The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-06-12

bring matters to climax. He had
allowed himself to drift pleasantly
along, easily foiling her attempts to
| give, hoping to find her mapping. But
be realized that she was ever on guard,
and was not likely to forget, so he
| must resort to stratagem and force
her hand. He had been content with
the equal match through the early ac-
| quaintance, but it was different now.
He wanted the philopena question set
tied before he asked her to give him
something of infinitely more value than
| q trifiing philopena. He gave himself
thorough mental shaking and
worked his wits out of their sluggish
state of inactivity. He pondered un-
| til late hour over the ways and means,
but was compelled to go to bed with
no solution of the problem.
The next morning was Sunday. At
breakfast the husband of his cousin
and hostess announced that he was in
disposed, and facetiously rendered TO
Jerome his office of passing the plate at
morning service.
Jerome began laughingly to decline,
WIN CnaHhS, tnen du iucd s'i uSh
| him.
Certainly" he said, seriously. Il
| will at once assume my entire COM
mand of dignity in honor of the occa-
sion
He started at an early hour for
| church, in order TO give information OF
| his cousins illness and to offer him.
| self as a substitute in the otfertory
| exercises. He hummed a little ex-
ultant air as he wended his church
| ward way, thinking that his hour had
| surely come; for his cousins collecting
| route was the middle aisle, left hand
| side, and in this division was the Court
ney pew. Phyllis sat in the seat next
| the aisle; next to her little brother
Ned. then a widowed aunt. and al the
| end of the pew Mrs. Courtney. Phyllis
| invariably put little white sealed en-
| velope in the plate and then passed the
plate to her aunt and mother for their
contributions. Many a time he had
watched the process.
He was confident she would be
| caught: she had holy horror OF dong
/ anything to attract attention. and she
| wouldn't ball to the extent Of refus-
| ing to pass the plate to the other mem
bers of the family, even if she refused
| to put in her envelope.
| He waited with anxiety for the oc-
cupants of the Courtney pew to arrive,
and breathed sigh of relief when he
saw them take their accustomed
places. The length of the service and
| sermon seemed intolerable. Never be-
! fore had there been for him a note of
welcome in the words LET your light
so shine He jumped to his feet and
went up the aisle in m ost unholy haste
Phyllis did not chance TO see him
on his way to the chancel. 1t was,
| therefore, a surprise to her as he came
down the aisle in the place of his
cousins white-haired husband. Sur
prise was quickly succeeded by con-
sternation. What should she do: \
| wild desire to leave the church seized
| her. but her courage wasn't equal TO
the undertaking. She was determined,
| however, not to be checkmated. She
put the little white envelope back in
| the rack
Stephen Jerome and the passing
plate came nearer and nearer, he with
the air of conquering hero. While
at the pew in front of the Courtneys
he took in the situation of the enemy
with comprehensive glance-the
white envelope in the rack. the reso-
| lutely folded hands of Phyllis, the Sc
rene slumber of Ned, and the silver
coin in the hand of the aunt-a similar
one in the lap of Mrs. Courtney.