Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-06-08

genius of modernity, put on his eye
glasses and stared Thomas into re-
spectful rigidity.
why. bless my soul.-if 1t isn't Cap
tain Gordon's boy! Well, well, YOU
young limb! If you didn't faveh youth
good fatheh In eve'y line and lineament
of youth face, I should neveh have
known you-you've grown SO. Shake
hands. suh!".
Tom did 1t awkwardly. 1t Is gift
to be able to shake hands easily; a
gift withheld from most girls and III
boys up to the soulful age But there
was worse to follow. Ardea was soma-
where on the peopled verandas. and the
Major, more terrible in his hospitality
than he had ever appeared in the old
time rage-f1ts, dragged his hapless VIC
tim up and down and around and about
In search Of her. Not say 'Howdy' to
4Ardea? Why. you young cub, where
are youth mannehs. subj" Thus the
Major. when the victim would have
broken away.
1t was a fiery trial for Tom-a way
picking among red-hot plowshares Of
embarrassment. How the well-bred
folk smiled, and the grand ladies drew
their immaculate skirts aside to make
passing-room for his dusty feet! How
one of them wondered, quite audibly.
where in the world Major Dabney had
unearthed that young native! Tom
was conscious Of every fieck of dust OH
his clothes and shoes: of the skilless
knot in his necktie: OF the school desk
droop In his shoulders: Of the utter
superfiuousness OF his big hands,
And when, at the long last, ArdAn
was discovered sitting beside a gor-
geously attired Queen of Sheba, who
also smiled and examined him minute.
ly through pair Of eye GLASSES fas.
tened on the end of q gold-mounfe,l
stick, the place OF torment, wherever
and whatever 1t might be, held no
deeper pit for him. What he had
climbed the mountain to find was a
little girl In a school frock, who had
sat on the following grass with one
arm around the neck OF great dog.
looking fearlessly up at him and tell
Ing him she was sorry he was going
away. What he had found was a very
staturesque little lady, clad In fury
summer white, with the other Ardea,s
slate-blue eyes and soft voice. to bo
sure. but with no other reminder Of the
lost avatar.
From first to last from the moment
she made. room for him, dusty clothes
and all, on the settee between herseif
and the Queen Of Sheba, Tom was con-
scious of but one clearly defined
thought-an overmasterdng desire tn
get away-to be free at any cost. .Sut
the way Of escape would not disclose
itself, SO he sat In stammering misery
answering Ardea's questions about the
sectarian school In bluntest monosyl.
lables. and hearing with his other ear
a terrible Major tell the Queen of She
ba all about the railroad invasion. and
how heTom Gordon-had run to snf,
q punk match to fire a cannon IN I'M.
Dabney cause.
II He escaped finally from the entan. .
tgiements Of Major Dabney.s hospital
/ ity. On the way down the cliff path
4 the fire burned and the revival zeal wa
kindled anew. There had been times.
In the last year. especially when he
had thought coldly of the disciples
calling and was minded to break away.
and be a skilled craftsman, like his
father. Now he was aghast to think
that he had ever been SO near the brink
of apostasy, With the, river OF the
Water Of Life springing crystal clear
at his feet. should he turn away and
drink from the bitter pools in the vii
derness of this world? With prophet-
ic eye he saw himself as another Boan-
erges, lifting with all the inspiring
eloquence Of the son Of thunder. the
Baptist's oul-shaking cry, Repent We:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
The thought thrilled him. and the
fierce glow Of enthusiasm became an
Intoxicating ecstasy. The tinkling drlp
of falling water broke into the noondavl
silence of the forest like the low-voiced
call of a sacred bell. For the first time
4 since leaving the mountain top he took
note of his surroundings. He was
standing beside the great, cubical boul-
der under the cedars the high altar in
natures mountain tabernacle.
Thomas Jefferson had the deep peace
4 of the fully committed when he rose
| from his knees and went to drink 1T
1 the spouting rock lip. 1t was decided
now. this thing he had been holding
fundamentally in allegiance There
would be no more dallying with temp
tation. no more rebellion. no more Ir-
reverent standings in the dark valley
of doubtful questions. More especially,
he would be vigilant to guard against
those backslidings that came SO swiftly
on the heels OF each spiritual quicken
ing. His heart was fixed. so irrevoca-
bly, SO surely, that he could almost
wish that Satan would try him there
and then. But the enemy of souls was
nowhere to be seen in the leafy arches
of the wood. and Tom bent again TO
take second draft at the spouting
rock lip.
1 He was bending over the sunken bar
rel A shadow, not his own. blurred the
water mirror. He looked up quickly.
Mani" he cried.
She was standing on the opposit.
side of the barrel BASIN looking down
on him with good-natured mockery in.
the dark eyes.
Il lowed maybe you wouldn't have
such a back load of religion after you'd
been off to the school spell" she said.
pointedly. And then: Does it always
make you right dry an thirsty to say
your prayers. Tommy Jeffy..
Tom sat back on his heels and re-
garded her thoughtfully. His first I'M
pulse was out of the natural heart.
rageful, wounded vanity squirting 1t on.
1t was like her heathenism imperti-
hence to look on at such time. and
| tleH 10 taunt MIN ABOUT IL arterward.
But slowly as he looked curious
change came over him. She was the
same Nan Bryerson, bareheaded. bare
legged. with the same tousled mat Of
dark hair, and the same childish I'M
difference to whole frock And yet
she was not the same. The subtle DIFF
| ference, whatever 1t was. made him get
up and offer to shake hands with her
and he thought it was the newly made
vows constraining him, and took cred
1t therefor.
You can revile me as much as you
like now, Nan" he said, with pridefnl
humility. you can't make me mad
any more. like you used to. I'm older
now, and-and better, hope. I shall
never forget that you have precious
soul to save"
Her response to this was soothing
laugh. shrill and challenging. Yet he
could not help thinking that 1t made
her look prettier than before.
You can laugh as much as you want
to; but mean it," he insisted. And.