The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-09-27
toopyrisht, 100, By ch.Ii.. n. shsldOn.I


heartily.
I'm stopping at the hotel; l think
/ had better not come to-day"
"Well, when do you go back to
Carlton?"
Tomorrow at two"
"Well, then, come to lunch to-mor-
row noon"
81 shall be glad to, thank you" he
said, and he bowed pleasantly to them
all as he passed over to the other end
of the vestibule to speak to some one
else.
"Mr. Morton was a senior in college
when Alfred entered" Mrs. Ward ex-
planned to Barbara, as they walked
out of the church. "He had an oppor-
tunity to do Alfred great kindness,
and our boy never forgot it. He used
60 come home with him quite often
during the last term Mr.. Morton was
at college before he entered the sem
mary"
Hes a very promising young man."
said Mr.. Ward positively. 81 like his
preaching. It's sensible and straight"
"And interesting, too" Mrs. Ward
added, her heart warming TO the young
man who had befriended her son. just
how much Ralph Morton had helped
Alfred Ward not even the mother ever
knew. But it was during a crisis in
his young life, and the brave, simple
nature of Morton had gone out TO the
young fellow in his trouble very much
like "A rescue. But men do not rear
monuments to this sort of heroism.
Barbara walked on in silence, but in
her heart she also had feeling of
gratitude for the young preacher
whose courteous greeting no less than
his helpful sermon had given her cuur-
age. At the same time. she was con-
scous of little whisper in her mind
which said: Nevertheless. Barbara
Clark, in the very nature of the case
you are not privileged to move in the
society of young men like Mr.. Morton,
as long as you are a servant. You may
be college bred and you may ne as re-
fined and intelligent as he is; but he
could never look on you as an equal.
His courtesy was paid to you as a min
lister would be courteous to any wom-
an, but not as an equal in any sense.
You never could expect to sit down
and talk together, you never could an
ticipate the enjoyment of his com
pany or-or-expect that he could ever
call to see you as-as he might call to
see"
Barbara colored deeply as she al
lowed the whisper to die away in
uncompleted fragments of magma
ton. She was the last girl in the
world to have foolish, romantic
dreams of young men. She had never
had lover. No one had ever made
her think of any such possibility. She
was singularly free from any silly
sentiment such as girls of her age
sometimes allow to spoil the fresh
ness and strength of womanly
heart. But she was romantic in many
ways; and, being a woman and not
an angel or statue, she had thought
at times of some brave, helpful,
strong life that might become part
of hers. The world-old cry of the
heart for companionship. the hunger,
God-given to men and women, was
not unknown to Barbara within the
last year or two when she had be-
gun to blossom into womanhood. The
thought that her choice of a career
In service had put her outside the
pale of a common humanity's loving
smote her with another pang as she
walked along. 1t seemed that thrre
were depths and heights to this serv-
ant-girl problem that she was con-
stantly discovering, into which she
fniUbt navar ,aenan1 nd ont to ,ubiah
she might never climb.
Carl awoke her from her thoughts
by dragging at her dress, and saying:
"Come, Barbara, let's hurry. I'm
hungry. Let's hurry now and get
dinner"
Barbara looked Mt Mrs. Ward.
Eyes, go on with him if you want
to. Lewis will be impatient. He ran
on ahead before his father could
stop him. / don't feel well enough
to walk faster"
So Barbara hurried on with Carl
and as she pasesd several groups of
churchgoers she was conscious that
she herself was the object OF con
versation. She could not hear very
well, but caught fragments of SEN
fences, some spoken before, some
after, she had passed different peo-
pie.
"a freak of Mrs. Wards" "Mrs.
Vane's queer ideas" "Perfectly alb
surd to try TO equalize up" Girls
have no right to demand" sought
to know their places" mo way to
help solve the trouble" etc, were
remarks by the different members of
Marble Square church that set Bar
bsra's pulses beating and colored her
cheek with anger.
"You hurt me, Barbara" exclaimed
Carl as Barbara unconsciously
gripped his little hand
80 dearie, | am so sorry. I didn't
mean to-" In an instant she was calm
again, What! Barbara Clark! You
have not endured anything to-day
She had not anticipated anything be-
fore going TO church. She had sim
ply made up her mind to take what