The San Juan County index., 1902-09-12
The Blue Carpet.
by FANNY BrrR11Nc

BY FANNY BURI.ING.
Copyright. 1902. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
The last amen loated out from the
vestry over the kneeling people
bowed forward like a field Of wheat
before the wind. Upon the high altar
the acolyte was smothering out the
tall candles and to the rumble Of the
organ the congregation-th that is. all
but the Ladies' Aid-pulsed decorous-
/ " down the crowded aisles to the
day-lighted doorway.
But the Ladies' Aid poured Itself
into the vestry, as a green and gold
snake pours itself into its hole, and,
no longer awed by the sacredness Of
the sanctuary, demanded in a chorus
Of arpeggios and every tone of the
scale, Where is the carpet?"
The carpet?" echoed the abstract
ed rector, HIS spirit still upllfted from
his strenuous exhortation to his peo-
pie to be good, to live the higher life,
the carpet2"
Yes, yes, the carpet! Our car
pet! 1t was here last night" sang
the chorus inharmoniously.
Their rector's thoughts slowly set.
tied to earth. "The new blue carpet!
The workmen finished putting it
down at six o'clock yesterday! Who
moved all those heavy pews, and took
It up again before morningi Who
took up the carpet?" rolled forth the
chorus antiphonal and feminine
The beautiful blue carpet which
had been sewed for and sung for, and
cooked for in Ladies' Aid meetings
and muslcales and rummage sales and
fairs all winter long, their beautiful
blue carpet, which had been finally
selected and paid for, amid much ar
gument, and at last had been laid
upon the church floor with the care
ful supervision of the entire Ladies'
Aid in conclave assembled only the
day before; their beautiful blue car
pet had been spirited away in the
night
That sunshiny Sabbath morning
they had entered the house Of wor-
ship, not one missing, to tread, not
upon a soft, blue brilliance. but upon
a noisy bare floor. The Ladies' Aid of
the Church of the Redeemer rubbed
its eyes and surrepttlously pinched
itself, while the solemn service flowed
on.
Thou shalt not steal" declared DR..
! Harrington. and softly the choir re-
sponded, Have mercy upon us and
incline our hearts to keep this law"
who could have stolen their beauti-
full blue carpet, chanted the Ladies'
Aid mentally, "and grant that this
day we fall into no sim" murmured
the people, but that all our doings
being ordered by thy governance-"
where was their carpet2 Verify the
prayers of the Ladies' Aid few up
ward and their thoughts remained
below
The president, Mrs. Frances Almer.
on Warren, resourceful and unafraid
asked the same question aloud in the
vestry, where the clear mountain sun.
shine flooded the room with joyous.
ness. Seeing no adequate solution in
the group of futtering ribbons and
smart raiment-certainly not fashion.
ed like unto Solomon's even in his
glory, she demanded the clergy, the
deacons, and the janitor. Thus 1t is
that Woman. however independent
calls upon man in times of real stress
and danger.
The clergy placed himself at heI
disposal, likewise the deacons.
Under rigid cross-examination the
Senior Deacon did remember that
coming home late the night before
he had seen a light in the sacred edi
nee. The Junior Deacon, who had
gone out to SPY out the land, returned
with the discovery Of tracks of q