The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-15

There she was. more than half an hour
late again,
The gentle face OF the Rev. ALEX Haynes
bore a gravely Disappearing look as his
eyes rested on the slim. girlish figure which
had created such a disturbance on the
previous Sunday evening. and he looked
at the girl for the blush which he felt ought
10 appear. or for some other sign Of en-
barrassment at the obvious distraction OF
the congregation.
But no. She reached the TOP of the aisle
and seated herself with perfect self-pos-
session in the very front pew near the
Wears wife
The church door was open TO admit what
air there was 70 be had. and the curate
was not slow to notice ladys bicycle
leaning against the churcnyard gate.
He sighed. for he hated bicycles; and as
he always did his best to instill the same
feeling into the minds OF his flock he was
hardly likely TO make allowances for one
who did not get 70 church at the proper
time Yet as he glanced at her he did
make every allowance possible. She was
very young and perhaps had been care
lessly brought up he told himself He was
getting quite brotherly in his feelings to-
wards the girl who sat regarding the vicar
with quiet attention. when suddenly she
turned her head and a pair Of blue eyes
disturbed his sOliloquy.
He experienced shock, and there was
something Of the naughty boy look about
him as he flushed with consciousness and
fixed his attention on the pulpit He would
not look again. How dare any self-respect-
ing girl come to church on a bicycle and
smile at strange curatesi
During the last hymn the wardens began
10 take the collection, ladies fumbled in
their pockets. and the curate's attention
was wandering again.
Crash. Something hard fell into the
aisle.
Every neck in the church was craned to
see what had happened; even the vicar
peered over his glasses. The curate's head
went round with jerk and he saw in the
aisle in all the bravery OF its nickel plating
a bicycle spanneri No need TO ask whose
It was. fer the girl in the front pew was
actually blushing. though she looked as II
she badly wanted to laugh. too!
The vicar and curate looked terribly
shocked. What an example for the Sunday
school children, Some of them were gig
Cling already. It was very demoralzing
and the Rev. Alick Haynes had hardly re-
covered his composure when the hymn was
finished and the choir filed out.
About ten minutes later he was walking
Ieisurely down the little churchyard rumi.
mating on an incident which had put the
spanner out of his mind.
\ large pearl button had been found IL
the collection bag. and to the curate Il
seemed that some one had put 1T there as q
practical joke.
The button was reposing In his owr
pocket for the future conviction of the cul
prit. and he was mentally parading all the
miscellaneous boys of the parish. If it were
Jim banks. he would make point of call.
ing at the school and telling the headmas.
ter to keep him IN half an hour every day
for a week: If IL were Harry Smith, he
should lose his ticket for the annual Sun
day-schooI treat; if it were But he got
no further in his musings, for a slightly
imperative hand was laid on his arm.
Excuse me-, voice said. in a tone that
implied that its owner had already said the
same words several times before and re-
ceived no attention.
The curate looked up with start. The
evening stood before him.
II beg your pardon" he said.
'Oh. pray don't do that, it is who must
apologize for troubling YOU" answered q
sweet and refined voice II was at church
this evening, as fear you know, and that
spanner jumping out rather Hurried me. BY
mistake. it was quite by mistake. really.
put IA button in the bag. It was one that
as ( cannot match them anywhere around
here. would you. would you mind letting
me have it back? I will give you sixpenct
instead. I can't afford more"
She spoke with such utter simplicity that
the curate was astonished. She was of
type quite unknown TO him.
Won't sixpence do?" she demanded, q
trihe impatiently.
And the curate. awakening to the fac
that he had been silent some seconds, an
swered humbly: 1T wasn't thinking Of
that"
He wasn't. He was wishing he had lef
the button in the vestry as the vicar haC
suggested.
II will let you have 1t. certainly" h,
said. hurriedly. without making the leas
movement TO do so.
viii you go back and fetch it?" she said
tapping one foot on the gravel path. at 1,
getting late and haven't lamp"
She evidently thought he had left the but
ton in the vestry
Here it is he said. producing the but
ton. only / would rather you kept tn,
sixpence. mean until you have an oppor
tunity 10 put it in the ofTertory bag your
self"
'I may not be able to come over again FOL
some time. I am staying at Dane Cour
with my aunt, and because it is five mile.
away and can set home quickly 1 cycleC
over"
lis there no other way of getting here?'
asked Alick.
Il could walk" she answered with 1
puzzled glance at the grave face which haC
not once relaxed into a smile but there Il
no one TO come with me and I can't yer,
well walk back alone after dusk. There Il
the wagonette. OF course, but. we never us,
the horse on Sunday"
They had reached the gate now.
don't know that 1 altogether approx,
OF Sunday cycling; in fact 1 am quite sur.
/ do not began the curate not quite GER
tain how TO speak the words in season to d,
good 10 so frivolous a mind.
Perhaps you don't approve of cycling a
ALE" she suggested, smiling
NO. I disapprove OF il entireIv esne