The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-01-02
THE BEST
PRESENT
Giyen at the Church Christ
mas Gift Party
By CLARIsSA MAcKIE

When SnllaS iieSS tOiu niS pretty
| daughter Frances that she could hon
/ marry the young minister beca,E't' min
{ listers were prorerbi:,l!y as poor as
/ church mice and always remained so,
| Frances merely nodded her sunny head
| and said. Yes. father" in the obedi
| ent manner she had been taught. II
| she grew silent and scrrowful locking
| after that ANA was the first one to slip
| out of church and prayer meeting
! when the services were concluded. ii
was universally acknowledged to te
| just the right thiag for Frances to du
under the circumstances.
, OF course everybody in Little River
| knew about the minister's unsuccess-
| full wUoing of Frances Hegg. His at
| tentiOnS had been marked enough be-
fore SilaS Hegg put down his No. .
| boot and declared Il veto Oh the natri-
| monal question. After that it was an
| Rradherry looked SO grave and seem
| ed SO silent and preoccupied was be-
| cause Siias had said No Perhaps it
| was louuaciuus Mrs Hegg who con
| tided the secret to Ter nearest friend.
| Certainly it was neither Frances nor
her unfortunate lover.
! AS long as Frank remained in Little
| River there WAS hope that Silas HeSg
! might relent and perhaps that was
! why Frances did not succumb to her
"Reminiscences. But when six months
i had passed there was one dark sun
! day morning when he arose and read
his resignation to the disappointed con-
gregation Several deaconS turned and
looked open disapproval at Silas Hegg
| as the author of this change. but when
! they saw how white Frances face was
aud how startled she was by the an
nouncement they turned face about
again. not neglecting to deliver a, last
! blighting glance mt Silas Hegg.
Much SiIas cared about their chances.
friendly or otherwise. He was Suffi-
cient unto himself. The mere fact that
he did thing made it right in his own
eyes.
So Frank Bradberry went away to IL
/ distant state and tried to forget Fran
ces Hegg 1t is needless to relate that
he succeeded no better than does any
one else under such circumstances
Forgetfulness does not come at col.,-
mand or by choice.
AS for Frances. she continued to be
a pale quiet girl thereafter. quite I'M
like the flushed and sparkling maiden
who had won the love OF Frank Grad
berry.
A number of things may happen
within the space Of four years. Among
other events in Little River SilaS Hessrs.s
lost his wife. and. strange to say. the
man who was sufficient unto himself
found that his main prop in life was
gone. He imlili d'ately became n
broken old man. de, ending upon his
only daughter for sympathy in their
double sorrow
Another thing that happened was
the return of Frank Bradberry to the
church in Lite River. The persistent
last answered by his return.
There was much rejoicing in Little
River. and many social events We're
planned in his honor His return was
shortly before Christmas. and II
Christmas party. each attendant to
bring gift. was planned. to take
place at the parsonage. where Ann
a 81
ing his arrival. Ann was to he his
housekeeper until Little River folks
stopped when they got that far and
laughed suggestively. 1t was expected
that the Rev. Mr.. Bradberry would
/ not be long in choosing wife to pre-
side over the pretty new parsonage
which had been built during his abb
sence In the west.
| No one seemed to think about Fran
| ces Hegg. She had developed into
such Il pale nonentity. and there were
other and younger girls from whom he
| might choose. some of them blooming
and beautiful.
The minister was to arrive on the
| morning before Christmas. and the
gift party was planned for that even
ing In the nature of complete sur
prise. OF course Ann Dibble must
know about It in order to keep the
minister within doors and have good,
hot fire ready.
"fen can count on him not going
ont. tonight" assured Ann Dibble to
anxious A'members of the committee
Hell stay put in this house if 1 have
to nail his coattails to his chair!.'
| Fortunately such drastic measures
We're not necessary. for the very act of
returning to Little River had brought
up so many unpleasant memories that
Frank Bradberry was thankful for a
few uninterrupted hours in his little
study. He was dreading the meeting
with Frances Hegs: he was distressed
because he had not overcome his love
for her when he had prayed nnceasing-
ly to be delivered of its torments.
At the supper table Ann Dibble chat
tered incessantly of events that had
transpired in Little River during his
absence. Thus Frank learned of Mrs
Hegg's death along with other items
| of news
He wondered If the loss Of his wife
had softened the hard heart OF Silas
Hegg.