The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-04-25
CHAPTER Iv-Continued.

Miss Lacro1x thus manliesteu vi "hae
touched me awoke in me sensations, /
may even say vague hopes, OF very
pleasant and consoling kind,
dreamed bright dreams that night,
which hung about me during the next
day, but in the evening they we're dis
pelled somewhat rudely by note
from the bishop requesting me to call
upon him; and by message from the
rector desiring me TO call on him.
went first to the bishop. My in
terview with him was more agreeable
than had anticipated and went with
a tolerably light heart TO the rector.
He was still in bed. My short inter-
view with him was not pleasant. The
words we exchanged were warm; but
they do not concern this story except IN
their result. He wished, he urged, he
almost ordered me to cease all recogni-
tion in any way Of the existence OF the
man Freeman; | refused to give any
pledge to that effect--an so was given
to understand that would not be
wanted in the parish after the six
months for which had been at first
engaged.
1t was only then when my departure
from Timperley seemed imminent Il
had already peen almost four months
in the place. that began to suspect
how very mucl my hopes and affections
had entangled themselves with the
haunting sadness, the unconscious grace
and beauty of Miss Lacrcix. What
likelihood was there now, If there ever
had been any, of poor curate who had
already done something to discount
his chances OF preierment--of my being
more than an agreeable and tolerably
sympathetic acquaintance OF month
or two. of my hearing her say more
than $50 very sorry, indeed, that you
are going" and Of thus finding the cpl
sode closed2 No likelihood at all there
seemed. And yet so much may happen
in two short months. | have to admit
that, even in the midst of serious work
(of writing sermon, for instance),
vain, wild thoughts would arise in me
of commencing myself to the young
lady by some great service-by, per-
chance, discovering her father, or at
least finding out for certain what had
become of him (although | had yet had
no word from the two friends whom |
had asked to make inquiries In Lon
DOM. But these foolish, fruitless long
ings were soon crowded aside by the
excitement of events.
A strange thing happened which was
a direct result Of my hitherto luckless
adventure with Mr.. Freeman. found
that affair had commended me to the
favorable attention of all types of dis
senters in the village; one mark OF this
favor especially appreciated, as all
clergymen would-the increased con-
gregations I had at church, on Sunday
evenings particularly.
II almost regret, for my own sake,
oyu know" Freeman said to me one
day, with laugh, "that | asked you
to be my chairman at that direlul lect'
ure. l find you are taking many Of my
congregation from me--not all together
though, l must say that for myself
But they do their duty by me in the
morning, and then seem to take theiI
pleasure with you in the evening""
OF those who thus forsook Mr.. Free.
man | noticed remarkable group Of
working folk, whom he had pointed
out to me as the most closely cohering
and the most curiously inter-related
congeries of families in the village
(where there is an excess of cousinship)
They were steady, stolid, shrewd peo-
pie, very comfortably off, yet all O.
whom, male and female, worked at the
loom or the chemical vat. My atten
tion was first attracted to them by
their taking up good seat we'll for
ward, and refusing to bulge when the
butchers family, who paid for it, came
in, and by their evidently being quite
unused to the order of service in
church. The prayer book was a mazC
to them, and the rising up and sitting
down constantly took them by surprise
The family, learned, had rigorousl.
dissented for generations.
At special flower service (foT which
few flowers could be gathered in Tim
perley) they we're not in their accus
toned pew, The church was densel!
crowded-more crowded, think, be
cause the fact and the reason Of m!
speedy departure from Timperley hat
somehow got abroad. At the end o
the week, however, (on Friday night,
think, a message came to me when
was in bed, requesting me to visit a
once a man who was dying-one Of tn
sons of this interesting family.
dressed, and went.
heard sounds of wailing and lamen
tation from the house before | entered
passed into the kitchen, a clean
bright room, in which the men OF tn
family sat smoking in various absorbe
attitudes, oppressed with silence an
sleep. One of the women stopped owe
pan on the fire, while the old mothe
in firm, clear voice, directed her oper
ations. She turned to me, sayin
merely:
"He's upstairs, He wants bad t
see yo', but at present he's leet i tn
yed," (light in the head.
Upstairs found the dying man i
the smaller of the two bedrooms-fo
warmth. That sick room, as it the
appeared to me, will not easily be fol
gotten. At that dead hour of tn
night, when "the very houses SCENE
asleep" and even the tall chimney {
the chemical works had ceased to emt
its tinted vapors, the gas flared full
the little room, and six persons, me
and women, were round the bed whel
the poor fellow lay in the last extren
ity of delirious helplessness, soaked
perspiration. Near him stood m
friend Freeman.
/ learned in few words from Ere,
man that the poor fellow had been en-
ployed for years at the chemical work
where he had contracted liberation
the lungs; on Sunday night he 10
stood in the doorway of the crowdt
church, had caught cold and had con
home to the bed from which he wou
never rise again.
While he spoke he was seized with
ct Of violent delirium, in which he hI
10 be restrained from getting out
bed. Soon he calmed down again in
a more lucid interval. While he |,
speechless, and a neighbOr by the b,
kept moistening his dry, cracked Ii
with a rag soaked in brandy and waite
- .,,,.l or,srA h;y, s,A AZ LAT ~.