The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-20

 congregation a surprise and a sharp lesson.
 A short phone message to- & neigh- boring town secured g supply for next Sundays pulpit, Urgent business out of town" was the message left for the church officers, and the minister found himself on the train bound for the East and the ''vision.'
 The minister's wooing was brief and blunt but Miss Helen Atwater was. not very much taken by surprise. The acc quaintance begun in Scotland the pre- vious summer had ripened fast on ship board on the return passage. and been brought to fruition by some months or correspondence. She even consented to a speedy marriage, and as she was living with a married cousin in Bos- ton, the minister took his bride rom there ten days from the day he lert Littleton.
 But the blissful days of his honey moon failed to blot out entirely the re membrance of his church and his work and his people. True, in the tumult of happiness that had possessed him since that day when their clumsy in- terference had driven him. actually driven him. into the joy that was now his, he had almost forgotten their plans for him; but now it all came back to AlIfi, auu nb IetAli1Co Nh0t AC NA0 w them something, for who knows how long he would have doubted and feared had not the terror of Miss Nell" been upon him?
 Suddenly the minister laughed aloud. It was all so funny to him now. Mrs. Morris, sitting beside her husband, was astonished at his mirth, and looked 1t.
 'sWell, dearest. I know you'll think me crazy, but it ts really too good to Rx. 0A you to marry me so as to prevent my congregation marrying me to some one else, did you9" and out come the whole story, his mental picture of Miss Nell' and all.
 .sYou know" he concluded, T never for a moment thought of her side of 1t. was concerned for my own safety. What in the world a woman like her, with money and property and the world at her feet, would want with poor struggling minister, I can't conceive. But II had heard so much of her and the people so evidently had set their minds on 1t, I tell you I was in a regu. lar funk over it. It drove me to put my timid hopes to the test for you | sweetheart.
 There was a peculiar smile lowering around Mrs. Morris's lips, and for a minute or two she said nothing.
  ter .anxiously. You are not vexed, are your
 sN-no," hesitatingly; mot exactly, but am just thinking how beautifully you have played into your congrega- tion's hands, for. do you know, Calvin. you have really and truly married that domineering person, Mss Nell" Married Miss Nelli' repeated the minister blankly, staring at his wtfe's flushed, laughing face.
 "Yes, truly. I am Helen Gilbert At- water. called Miss Nell at the old home | in Littleton. Listen, dear. had no thought of deceiving you, at first, did not know you were in the church at Littleton till we reached New York on our voyage home. You know we were pretty we'll acquainted then, and I-- neither of us know our own hearts. often intended to tell you in a letter, but somehow I couldn't. felt that if you knew 1t might make & difference. You were poor, comparatively. had all that money and property. And, and, l loved you. dear. too much then to have you leave me-"
 The minister had both her hands now in his clasp and his arm was round Miss Nell"
 tThen at the end you took me by 1 storm. l have been too happy to talk | 1NSNi waiting till you would say something of your work, to tell you afIVabout my self"
 But, my dear, why Atwater2 It was always Miss Nell Gilbert" the minister was still bewildered.
 "Yes, my aunt did not like my fa- ther, the man whom her young sister married and never mentioned his name. | q was always called Gilbert at ! lN "a. ' k,a.a far discarding my name. There are plenty of people in LittletOn who knew my real name. but never used it, for I was but a baby when I went to live with | my aunt after my fathers death {. Really, dear, you needn't be alarmed. am not half as bad as I was painted. won't try to run the church or man. age the organist. or. or
 "Or any one except the minister" fin- ished her husband. Well, the surprise is certainly on me, but must get even with those people some way.' The news of the minister's marriage spread like wildfire through the town. He had sent a laconic message to one of his church officers to the effect that had had been married in Boston and would occupy hls pulpit the following Sunday. That was all. Married after all, and none of the congregation knew q word about It. mo was BheE No- body knew. Coniecture was rife on every point and one version after an- other of the story of his wedding found quick credence. Some of the older members of his flock were thun- der-struck. To think that Mir. Morris should trick them like that and be en- gagged all the time. They had just set their hearts on his marrying Miss Nell, whom every body knew and loved, They were accustomed to Miss Nell and her ways. But a stranger to steal their beloved minister!
 All week long the tongues wagged necessarily over the minister and his bride, but at Saturday midnight no one had seen either of them. The church was packed Sunday morning. The bells had ceased ringing and only a few late corners saw the Gilbert carriage drive up to the door and the minister and a lady alight from 1t.
 Straight up the middle aisle he Jed her. sweet and demure looking, while the organ played softly and the silence of the church could be felt At the Gilbert pew he left her. and the con- gregation had a good view of the sweet face framed in the masses of soft brown hair Mrs. Thorpe almost jump ed out of her seat. It was none other than Miss Nell" Glance followed glance all over the church. The min ister certainly had surprised his com