The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-07-14

Why, bless my soull-if it isn't Cap
tain GOrdons boy. Well, well, you
young limb! If you didn't faveh youth
good fatheh in eve'y line and lineament
Of youth face. 1 should neveh have
known you-you've grown so. Shake
hands. subj
Tom did it awkwardly. 1t is gift
to be able to shake hands easily; a
gift withheld from most girls and all
boys up to the soulful age. But there
was worse to follow. Ardea was some
where OH the peopled verandas. and the
Major more terrible in his hospitality
than he had ever appeared in the old
time rage-fts. 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. subj" 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 bred
folk smiled, and the grand ladies drew
their immaculate skirts aside to make
passing-room fer his dusty feet! How
one of them wondered, quite audibly,
that young nativel Tom
was conscious of every fleck 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
superfluousness 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 eyeglasses fas-
tened on the end of a gold mounted
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 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 fluffy
summer white, with the other Ardea's
slate-blue eyes and soft voice. to be
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 ell, 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 ,5ut
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-
tables, and hearing with his other err
a terrible Major tell the Queen of She
ba all about the railroad invasion, and
how he-Tom Gordon-had run to End
A punk match to fire a cannon in the
Dabney cause.
He escaped finally from the entan-
clements 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. IKE his
father Now he was aghast / hinx
that he had ever been SO near tn rink
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 thrnder, 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
1 folr ter int
silence of the forest like the low-voiced
call OF a sacred bell. For the first time
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
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
half-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 Il
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 opposit:
side Of the barrel basin. looking dowr
on him with good natured mockery II
the dark eyes.
II lowed maybe you wouldn's have
such a back load of religion after you'C
been off 10 the school a SPELL" she said
pointedly. And then: Does it Away!
make you right dry an thirsty to SAL
your prayers. Tommy Jeffy."
Tom sat back on his heels and re
garded her thoughtfully. His arst i'm
pulse was out OF the natural heart
rageful, wounded vanity squirting it on
1t was like her heathenism imperti
hence TO look on at such a time, anC
then to taunt him about IT afterward
But slowly as he looked a curious
change came over him. She was tn
same Nan Bryerson, bareheaded. bare
legged, with the same tousled mat o
dark hair. and the same childish In
difference to a whole frock. And we
she was not the same. The subtle diff
ferencN, whatever it was, made him &c
up and offer to shake hands with her
and he thought it was the newly mad
vows constraining him, and took cred
ii therefor.
You can revile me as much as yol
like now, Man." he said. with pridefp
humility. You can't make me ma,
any more. like you used to. I'm olde
now, and-and better, / hope. / shal
never forget that you have a preciou
soul to save"
Her response TO this was a scofin
laugh. shriu and challenging. Yet h
could not help thinking that it mad
her look prettier than before.
You can laugh as much as you wan
to; but mean it," he insisted. "Ane
besides, Nan-of all the things tina
| I've bear N come hack 10