Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-06-08
FRANCIS LYNDE
CHAPTER v111.-tcontinued.,
Copyright. 1906. by Fr.nc,, L,nd.

The limestone pike was the same
and the creek was still rushing noisily
over the stones in its bed. as Tom re-
marked, gratefully But. the heaviest
of the buffets came when the barrier
hills were passed and the surrey horses
made no motion to- turn In at the gate
of the old oak shingled house beyond
the iron works.
Hold on!" said Tom. Doesn't the
driver know where we liver
That's the sup'rintendent's Office and
1ab'ratory now, son. 1t was getting to
be tolerably noisy down here for your
NANNY, 80 nigh, to the plant And we
allowed to s'prise you. We've been
bniidin' us new house up on the
knoll just this side o. Major Dabney's.
1t was the cruelest of the changes
the one hardest to bear; and 1t drove
the boy back into the dumb reticence
which was part of his birthright. Had
they left him nothing by which to Re
member the old days--days which were
already beginning to take on the
glamour of unutterable happiness past!
Tom saw well-kept lawns, park-like
groves and pretentious country Villas
where he had once trailed Nance Jane
through the dark woods. and his
FATHER told him the names and circum-
stance Of the owners as they drove mp
the pike. There was lockwood. the
summer home Of the Stanleys, and The
Dell. owned. and Inhabited at intervals.
by Mr. Young Dickson. OF the South
Tredegar. potteries. Farther along
there was Fairmount, whose owner was
~ wealthy cotton-seed buyer: Rock
Hill. which Tom remembered as the
4 ancient roasting ground of the migra-
tory winter crows: and Farnsworth
Park, ruralizing the name of Its build
or. On the most commanding of the
hilIsides was pile of rough-cut Ten
nessee marble with turrets and many
gables. rejoicing In the classic name Of
Warwick Lodge. This. Tom was told.
was the country home Of Mr. Farley
himself and the house alone had cost
. fortune. ~
At the turn in the pike where you
lost sight finally of the iron works,
there was a new church. a miniature In
native stone of good old Stephen
Hawker's church Of Morwenstow. Tom
gasped at the sight OF 1t, and scowied
4 when he saw the gilded cross on the
tower.
"Catholic!" he said. And right here
: IN our valley!" n fl. K n X y
No." said the father; Its 'Piscopal-
ian. Colonel Farley is one o. the yes
tries. or whatever you call 'em, OF st.
Aichaels yonder in town. reckon he
wanted to get his own kind o. people
round him out here. so he built this
church, and they run It as sort Of a
side-show to the big church. Your
5 NANNY always looks the other way
swhen we come by" ~
Tom looked the other way, too.
watching anxiously for the first sight
OF the new home. They reached 1t ~
good time, by a graveled driveway
leading up from the white pike between
rows of forest trees; and there was
second negro waiting to take the team,
4 when they alighted sat the veranda
steps y, :, I. K
The new house was two stored
brick, ornate and paIpably assertive,
with no suggestion of the homely com
( fort OF the old. Yet, when his mother
( mad wept over him in the wide hall,
and there was time to go about taking
~ all IN like o cat exploring a strange
Rarret. It was not 80 bad.
But there were compensations, and
> Tom discovered one of them on .he
hrst Wednesday evening after his ar
rival. The new home was within easy
4 walking distance of Little Zoar. and he
went with his mother to the prayer
meeting.
The upper end Of the pike was lun-
changed, and the little, weather beaten
church stood in Its growing Of piles,
Z the same yesterday, to-day and Tor
ever. Better still, the congregation. the
"a ,trxI,% /.
least, held the familiar faces OF the
country folk. The minister was
young missionary, zealously, earnest.
s and lacking as yet the quality Of hard
ness and doctrinal precision which had
i been the boys daily bread and meat at
the sectarian school. What wonder.
Z then. that when when the call for tes5i-
Y imony was made. the old pounding and
( heart hammering set in. and duty,
duty. duty. wrote itself In flaming let
+ ters on the dingy walls?
Tom set his teeth and swallowed
hard. and let dozen of the others rise
and speak and sit again. He could feel
the beating of his mothers heart, and
he knew she was praying silently for
him. praying that he would not deny
his Master. For her sake, then :
but not yet; there was still time enough
after the next hymn-after the next
testinlony-when the minister should
give another invitation. He was chain
ed to the bench and could not rise: his
tongue clave to the roof of his mouth
and his lips were like dry leaves. The
stlences grew longer: all, or nearly all.
K had spoken. He was Sitting,
whatsoever therefore shall confess
me before men, him will / confess also
before my Father which is in heaven.
But whosoever shall deny me before
men. him will also deny before nv
Z Father which is in heaven..s 1t was the
solemn voice Of the young minister and
Tom staggered to his feet with the
lamps whirling in giddy circles.
Il feel to say that the Lord is pre-
cious to my soul tonight Pray for
me, that I may ever be found faith
. full"
He struggling through the words Of
the familiar form gaspingly ana sat
down. A burst of triumphant song
arose:
70 happy day. that fixed my choice
On Thee. my Saviour and my Cod"
and the secstatic aftermath came. Tru.
ly. 1t was better to be doorkeeper In
the house of God than to dwell in the
tents Of wickedness. What bliss was
there to be compared with this heart.
melting, soul-lifting blessing for duty
done?
It went with him good part of the
way home, and Martha Gordon respect
ed his silence. knowing well what
heights and depths We're engulfng the
young spirit.
But afterward-alas and alas: that
there should always be an after
ward! When Tom had kissed his
mother goodnight and was alone in
4 his upper room, the reaction set in.
What had he done? Were the words
the outpouring of full heart? Did
they really mean anything to him, or
{ to those who heard them? He grasped
despairingly at the fast fading glories
OF the vision. dropping on his knees at
( the bedside. 20 God, let me see Thee
and touch Thee. and be sure, sure!"
he prayed. over and over again. and
30 finally sleep found him still on his
knees with his face buried in the bed
~