The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-01-22

---~--~eAs x
Fesentfully. "You know I'VE been tr
Ing 10 set q chance TO ask van FL
long time. but"-and Iifr,,n
IfoWned down at the brightly colore,
carpet at his feet-"just as | got u.
courage to ask you. why. you came out
ana limited that you wouldn't marrr
anybody that didnr belong 10 the
FIRST church. so I up and Joined" He
looked furtively at Susan, whose ROSY
cheeks had paled She looked rather
frightened at the visible signs OF
wrath III the face of gentle. courteous
Timothy
Now" sad Timothy doggedIy, I've
Joined the church; I've said I'd try
to be a Christian; I've always done
the best 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 the store and
1 should think you'd be willing to
give up those little things" said Susan
with some spirit.
SO was, but it hasn't stopped
there" retorted Timothy angrily.
What Go you mean?'
Mr. Niles came up to see me last
night, and he''-here Timothy arose
and paced the floor excitedly-'he ad-
vfsed me not to marryr'
"Not to marryw repeated Susan in
CONSERVATION.
Not to marry. He said it was bet,
ter for a man to wait until he was
thirty or forty years old. 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-five and then he
was competent to pick out a wife
whose disposition would suit him"
Timothy choked wrathfully.
What did you say, Timothy?" asked
Susan. with dazed look in her eyes.
Il 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 .
Il suppose yentured Susan wistful-
". that 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 I'm 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 / 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-nothingp'
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
modify as he turned toward the door
Susan watched him walking down
the graveled path between the rows Of
lockwood with tear filed 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. II 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. Sla
| 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 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
" in the rear of the general store.
In the meantime Susan grew pale
and thin. It is true that Mr.. Niles
the pale young minister. came to see
her frequently, for he was deeply ia
terested in this young soul and fully
determined that it should lack no spir
! itual nourishment that he could ae
/ minister
Susan was pleased and comforted al
first by the evident interest displayed
by the clergyman, but after a little
his extreme delicacy of physique and
his punctiIious manner, with its little
undercurrent of conscious superiority
palled upon her, and she grew to dread
his coming. He was 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 ht
came to see Susan. Mrs. Peters hac
long been member of the FRS
church and en- ardent worker therein
but the advent of new minister. ant
one so young, had rather displeaset
the older parishioners, for they did no
ike his brusk manner or assumption
of calm superiority