The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-06-24

industries marking all the later eXpau-
slve strides and sorrowing keenly that
he had not been present to see them
taken In detail
One morning he ran plump into
the Major, stalking grandly along the
tile-paved walk and smoking a war
time cheroot Of preposterous length.
The despot Of Paradise, despot now
only by the courtesy Of the triumphant
genius Of modernity, put on his eye
spectful rigidity.
Why, bless my soul!-if it isn't Cap
tain GordOn's boy! Well, well. you
young limb! If you didn't faveh youh
good fatheh in eve'y line and lineanlent
of youh face, should neveh have
known you-you've grown so. Shake
hands, suhi"
Tom did It awkwardly. 1t is a gift
to be able to shake hands easily; a
gift withheld from most girls and ull
boys up TO the soulful age. But there
was worse to follow Ardea was some
where on the peopled verandas, and the
Major, more terrible in his hospitality
than he had ever appeared in the old
time rage-fits, dragged his hapless vic
tim up and down and around and about
in search of her. Not say 'Howdy' to
Ardea? Why, you young cub, where
are youh mannehs, suh?" Thus the
Major, when the victim would have
broken away.
II was a fiery trial for Tom-a way
picking among red-hot plowshares Of
embarrassment. How the well-bred
grtaf1a1 pA fIa NJ 10 Iy.4.
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 feck of dust on
his clothes and shoes; of the sl5illess
knot in his necktie; Of the school desk
droop in his shoulders; of the utter
superhuousness of his big hands.
And when, at the long last, Ardea
was discovered sitting beside a gor-
geously attired Queen of Sheba, who
also smiled and examined him minute
ly through a pair of eye GLASSES fas-
tened on the end of a gold-mounted
stick, the place of torment, wherever
and whatever it 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 yellowing grass with one
arm around the neck of a 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 hufy
summer white with the other Ardea's
o., 60
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 herself
and the Queen of Sheba, Tom was con
scious of but one clearly defined
thought-an overmastering desire to
get away-to be free at any cost. out
the way of escape would not disclose
itself, so he sat in stammering misery.
answering Ardea's questions about the
sectarian school in bluntest monosyI-
lables, and hearing with his other ear
a terrible Major tell the Queen of She
ba all about the railroad invasion, and
how he-Tom Gordon-had run to find
a punk match to fire cannon in the
Dabney cause.
He escaped finally from the entan-
elements of Major Dabney's hospital
ity. On the way down the cliff path
the fire burned and the revival zeal was
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 will
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 soul shaking cry, Repent ye:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
The thought thrilled him, and the
fierce glow of enthusiasm became an
Intoxicating ecstasy. The tinkling drip
of falling water broke into the MONDAY
silence of the forest like the low-voiced
call of a sacred bell For the first time
since leaving the mountain top he took
standing beside the great cubical boul-
der under the cedars-the high altar in
natures mountain tabernacle.
Thomas Jefferson had the deep peace
Of the fully committed when he rose
from his knees and went to drink at
the spouting rock lip 1t was decided
now, this thing he had been holding
alf-heartedly in allegiance There
would be no more dallying with temp
tation, no more rebellion, no more ir-
reverent stumblings 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 a second draft at the spouting
rock lip
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 opposite
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 back load of religion after you'd
been off to the school a 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. Ills first Inn
pulse was out Of the natural heart,
ragafnl. SNonnded vanity spnrring it on.