The Springdale news., 1909-07-23
fCoSTINUEp1
CHAPTER XII.


 little comments which once amused tBe pastor had now become an Interruption to thoughts in which she had ao part He would sit for hours with his head in his hands, taking no notice of HEai passed before him. She tried 10 think of new dishes to tempt his appetite aud shook her head sadly as she bore the untasted food back 10 the kitchen
 She sometimes found Il portfolio of drawings lying open upon his study fa ble She remembered the zeal With which he had planned to remodel the church and parsonage when lie first came to them how his enthusiasm had gradually died for lack of encourage ment and how he had at last put his books in a cupboard, where they grew dusty from long neglect She mar. yeled at their reappearapce now. but something in his set, faraway look made her afraid 10 inquire. Thus she went on from day to day, growing more impatient with Hasty and more silent with the pastor.
 Mandy needed humor and compan. ionship to oil the wheels of her hum. drum life. There was no more laugh. ter in the house. and she began 10 droop.
 Polly had been away from the parson- age month when the complaeency of the village was again upset by the ar rival of the Great American Circus
 There were many callers at the par sonage that day. for speculation was now at fever heat about the pastor. .'Will he try to see her?' Has he for. gotten her" and What did he ever find in herf' were a few of the many questions that the women were asking each other. Now that the cause of their envy was removed they would gladly have reinstated the pastor as their idol, for, like all truly feminine souls. they could not bear to see man unhappy without wishing to comfort him, nor happy unless they were the direct cause of his state. How dare any man be happy without me-" has been the cry of each woman since Eve was created to mate with Adam
 Douglas had held himself more and more aloof from the day of Polly's dis appearance. He expressed no opinion about the deaeons CT their recent dis them oftener than duty required, and Strong felt so uncomfortable and tongue tied ill his presence that he, too was glad to make their talks as few as possible.
 Nothing was said about the pastors tinued connection with the church, and the inquisitive sisterhood was on the point of exploding from an everae- emulation of unanswered questions.
 He delivered his sxrmons conscien- tiously, called upon his poor. listened to the sorrows, real and fancied, of his parishioners and shut himself up with his books or walked alone on the hill behind the church.
 He had been absent all day when Mandy looked out on the circus lot for the dozenth time t>ld saw that the afternoon performance was closing. It had driven her to despera ton to learn that Miss Polly was not in the parade that morning and to know that the pastor had made no effort to find out about her For weeks both she ana Hasty had hoped that the return of the circus might bring Polly back to them. but now II was nearly night and there had been no word from her Why didn't she come running in to see them, as Mandy had felt so sure she wouldf Why had the pastor stayed away on the hills all day?
 Unanswered questions were always an abomination to Mandy, so finally she drew q quarter from the knotted Ringham rag that held her small wad of savings and told Nasty to go long to de show an find out bout Miss Polly"
 She was anxiously waiting for him when Deacon Strong knocked at the door for the second time that after noon.
 "ls Mir Douglas back yet?' he asked
 No, sah, he ain't.a said Mandy very shortly She felt that Strong and Fl yerson had been "a-tryin to spy on de parson all day" and she resented their visits more than she usually did.
 What time are you expectin' himf.
 T don't nehber spec Massa Doug las Ill sees him"
 Strong grunted unciyilly and went down the steps. She saw from the window that he met Elyerson in front of the church
 ''Dey sure am a-meanin' trouble, . she mumbled
 The band had stopped playing; the last of the audience had struggled down the street She opened the doer and stood on the porch; the house seemed to suffocate her What was keeping Hastyf
 He came at last. but Mandy could tell from his gait that he brought un- welcome knews
 'Ain't she dar?'
 She's a-trabbelin' wid lem, Mandy, but she didn't done ride"
 See heah, Hasty Jones, is dat ere chile sick