The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-28

act of the purest good nature he
should have been led into so AWKWARD
a complication The Rev. RegIhaiu
had recently accepted the post OF cur
ate at st. Matthew's church, Tootham,
under the Rev. Jeremy PriggiesWade'
vicar of that parish, and a typical spec
linen of conventional piety and SNUG
social rectitude.
The vicar Of ST. Matthew's expected
to get to heaven by this means IncI-
dentally, he also expected a more IN
mediate reward The very desiraDle
living of st. Peters, lothian, Ihs
mother parish of the town, nad Jus.
fallen vacant by the resignation Oh
the rector. The vicar OF 81. MAJ
thew's had, in fact, long looked upon
himself as the future rector OF IooIn-
am, and he lost no time in forWarolne
to the patron an application for the
vacant living, accompanied by shedl
of testimonials.
Mr.. Jenkins, the patron Oh Inc ny
ing, although given up to soci3i me
in London, had always shown a iaud-
able disposition to fall in with the
wishes of the parishioners. Al tne
time when his new curate, Mr.. BIS
good. arrived Mr. PrigglesWade was
still awaiting the answer to his apph-
cation.
The new curate was strolling one
morning down one of the residential
streets in the town when he saw
very small boy making heroic but VAIN
attempts to reach the big brass haEoIe
of front door bell
Halo, my little fellow! Can't reach
il. Ell? Well, let me ring the bell Tor
YOU" And he gave the handle mighty
tug, which set the bell changing loud
ly.
A smile of huge qualification expand
ed the chubby face of the graceiess
urchin. Now, we must cut and run
he lisped. And he was off, leaving the
astonished cure alone upon the door
step,
T-I-ahem! does-Mrs.-
Mrs. Robinson live here?' he STAN
mered. mentioning the first name that
came into his head, as the best way
ont Of the embarrassing situation.
Rnt to his ama2ement and dismay, the
maid answered:
Eyes. sir Will you please walk In,
sir.
The curate stammered out his name;
some nlausibIe exclamation of his Wis
It If the house had been in St. Mat
thew's parish, he might have pre-
tended that he had called in the ordi-
nary course of his professional minis
trations. But the house was in the
parish of St. Peters.
The lady was youngish, and decided
Nv pretty and attractive, though some
what over-dressed.
Mrs. Robinson?" he murmured,
awkwardly.
She smiled and nodded.
I'm the-the-new curate," he be-
gan" and thought that as was
passing"
Quite so. Pray be seated inter
posed the lady. very kind of you to
can. I'm sure. Do you know, I've been
here three months, and you are the
first clergyman who has been to see
me?"
AT this the Rev. Reginald expressed
much surprise. He felt it, too. A
rather susceptible young man himself,
hid should certainly not have neglected
I'd call, with proper frequency, on 50
ia If a parishioner, and he wondered
why the other clergy had been SO
backward,
II don't know how it is contin-
ud Mrs. Robinson, candidly, "but I'm
afraid can't be exactly persona grata
in Tootham. Everybody seems to fight
shy Of me. I'm not aware of having
done anything to offend the worthy
denizens of this highly respectable
place. But such is the fact. seem
to be regarded as a sort Of social
leper. However, we won't talk about
that. Let's talk about something
pleasanter and more interesting"
And she at once led the conversa-
ton into impersOnal channels Sac
was a good talker and a very pretty
woman. and the Rev Reginald found
her society so agreeable that he pro-
longed his visit for more than an hour.
Now as it happened, his visit to
Mrs. Robinson had not escaped the
lynx-eyes of a highly respectable maid
en- lady who lived just over the way.
This was Miss Letitia Partlett. a veri-
table dragon Of propriety and self-con-
st1tuted guardian of the morals OF
Tootham. Before the day was out she