store,
the third was o girl about 10 and the
fourth. the M person whom fastidi-
u Mrs. Post disliked, although she
tried hard to combat the feeling, was
Katie Mason, the maid-of-all-work at
the hotel in the town, the place where
men went insane and sober and from
which they emerged fiends. 1t vas
not because Katie was q working-girl
that Mrs. Post did not like her-not at
all. Della would have loved any one,
without stopping to think whether they
washed dishes for a living or spent
their time In elegant leisure, If they
were only clean. This Unfortunate girl
was not only untidy in her person, but
she was repulsive in her appearance.
Try as she would. Mrs. Post could not
bring herself to touch her. But she
soon feared that the n JOY of Katie's
life was to come to Sunday school and
be near the beautiful lady. The gentle
voice, the well bred manner. the per-
feet toilette. were new to her, and
seemed to lift the minister's wife into
the sphere Of an angel. Each Sunday
Mrs. Post prayed that she might be
able to say something to help this poor
| girl, whose eyes had first seen the light
in a workhouse, and whose miserable
life had been passed in hard labor and
the lowest surroundings.
Ryan's hotel stood on a corner of the
main street Of the village, and its
Pickering lights burned all night long,
| while from within came the sound Of
| shutting cards and clinking glasses.
Katie often worked till midnight, and
was up again at dawn doing the heavi-
est drudgery.
One day Mrs. Post came in with her
arms full Of the spring blossoms and
turned the parlor into a bower of beau
ty.
isn't 1t lovely?" she exclaimed,
hearing her husbands footstep behind
hef.
Very" he replied absently. Della,
there's a man here who wants you very
much to come down to Ryan's hotel.
There has been an accident, and Katie,
the girl in your Sunday school class,
has been hurt-badly, I Judge"
She's a-going fast" responded the
man. touching his hat awkwardly. He
was the barman at Ryan's. But" as
he said to a crowd of friends later. q
knows a lady when / sees her, and that
there preachers wife's one, you bet.
She turned as pale as q rag, and the
minister, he says, Now. darling, you
don't need to go. I'll CO. OF course
I'll co. she says, and / says kind OF
quiet like. She's a calling for you
mem But you better believe + didn't
tell her how she was hurt, nor how
she looked. I just couldn't"
So it was that Della Post went into
the presence Of the dying girl without
knowing that she had tripped on the
cellar stairs with a lighted lamp IL
her hand and that she was burned be.
yond recognition.
1t was an awful sight that the mex
~perienced girl saw when she entered
the garnet where. the drudge was per
mitted- to sleep. There were goot
rooms In the house; but although tht
in%nkeeper's wife had no wish TO b
unkind to the injured girl, 1t had mo-
occurred to her to have her carried in
to one OF them.
"Oh, Homer" exclaimed the minis
ter's wife, clinging in desperation K
the mans strong arm.
Then there came a moaning cry from
the shapeless figure upon the bed:
Bring Mrs. Post. Oh, bring m!
teacher. / love her So"
Without. another moments. hesita
tion Della went forward and gatheret
the poor disfigured head In her hands
She had shrunk from touching Katie
hand before; now she stopped ant
kissed the bit of forehead which wa
not covered with ~bandages
II am here, Katie, and ! am goinI
to stay with you," she said.
In spite of her husbands protest
TenI{a paDnainod IN that dinn1v Hohte,