Middletown transcript., 1905-07-22
.THF pFNITENCE OF MRS. FARMlNGTON
BY ELMoRE ELLIOTT PE1KE
Tcoxr1suEp FROM LAST WEEK.

At ABOUT tllls STACY VI 49,
lance he one day entered the Mayli'fu
place from the rear for the first time. IL
wac really the more convenient entrance
on this occasion, as he had been making
some calls in that quarter Of the village
Moreover. he walked boldly in, with no
attempt at coiscealment But he couIu
not escape the thought that he was less
likely to be seen from this side, nor
could he entirely suppress his pleasure
thereat. After this it became convenient
oftener and oftener-or so he made hihi-
self believe-for him to come IN at 'he
rear until eventually he ceased trying 70
hoodwink bis conscience, and came III
through the less conspicuous entrance
without troubling himself to invent an
excuse for it.
To these first faint protests OF his con-
science he turned deaf ear, but there
one day came a warning in tone winch
he could not choose but hear. lie was
in the library with Mrs. Pennington
when the soft-spoken, silent-movihg
Suzanne announced some lady callers.
"Will You go in?'' asked Mrs FAR
mington, in low voice, standing Win
her back to the door, after she had care
fully closed it. cor would You prefer to
stay here and read r she added, with
velyety insinuation. They probably
won't remain but few minutes.
81 believe I'll stay here and READ,
answered Trench, without meeting her
eye.
He STAYED, but he did not read. lie
felt like felon in hiding he scarcely
dared to clear his throat and lie won
dered what would happen to him and
his ministerial career if those ladies,
through any exigency, should discover
him there. 1t was not pleasant specu-
lation, and he cursed himself, III man
ner not exactly clerical, for his FOLLY III
sticking his head into such a dangerous
snare. Yet he held Mrs. Harrington
blameless. To woman OF her metro
politan ideas, his act doubtless seemed
innocent enough-as it was Ill TACT, he
reflected. But she knew little Of the
straight and narrow path which the pas
tor of village church had to walk-a
path which had seemed straighttr and
narrower to him Of late than ever.
THAT was a rather embarrassing stu
alton, Doctor Trench" said Mrs. Far
mington, with an odd little laugh, when
she returned. He noticed that she was
slightly flushed. Il suppose | should
have called you, and yet it would have
been decidedly awkward. Mrs. Trench
was one of my callers
A kind Of sickness came over Trench.
''Did you tell her that | was here y
he asked, in an unnatural voice.
''No l didn't. couldn't very well,
in the presence Of the Others, after going
in there without you. i"
''You should have told Ter, said he,
severely.
But SO far from this plain speech easing
his conscience, he felt that there was
something degrading in the very fact that
he dared thus to rebuke this superior
woman, and that she submitted so
docilely. The heart had gone out Of his
visit, and he soon took his departure by
the back way. But when he got home,
he himself failed to tell Louise that which
lie had rebuked Mrs. Pennington for not
telling
Though remorseful enough for this
incident, he was at the same time an
gered that his Intercourse with this fair
and charming friend should bring sense
Of guilt. For that intercourse had been
of the purest nature, a. he believed, and
their conduct had been invariably de-
corous. He was not blind to Ms Far
mington's beauty-iu man with e. es
could have been-but it Ma< her intellect,
coupled with her rare tact and :, iuIsN1v,
which fascinated him. The hours spel.t
with her were like Splendid dream.
He could talk to her as he had never
talked to any other woman, not even his
wife, except in the first flash Of his love
making. And with her he had done all
the talking and Louise all the listening
an arrangement which, natura Is, he could
not endure.
As matter Of fact, Trenrll got no in
tellectual sympathy at hrInr. and very
little from his church. Naturally of
bold, though not profound, mind, he
thought OF thousand things which he
never dared speak, ever to Louise. He
was thus forced to satisfy his mental
cravings with books-a poor, negative.
one-slded satisfaction, after all. Yet
prior to meeting Mrs Pennington he had
not regarded this state Of affairs as aDy
great hardship, simply because he had
never known anything better. In fact,
he had sometimes boosted that he Lad
married his wife, as every man should,
Tor her heart and not her head. Louise
was pretty, affectionate, domestic and
practical-all that he could ask or did ask
at that time.
But the man who has drunk water all
his life needs but a sip Of brandy to make
his brain whirl. For Trench, VINO had
never before known really intellectual
woman, Mrs. Pennington was that sip.
She filled his veins with new and bound
ing life; she sharpened his wits, ex-
tended his horizon in magic manner
and made the world new and enchanted
place. After an hours conversation with
her his mind was like freshly oiled
machine. With her in the pew. he
preached a better sermon, though not
necessarily one that suited his cororepa-
ton better.
At the same time, too-and this was
one OF the beauties of the situation to
Trench-Mrs. Farlhington's jurisdiction
over him did not conflict with Louise's.
lie did not rob one to pay the other.
what he gave Mrs. Pennington, he did
not take from Louise, or SO he believed
Tow lAn, n