Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-16

| my work here and return 10 England"
I THAT" said Hartman positively, "ls what
| you should have done!"
/ Vaughan stared Then he burst into
/ loud laugh. Perhaps you think I'd bet.
ter return to England now?'' he queried-
/ Il do" said the superintendent II do.
most assuredly." He beat the air with
| the papercutter. measuring of his words.
! The reputation of a clergyman Is some
/ thing that cannot be tempered with" He
/ paused and again beat the air. Once
/ gone. 1t Is gone forever IL cannot be re-
I covered. 1t makes no difference how in
| aecent a man may be, IL he has placed
himself or been placed In a position 10
bring disgrace upon the church. there is
nothing TO do but open the door"
| And kick him out" finished Vaughan,
# see But what If refuse
| an ugly look in hts eyes. The superintend-
| ent eyaded them. MIR. Vaughan, We don't
1 want any trouble with YOU. he said dis
family. IF it's question of money
Il don't want a cent of money from the
mission" broke in Vaughan. II never have
| wanted il. From the day l came to this
| pauperized. impotent organization I've
! taken care that it should not come back
| to the mission. I've paid OF It's debts.
made 1t self-supporting--yoa know what
I've donei'
'Ye-es. know that you've done remark
| ably WELL" said the superintendent. But
Now I'm under cloud" said the young
preacher earnestly. But you know how
! THESE PtOplt are. IneN ChdnEe IN n mo-
ment. They are liable to come trooping
| back tomorrow. It's the fashion Just now
| ia stone me. 1t has been the fashion
| to make an idol OF me-" He smiled, actual
| ly smiled be added. at may be again"
| Hartman shook his head. at would not
! be well for the church." he said magiste-
| rally. Ito hold lightly matter of this
kind. We cannot ignore. pass over-eom-
plication. It would have bad effect upon
| our authority. / would never do"
| The ugly look came back into yaughan's
| eyes.
You mean that you want me to-get
! outS he inquired harshy. rs that it7'
Hartman nodded. once. twice, thrice.
That's itr' he said cooily. For the good
| of the church.
For the good of the church," repeated
| Vaughan desperately. rs It for the good
/ of the church that a son who has loved
| and served her with all his heart shall be
! disowned and exiled because forsooth he
/ has loved and served her above all else.
/ and to his own undoing? Is that for the
! good of the church,
Something must he conceded to appear
ances, said the superintendent sharply.
! "Concede 1t. then, by all meansI" cried
! vaughan, towering above him, and lifting
| his long arms as II TO call the unseen hosts
| to witness. "Concede It'll Copcede me, But
| when we meet before high heaven, John
! Hartman, you will have to concede some
| thing to reality. and it's pretty sure to be
the small, skulking, pettifogging soul In
| that big, comfortable body of yours!
| Hartman started I'D in alarm Had HIS
| troubles driven the young man mad2 Like
| a maniac indeed Vaughan seemed his
| thick. black hair tossed about his white
| face, the unfathomable depths of his large
| dark eyes opening like the pit of remorse
into which he would plunge his compan-
| ion.
| Self-control returned as suddenly as II
| had left him. IT beg your pardon" he
| said coldly. II forgot myself / will return
| to England. as you suggest. There are GER
tain matters to be arranged with my-suc-
eessor- IL You viii send him here upon
your return win attend to them as soon
as may be-" He was all dignity now all
reserve and resolute calm. Hartman put out
his hand. Vaughan turned away as IL he
| had not seen IL.
| Il can't tell you how sorry L am" be-
! gan the superintendent
| Have you seen the last quarterly" IN
| terrupted Vaughan Nor" Take IL with
| II. You can read them on the way"
| He bowed the superintendent out with
much ceremony. then returned to the long,
narrow room, where he had worked and
| thought and prayed for a year and n half
where he had dreamed dreams and seen
visions, for the most part of the holy city
and or the establishment of Gods kingdom
on earth Not until of late had his dreams
been of a woman's love, his visions Of her
| loneliness.
And now. now he was to be driven out!
Ftogged back to England and Della! Dis
honored where he had been of all men most
| trusted and admired.
How could he meet it2 How could he
bear 1t, he, a young mani The pitiless
years spread out before him, monotonous
arid as the desert around the canyonl His
| soul tainted within him at the Thought Of
| than.
How could he endure this fate this des
| tiny, this lot In which he had no choice? II
had haunted him since Della came. as
threat, defied and ignored-as a possibility
Golnpdteo, resisted-n was now a facti
Escape there was nonel
But he must escape, or go mad How
| did men escape from the recurring torture
of a thought like this?
How did they?. Why there was Barker's
squat black flash, the devils envoy. an
swerfng him. Take me- It chuctled
Take me- and forgetr'
That was the temptation. the core OF it.
he saw now, at last; that was the plea
which sorrow and shame and desperation
found Irresistible. That was e.! Not the
appeal to the palate. the glow through the
chilled body the appeasing OF hunger and
thirst, but escape! He caught the flask
uncorked 1t with trembling fingers and
raised II TO his lips No. no. not that way.
| the towards way. the weakling's way, the
way of the brutei
Where then? Out into the free air, under
the open sky. as so often before seeking
what he had failed to find elsewhere! With
somewhat of the old haste, the old stride.
he passed through Eureka streets and
climbed the Gieger grade.
The gray day was closing. The canyon
lay in shadow. Beyond IL the plain stretch
ed. duIi and underlined Here and there
lights twinkled In the small awkward min
Ing town. Its smallness. Its awkwardness
had always appealed to him. They touched
him now Poor little uneasy Eurekai BY
tomorrow II would be back at his knees
Ike wayward child. begging to be taken
to his heart again But tomorrow was
out OF his reach-for the good OF the
ekurchi
He hurried away from the town and went
on. blinded by a rush OF tears. He was
nearly at the summit now. turn IN the
road brought him 10 the great rock which
marked the highest point Some one was
sitting there a woman wrapped in a long
cloak. She started up at his approach and
he saw that it was Della. She had the
child In her arms
CFo be continued Tomorrow