Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-09
CHAPTER IT,

CHAPTER III
On the Footoeid0o.
10 the young usher. the change Of
SCENE was rather bewildexing His
eyee were still full Of the light from
xaso3ene-burners, his ears still rang
!, With tho confusion Of tent-n0ise into
which entered tho prolonged mono
tones Of inarticulate grnanings, and
the expIosivo suddennees. Of seemingly
drreverent Ameos.
Nothing just then n1attered except
the saving of,souls. Having faithfully
attended the canpmseting for three
weeks he found other interests blot
ted out. Tho village AZ q whole had
given itself over to religious ecstasy.
4 Those who had pEUfessed their faith
left no stone unturned In leading 9TH
ers to the altar. % II life could not re-
I sumo its routine until the unconverted
uwere brought to kneel ct the evang-
y elist's feet.
Il AZ Abbott Ashton rejected that, be-
4 cause Of this young girl with the
knocking laugh, he was losing the cli-
3 macteric expression Of the three
b weeks campaign, his displeasure
grew. Within him was an underlined
y thought vibration akin to surprise.
caused by the serenity of the hushed
sky. Was it not homogeneous that the
heavens should be 80 peaceful with
their quiet star-beacons. while man
was exerting himself to the utmost of
gesture and noise to glorify the Maker
! Of that calm canopy? From the
Nweatherstained canvas rolled the
warning. not unmusically:
1--WE reap what we SOW,
We reap what We SOW
Above the tide Of melody. the voice
OF the evangelist rose in . scream, ap-
palling in its agony-"Oh. men and
women, why will you die, why will
you dis!"
But tho starr, looking down at the
silent earth, spoke not Of death, spoke
only - stars, seeming to say. Hero
are April days. dear Old earth. balmy
springtime and summer harvest be-
fore us!-What merry nights we shall
pass togetherl" The earth answered
with q sudden white smile, for the
moon had just risen above the distant
woods.
At the stile where the footpath
from the tent ended. Abbott paused.
Why should he 90 further7 This SCOT
fer. the one false note In the meet.
ings harmony. had been sileneed.
There" he said. showing the road.
HIS tone was hnal. It meant. 'De-
part" - g
Fran spoke in choking voice. 'I'm
afraid" It was not until then, that
he knew she had been crying. for not
once had he looked back. That she
should cry, changed everything.
II am 80 little," Fran said plain
lively, land the world is 20 large"
Abbott stood irresolute. To take
Fran back to the tent would destroy
the influence, but It seemed inhuman
to send her away. He temporized
rather weakly. But you came here
alone" /.
but I'm not going away alone,
said Fran. Her voice was still DAMP
but she had kept her resolution dry
In the gloom, he vainly sought to-
discern her features. Whose little
girl are you?" he asked, not without
an accent Of gentle commiseration.
Fran. one foot on the first step Of
the stile. looked up at him; the sud
den fare of q torch revealed the sor-
row in her eyes. II am nobody's little
GIRL" she answered plaintively.
Her eyes were 30 large. and 30 soft
and dark, that Abbott was glad she
was only . child of fourteen-or IF
strangely eloquent in its yearning for
something quite beyond his compre-
hension. that he decided. then and
there. to be her friend. The unsteady
light prevented definite perception of
her face. There was, In truth, an ele-
ment Of charm in all he could discern
Of the girl. Possibly the big hat
helped to conceal or accentuate-at
any rate, the effect was somewhat
elfsh. As for those great and lumi-
nously black eyes. he could not for the
life OF him have said what he saw in
them to set his blood ungling with
Q feeling Of protecting tenderness. Pos
sibly 1t was her trust In him, for as
NO 86z0V AuSO t00 0druSUI -oy00 VI
Fran. It was like looking into q clear
pool to see oneself
"Nobody's little girl?" he repeated,
fnexpressibly touched that It should
be so. What q treasure somebody was
denied! Are you . stranger in tho
town."
Never been here BEFORE" Fran an
swered mournfully.
"But why did YOU comet"
II came to find Hamilton Gregory"
The young man was astonished.
Didn't you see him in the tent, lead
ing the choir?"
"1e has house in town." Fran
said timidly. II don't want to bother
him while he is in his religion.
want to wait for him at his house.
Oh" she added earnestly, III you
would only show me the way"
Just A. II she did not know the
way!