Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Surprise.

ical conditions. They clasped and kissed
each other. They murmured words of
blessing and endearment. And all the
| while the song, their song, weut singing its
way through heart and brain. Il take the
JOY. 1 dare the paint Katharine repeated.
| What pain so great as to be an extreme
price for such joy?
To Clement 1t seemed that he could feel
his body lift from the bed where it lay.
At dawn he sprang up, light as air. flung
| on his clothes, and. hurrying through the
study into the church, sat down at the
little cabinet organ and commenced to play
and sing. The small. sedate instrument.
| which had never responded to any notes
more profane than those Of America.
gave out peal of impassioned melody that
filed the church. The voice of the singer,
! surcharged with emotion, thrilled after it.
Utterly unconscious he of any ones
existence save hers to whom he sang.
| Then take the JOY and dare the Pain
Content TO he myself agan
And will sing, as God hath meant;
Thy heart shall be my instrument,
The exultant tones ceased There was
silence in the church broken by dry,
ironical voice which seemed to drop from
the ceiling.
rs that hymn 1t asked. Jack Perry
stood in the doorway of the study, regard
| ing the singer with a keen searching crit
| zeal glance
| Not exactly" replied Clement, laugh
| ing boyishly. He arose and stretched HIM
self. fiinging his long arms about like a
| child waking from his nap Where
| earth did you come FROM so early in the
morning. jack" he inquired lightly
I'm tell you. bime- by" said Jack briefly.
( Il come over last night, but your light was
| out and the door locked
| II went to bed early said Clement hur-
! riedly. He was conscious of a change in
| Jacks attitude, widening of the space
/, between himself and his friend. Was it
| because Jack had heard him singing, in
the church. words and music such as no
one had ever heard there before? There is
i no mstaking the love-cau of the male of
any species Did Jack detect the exhila-
ration. stimulating every sense. giving
power to see, to hear, to feel never be-
fore?
Somehow they appeared to have changed
places 1t was Jack who said. Come into
question, his gray brows bent, his steel
blue eyes looking straight into the glow
| ing dark ones before him. his jaw set, his
lips straight as line.
! Where was you born, parson?" he asked
abruptly
'.Gainsborough. England" was the reply
| Did you live there till you come 20 this
country"
There and in London. What is IL, Jack ?"
You was Twin there Iast?' pursued the
catechist. disregarding the uneasiness of
Yes. Why do you ask? What do you
want to know? Can't you ask me point
mo. by God. can't" groaned Jack. .T
thought l could. but 1 can't I'm hard hit
He looked it. He had aged since he came
| into the room The lines had deepened in
his face. He was haggard and worn.
IF it had been anybody else" he said
with an effort; Il know-rnen. That's why
Teller thatl show us how the things done.
| Not that Wen ever get where he is but we
can foller on An I've foIlered-every step
| In what way am 1 different. now?" de-
| manded Vaughan.
| 20 Lords' groaned Jack, and buried his
| face in his hands.
| Vaughan said nothing. Different! AS DIFF
| ferent as light from darkness as life from
| death! 1t was in the strength OF that diff
| ference that ne denied the right of the old
| saloonkeeper to question him.
! "Of course we all vary according to our
| moods, he said with dignity. I'VE cam
| not be forever on the heights, at the ex-
IRENE of tension We must sometimes de-
| scend, relax.
His manner touched something in Jack
| which responded like cold iron
| moods. he said CURLY. With an effort he
| proceeded: IF anybodyd told me day be-
fore yes day that I'd be comm to you on
this kind of an errand. I'd blown his d---n
| brains out. Even last night l was fixin' it
up with myself how some things might "a
| happened. blamin everybody but you, but
| when 1 come here this mornIn and caught
| you a-singin' like-any other feller an-an'
-smelt fire on your clothes!-My God. Par
| son, what are ye?" Jack stood up and
thrust his hands deep down into his
pockets, as If cropping for some hidden sup
port What are yep he repeated. I'D
| "a sworn we were one o. them prophets in
the wilderness. sent by the Old Gentleman,
once in a while. to keep up our courage
We whole. until now; but now. by the
Eternal, you've got to explain! If you're
| one o them cusses after women
With an imperious gesture Vaughan stop
! ped him. II refuse to explain? he said
haughtily. To his mind there was but one
Interpretation of Jacks words: He had
seen the parson with Katharine-had
| OWNED the situation.
4 right said lack grmly rising he
spoke then that Forington woman, over
at McClintock's, can go ahead and rouse
the town If she wants to. I've got no more
| to say
| He paused on his way to the door. struck
by the change in Vaughan. He was like a
sleep-waIker awakened by sudden shock
| What did you say?" he asked. "A wom-
| an? What is her nameg
'sForington," said Jack distinctly. II
shouldn't have paid attention to what
she said, although she told a straight
enough story about Gainsborough and all.
but the boy bein' the image of you
"A boyf" stammered Vaughan.
Yes, yearlin',' said Jack briefly. AN
yours, il I'm any Judge of live stock;
though she says she amt nothin' to you,
'cept as bein' the chid's mother. and Is
here on his account.
| Vaughan put both hands to his head.
Here were the worlds crashing as he had
defied them to do; here was the rocking OF
the spheres Upon him. sensitive wind
harp. stretched to be breathed upon by
1
| fate.
| The reeled. desk and chairs and
rows of solemn books whirled dizzily
| around him; and In their midst Jacks face
| looked out, small as II seen through the re-
| versed end of telescope. His voice
| sounded faint and far away.
| I'm ready to fix UP things any way you
say. I'll tell the folks-what in HI will
| / tell emp
| Again the room reeled and IN the midst
| of the crazy dance came whisperings. Why
4 tat n 1, I at - ~. hl
had said She nothing to him except
| as the mother of the child! Ah but the
| child His child! His, SOM His lips stir-
| fened as he tried to anAwer.
| THE woman is my WIFE he said weakly
| Again Jacks voice sounded. far away out
| of the small, eifsh face.
You don't need to lie, you know. She
| can be got off somehow You can pervide
| for the kid You amt obliged to saddle
| yourself with her-nor him. He can be
| took away" The voice was cold but not
| unkind. Jack meant to .'see the thing
| through"
Let her go, urged the whisperings. Now.
| when Paradise opens before you-let her