La Junta tribune., 1907-02-02

blunt. but Miss Helen .Atwafer WAS
not very much taken by surprise. The
acquaintance iegun In Scotland the
previous summer had rif~nesi fast ON
shipboard ON the return passage and
been brought TO fruition by some
mouths OF correspondence She even
consented to speedy marriage. and
as she WAS living with 4 married
cousin in Boston the minister took his
bride from there tea days from the
day he left LItiIeton.
But the blissfui days OF his honey
moon failed TO blot out entirely the re
membranee OF his church aud his work
aud his people. True. in the tumult of
happiness that had possessed him since
that day when their clumsy Interfer
ence had driven him. actually driven
him. into tho JOY that WAS now his he
had almost forgotten their plans FOR
him, hut now II all came back to him
and he realized that he did owe the
something. for who knows how Ion
he would have doubted and feared Ia.
not the terror of Miss Nell'' been
upon him.
Suddenly the minister laughed aloud
II was all so funny 10 him now. Mrs.
Morris. sitting beside her husband was
a~tonished at his mirth and looked IL
We'll. dearest. ! know you'll think
me crazy. but IL is really too good te
keep. You didn't know that I asked
you to marry me so AS to prevent my
congregation marrying me 10 some one
else. did your" And out came the
whole story. his mental picture Of
Miss Nell' and ALL
You know" he concluded. II never
for a moment thought OF her side of H.
I was coneesaed for my own safety.
What In the world woman Ike her.
with money and property and ths
world at her feet. would want with .
poor struggling minister I can't con
ceive. But ! had heard % much of her
and the people so evidently had set
their minds on II. tell you ] was In .
regular funk over II. 1t drove me to
put my timid hopes to the test for you.
sweetheart"
There was n peculiar smile lowering
around Mrs. Morris lips. and for .
minnie or two she said nothing.
What Ii IL. dearr' asked the minis
ter anxiously.. you are not vexei. arr
your
"N-no." hesitafingly. mot exactly,
but am Just thinking how beautifully
you have played into your congrega.
tons hands. for. do you know. Calvin
you have really and truly married that
domineering person. Miss Nell"
Married Miss NeIl.'" repeated The
minister biankiy. staring at his wife's
flushed. laughing face.
yes. truly. am Helen Gilbert At
water. called Miss Neli at the old h 1rns
In IIttieton. Listen. dear. ! had mo
thought OF deceiving you at first. did
not know you were In the church NJ
Littlcton till We reached New York on
our voyage home. You know we wefv
pretty well acquainted then. but Il
neither Of us knew our own heart.
often Intended to tell you In u letter.
but somehow I couldn't I felt that IL
you knew 1t might make n difference.
You were poor. comparatively. I had
all that money and property. And
and I loved you. dear. too. much then
to have you leave me.
Then at the end you took me by
storm. have been too happy to talk
OF anything like that. and I had been
waiting till you would say something
OF your work TO tell you all about my
self
But. my dear. why Atwaterf II
was always Miss Nell Gilbert" The
minister was stili irwildered.
"Yes. my aunt did not like my father.
tSs man whom her young sister mar
~ and never mentioned his name.
Il was always called Gilbert af
home. but of course I had mn reason
for discarding my name. There ar.
plenty of people In Littleton who know
my real name. but never used II. for
was but a baby when I went 10 live
with my aunt after my fathers death
Really. dear. you needn't he alarmed
I am not half "a bad as I was painted
I won't try tn run the church or man
a ge the organIst or-o-
-Or any one except the minlster."
finished her husband. Well. the sur
prise is certainly on me. hut I must get
even with those people some way.
The news of the minister's marriage
spread like wildire through the town
He had sent a iacopic message to one
of his church ofhcers tn the effect that
he had been married in Bo~son and
would occupy his pulpit the following
Sunday. That was all Married. after
all and none of his congregation knew
q word about IL. VII, was sbe1 No
buiy knew. Conjecture was rife on
every paint and one version after an
Ssh<r of the story cf his wedding found
quick crri~n~e- some of the Older
-h~-- 81 hs~ a.-rk -.x. sn~u<l~~
struck To think that Mr. Morris -iouhi
trSch sk-m like that and t'e engaged all
- time Thy had just --t their
hparss ca his marrying Miss Nell
wAvm everytuly kB<w and loved.