Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-01-05


carpet at his feet-"just as | got up
courage to ask you, why, you came out
and limited that you wouldn't marry
anybody that didn't belong to the
First church, so | up and joined" He
looked furtively at Susan, whose rosy
cheeks had paled. She looked rather
frightened at the visible signs Of
Timothy.
"Now," said Timothy doggedly, give
joined the church; I've said I'd try
to be a Christian; I've always done
the best l could by everybody, just
as my mother taught me, and now
comes the minister and says stop
smoking, so l stopped Then l had to
give up playing dominos and checkers
down to thes store and
II should think you'd be willing to
give up those little things" said Susan
with some spirit.
$50 l was, but it hasn't stopped
there" retorted Timothy angriIy.
what do you mean?
"Mr. Niles came up to see me last
night, and he"-here Timothy arose
and paced rhe floor eXcitedly-"he adj
vised me not to marry"
"Not to marry!' repeated Susan in
CONSERVATION.
"Not to marry. He said it was bet
ter for man to wait until he was
thirty or forty years cid, and
"You are twenty-five" interrupted
Susan falteringly.
"And / am twenty-five. He said a
man didn't really know his mind until
he reached thirty-fve and then he
was competent to pick out wife
whose disposition would suit him."
Timothy choked wrathfully
'What did you say, Timothy?' asked
Susan, with a dazed look in her eyes,
II haven't given him my answer yet.
He's trying to get a lot of us young
men together and get us to promise
we will wait until we reach years of
discretion before we marry. Then he
says there won't be so many unhappy
marriages. He's going to call it the
Band Of Thinkers
81 suppose" ventured Susan wistful-
ly, chat your taste will change after
ten or fifteen years and you'll marry
some one who's real sensible"
81 don't know anything about that"
returned Timothy fretfully, "and
don't care. What Pm doubtful about
is this: If belong to the church ought
l to do just as the minister says or
else leave? You ought to know, Su
san What shall l do| He looked
appealingly at her
81 don't know what to say! cried
Susan tearfully II didn't know any
thing about the Band of Thinkers or
-no-nOthingr'
"You see how I'm fixed, SUSIE" said
Timothy despairingly; there's things
| want to say to you and | can't be-
cause I've done what you wanted me
to and joined the church! | guess |
might as well be going along" he said
moodily as he turned toward the door.
Susan watched him walking down
the graveled path between the rows of
lockwood with tear filled eyes. She was
dazed at the sudden and unexpected
turn that affairs had taken in her sim
pie life, and she wished very heartily
that she had not urged Timothy to
join the church. 81 don't believe he's
got just the right feeling after all"
she murmured sadly as she closed the
door
Several weeks passed, and Timothy
Simms came no more to the Peterses'
home. Nor did Susan see him. She
heard that he was working very hard,
for Timothy was station agent at Lin
dale, but Susan did not see him again.
He came no more to church, and there
was a rumor that Timothy had been
lured back to the checkerbOard and
the domino table by the jolly members
of the Stove club who gathered week
ly in the rear of the general store.
In the meantime Susan grew pale
and thin. 1t is true that Mr. Niles,
the pale young minister, came to see
her frequently, for he was deeply in
terested in this young soul and fully
determined that it should lack no spir-
itual nouriShment that he could adj
minister.
Susan was pleased and comforted at
first by the evident interest displayed
by the clergyman, but after a little
his extreme dalicacy of physique and
his punctiliOuS manner, with it's little
undercurrent of conscious superiority,
palled upon her, and she grew to dread
his coming. He was a poor substitute
for stalWart Timothy Simms, with his
rough. unpublished ways and broad
kindness of heart
For some reason Mrs. Peters frown
ed upon the young minister when ne
came to see Susan. Mrs. Peters had
long been a member of the First
church and an ardent worker therei!-,
but the advent Of a new minister and
one so young, had rather displeased
the older parishioners, for they did not
like his brusk manner or assumption
of calm superiority.
One day, several weeks after that
evening when Timothy had last called
upon Susan, Mrs. Peters walked up
Nv fho+ cd f0 hn c,to