Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-09-04
haTHE Little Minister" evervbod

hhTHE Little Minister" everybody
on board the Lucretia called
him inevitably; he was so very little
and so obviously minister. And
everybody, before the Lucretia was
three days out from Liverpool, was
gossiping about the little minister's
devotion to one of the women passen-
gers-the woman with darkened eye
brows and hair a thought too golden.
Everybody would have, gossiped still
more had everybody heard and under
stood the whispered words which
aroused the curiosity and wonder of
the head stewardness on the evening
when the little minister set everybody
agog by escorting the yellow-haired
woman down to the very door of her
state-room.
courage! Courage! Do not de-
spair!" was the half-comprehended
ejaculation with which he babe her
adieu.
And everybody, again, would have
been nearly frantic with excitement
had the manner in which the two be-
came acquainted been publicly known.
The yellow-haired woman was lean
ing over the rail of the promenade
deck, we'll forward, upon the second
day of the voyage, when the little
minister, who had been watching her
keenly from his unobserved seat be-
mind q music room portfolio, strolled
easily to her side.
II wouldn't! Don't think of it," he
said, softly. 1T really wouldn't be
worth while. Pluck up heart and take
courage. Your present sorrow will be
over in lifetime, anyway; you'll be
sorry for all eternity if you jump over
board, poor child"
"Why do you speak to me like this?
cried the woman, turning wide, des-
perate eyes on his kindly face.
because I, too, have been very
close to despair" he made gentle an
swer, "and, perhaps, with far less
reason than you have. have known
despair for my own sins rather than
the sins of others. You have sinned,
also doubtless, but you have been
sinned against as we'll"
For moment the woman looked as
though she. would kill him. Then, sud
denly, she laid her wearyYh head down
on the rail, and he. could feel, rather
than see, that she was sobbing. Pres
entity he stepped little nearer, and,
affecting to be deeply interested in
the tossing water, spoke to her again,
in a very low tone. IL. =
Don't give way here-and ,now," he
EXPORTED, tenderly. '"Others are
watching us; you don't want to at
tract attention. Bear up little long
er; you have been silent so long, /
am sure. Let them think you are i'll
it is only natural. Steward!" to the
blue-jacketed functionary of the lower
deck, "some hot beef-tea for this, lady,
Immediately"
"Let me give you my arm to the up
per Deck" he suggested, when, the
beef-tea having been absorbed in a
sheltered corner, the task of screen
ing her from the inquisitive glances
Of casual deck-strollers became a
little difficult. And there on the up
per deck-which was altogether too
exposed and too windy to be anything
but deserted-the yellow-haired WON
an related her story. She was moved
thereto partly by the knowledge OF
his cloth and, his ,fatherly manner,
partly because she looked through the
clergyman, and saw that he was q
man and a gentleman as we'll; more
than all, perhaps, because she had
reached the point where she could no
longer contain the guilt-burdened mis-
cry from which womanly listener
might have shrunk with repellant5dis-
gust. c~z &
It was pitifn1 story, more pitiful,
even, than the teller of it. realized. A
desolate child, fatherless,. motherless,
she had never, known a real home or
affection Tossed and buffeted from
one unwilling, unloying relative to an.
other, she had fouted them all, at
IS; to fall in love with q man many
years her senior, and who had never
borne a good name. She had gone
through the preliminary punishment
of the lost in order toabe true to: him.
in his absence. When, aeyear after he
had hidden her good-by until "Iscan
come back and marry you," he had
Sent her money and directions to
cross the ocean and become his wife
IN Liverpool, she had sacrificed her all,
deeming It no sacrifice, but a joyous
privilege. to obey him. Two years
later, inAamed with the FIRE Of new
passion, he had Offered her q 1padly
) sum 20 Of money to sign an agreement
pTotssting him from any future dc.