The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-06-09

IL By Antoinetts Do cssssey Psttesssa
The stranger, for so he was some.
times still called, although everyone
in the little town had known long ago
that he was Thomas Everleigh, and
hat he had come from one of the
eastern cities, entered the church and
look a seat near the door. He came
for no other reason than because he
aad been bored. He sat near the door
so he would be in good position to
beat another hasty retreat should he
deem it desirable. But he found the
little church cool and comfortable,
and, as the service had already begun,
ne would probably have the whole
pew to himself. In some ways, Tom
Everleigh was very exclusive. Be-
sides, it struck him as rather humor-
GUS that he should be in a church
again. He listened, not at all, to the
service, but when the old rector arose,
and gave out the text, something in
the words caught his attention.
THE General Epistle of Jude,
twelfth and thirteenth verses"
The stranger heard nothing of the
sermon, but the words of the text:
Clouds without water, carried along
by winds; autumn trees without fruit,
twice dead, plucked up by the root;
wandering stars" The words kept re-
peating themselves in his brain. How
we'll they applied to him, Thomas Ev-
erleigh!
| The sermon was over, and the COL
lection about to be taken, when Ever.
ieighs attention was attracted to a
tall, fair girl who came from the front
pew over to the little organ. The
strains of hymn filled the church and
the sweet natural voice began to sing.
1t was all SO simply done, and so soon
over, yet 1t made the man who had
listened perhaps the most intently of
all, think Of many things that had not
crossed his mind for years. Tom Ever
leigh was an artist at odds with Fate
which, after severe attack of pneu-
monia, had driven him to the west,
and. as he chose to believe, blasted his
career.
When Everleigh reached the house
where he occupied two fine sunny
rooms, he asked his landlady, Mrs.
Brown, If she could tell him the name
Of the young girl who sang in church.
| Mrs. Brown frightened up at once.
DO you mean the pretty young lady
with golden hair and eyes of heavens
own blue?"
Everleigh had. always suspected as
we'll feared, poetic streak in Mrs.
Brown, so he answered bluntly: IT
haven't an idea what color her eyes
were. but believe she did have yellow
hair"
But the woman's good nature was as
strong as her poetic instinct and she
was only too thankful for a chance to
talk. She went on to tell him the
singer was Miss Edith Vincent, the
rector's granddaughter, home for her
summer vacation. Her parents had
died long ago, leaving her very little
money and she had been teaching for
two winters in large school in St.
Paul. She intended to go back in the
fall, If in the meantime-here his in.
formant's voice dropped to a mysteri-
ous whisper-she did not get married.
The assiduous devotion of an admirer
In st. Paul was then limited at, and
also the hopeless passion of the doctor
In the next town.
BY this time Everleigh noticed that
his dinner, which he always had
served IN his room, was getting cold.
He turned his attention to the meal
and Mrs. Brown was tacitly dismissed.
That afternoon Tom Everleigh took
advantage of an invitation, and called
ut the rectory. He had the pleasure
Of meeting the rector's granddaughter.
whom he thought the most attractive
girl he had ever seen.
Later In the week, he called again.
and then he acquired the habit Of
dropping in at Rev. Mr.. Vincent's
house frequently. But 1t was seldom
that he saw Miss Vincent. She was
the busiest person he had ever known.
But one afternoon he found her olsen
gagged for few hours and, at his sug-
gestion, they went for walk.
Though they had not seen great
deal Of each other, the acquaintance
had ripened. He told her much of his
past life, and In the recital, she was
quick to detect the hardness and the
rebellion at Fate, also a certain Flip
pant and insincere note. She was
sorry for him but. after all. he was
only threatened with dread disease.
He had inherited enough money on
which to live comfortably; he might
In time hope to return to his work in
the city. She knew so many who were
infinitely worse OF and she could not
sympathize very heartily with the man
before her. He felt that he was beins
adversely criticized, . fact which did
not please him at all.
I'm afraid. Miss Vincent, you have
rather poor opinion Of me-" The
II - :.