The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-01-29

up by Lady Fowey with the utmost
cordially and affection. and had been
welcomed everywhere. Her freshness,
her vtvacity, her ~naivete, her un.
spoiled naturalness and innocence, had
won her friends in oil directions. Half
the young men in Lady Fowey's set
had lost their hearts to her already.
And do you hear from her regu-
larly!" he questioned.
Every week, and sometimes often
err. Sh etells me everything. Such q
delightful child l never met before"
"A rather mature child" he sug-
gested. with a smile.
in something's, yes. In all the
things that touch life's serious and
abiding issues she is wise beyond her
years. But in other respects she is an
unspoiled child. looking out upon the
world with great, wondering eyes, and
prepared to enjoy every new expert
nce to the full"
Are you not afraid that this
life will spoil herr"
Il am a little doubtful sometimes,
l confess. It seems to me a very ar
tificial kind OF life in the main, and
very unsatisfying."
rs it not e%nervatins and demoraliz-
ing?"
Il cannot speak to that. To those
born into it it may seem natural
enough. To Marion. going straight into
it from hardship and simplicity, the
thought of what may happen is a lit
tie disqu!eting."
Il expressed to her the hope the
other day that she would not let rich
es spoil her"
You did? Have you seen her ?" and
Esther stared at him with a look of
establishment.
He colOred for a moment almost
painfully. Il see l have unwittingly
let the cat out OF the bag" he said,
with a forced laugh. II forgot for the
moment"
"Forgot?"
She called me the day before she
went away. She did not take you in
to her confidence lest you should dis
approve. 1t was all very funny and
delightful. thought perhaps she
would tell you when she got back"
"She lever alluded to the matter,
the shy little puss.'
she says she does not understand
our straight and narrow ways yet, and
is always afraid of getting over the
fence without knowing It,"
And you talked to her very seri.
ously?"
"Oh, no; not very seriously. She
wanted to thank me and all that. you
know. and she really was awfully
sweet about it."
, Il certainly shall have to take her
to task when next we meet. She
might have let me know"
please don't split on me. for the
world" he said. laughing. Il quite ap.
proved Of what she did. Some of our
conventionalities r stupid beyond
expression. l am n of those who
believe that all generous impulses
should be encouraged and then their
conversation vas interrupted by the
entrance of Mrs. Mawgan.
When Grayton called again It was
to say goodby. He left the carriage
with his luggage standing in tho road
outside the gate. Mrs. Mawgan was
not yet downstairs. She had a restless
night and decided in consequence to
have her breakfast In bed. She did
not know Grayton vas calling. neither
did Esther for that matter.
Grayton was still very pale and thin.
It was pathetic to see the strong man
SO painfully reduced. Some Of his
Pensioners hardly recognized him
when he got out Of doors again. He
comforted himself, however, with the
reflection that he wal getting better,
II slowly, and, though It might be q
long time before he was At to preach
again, he was not quite without hope
that some day oy would be his once
n
He was feeling very depressed when
he drove away from st. Chloe. II
might b "Sleepy Hollow" but he had
got to love it-got to love the robust
flsherfolk. with their strange supersti.
tons and their sterling pisty.
Moreover, ever since he came he
had allowed q free hand. He had seen
his vicar only twice. The Rev. Her.
bert Smithson vas Z delicate man, and
had to live abroad. The curate did
all the work and received ECO per an,
mum; the remaining G740 went into
the pocket Of the vicar.
Grayton had lever worried himself
much about the salary. Mrs. Tam.
blyn provided him with food and lodx
ings for ten shillings a week, SO tina,
he had a fair margin for the other
n~ecessaries Of life. His flock wal
never an exacting one in any sense
of the word. The only thing they
grumbled at was when his sermons
extended beyond a quarter Of an hou,
in length: but, as making sermon.
was not exactly Grayton's forte, 1t was
not often they had any cause of com
plant in that respect.
He hardly realized what a wrench
it was to 60 away from st. Chloe I'm
til the time came. Why he shoul(