Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-06-03
Tempered
uith Mercy
BY EhIzHgHrH MOON.


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uE closed the hall door behind
him and stood for few min
utes-a Notwithstanding little man
In his long, clerical coat-trying to
realize all that had happened since
he had passed through that same
doorway a short half-hour before.
He had entered radiant with hap
| piness-frm in his belief in the fidel-
lty of the woman who had promised
| to be his wife; now he had left the
| presence of his lately affianced wife
with his faith in women blighted,
staggering under the sudden blow,
and with queer, cold feeling about
| his heart that had beaten SO joyful
ly.
He took off his soft hat as though
| its weight oppressed him, and thrust
his finger wildly through his stub
bly,, fair hair. AS he did SO he saw
Jacynth.
He waited for the child to come up
to him, his face strangely gray and
old. The intimacy with the child had
Lied. him often into the presence of
her mother, and lltoye inevitably fol-
lowed.
Was it only now, when the beauti-
full widow had owned with almost
baby petulance that she was mis-
taken in imagining that the feeling
she entertained for him was warmer
than that of friendship, that he saw
vain and shallow soul shining in
those wonderful turquoise eyes?
And yet-he loved her still-for such
love as his, tardy in coming, was
hard to destroy.
A hideous din uprose from the vii
lage, and the curate suddenly re-
membered, with a groan, that an en-
terprising Snowman had visited the
place with some wonderful steam
gallopers, and on this afternoon he
had promised to take Jacynth him
self for ride on the horses. Then
the better nature of the little man
asserted itself. If he We're miser-
able, what right had he to thwart
the happiness of others?
Tell your mistress that Miss ia
cynth is with me-" he said to the
servant.
Eyes, sir"
The crowd parted to let the thin
figure in the long black coat and the
flushed, pleased child pass through.
The few who could spare time from
their enjoyments to notice the ac-
,tions of others smiled broadly at the
sight of the whirling figure of their
little parson, the tails of his long
coat shrouding the headquarters of
his steed.
When the curate had kissed her
and left her at her own gate, she
called after him with a gleeful little
laugh:
st was eight times. We had eight
whole rides. 1t was lovely-lovely!"
For a few days he avoided those
haunts where he was likely to fall
across the widow or Jacynth. The
wound was still bleeding, and his day
of simple duties had become a day of
misery and torment.
But at the uttermost end of the
parish the squire's dogcart flashed
past him into a narrow lane, almost
| forcing the pedestrian into the ditch
and he caught glimpse of face
saucily smiling recognition under an
| airy toque of white tulle, and her
| gay little laugh came floating back
| to him.
For an instant he almost hated her
for. her heartlessness. The next min
ute he had found eXtenuation for
her; the man she had chosen was a
| filter mate for her-he had wealth
| position and good looks, and perhaps
he had repented of his wild ways and
would prove tender husband after
\ all.
He would be a coward no longer;
he would take up the threads of his
4 life in the old way and weave the
pattern that God had set for him
But, Notwithstanding his resolution
he shrank. from meeting Jacynth fol-
many days. He wondered often that
the child did not come to him, and al
last he put himself in her way.
| When he turned down the road ant
came in sight of the green gate, c
naughty little Scotch terrier, dartet
out to bark at the heels of passing
errand boy, and Jacynth ran in pur
suit of her pet.
AS soon as the child turned her
head and saw him, he knew instant.
ly that she was aware of their
changed relations. She gave him hel
small hand and he felt it CULVER il
his as he stopped to kiss her. Hei
replies. were quiet, and almost indif
ferent.
Something in the child's voice went
straight to the curate's heart. =.
Jack. dear" he said, tenderly-
perhaps he was hardly consciou!
himself of the depth of tenderness!
in his voice.
| The child's composure was broken
J she looked up at him for an instant
= IL.