Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-07-17
"Sny III" he hasnughtkihirstily.

bGO ANs AN DODOuehtf
There was deliciouat moment OF I'M
certainty. a breashless, little laugh.
MY lover. There! I'll be waiting
for you, just after dinner" And the
butterfly futtered away.
He went from the, churchyard and
followed the street past the point
where 1t returned to'its native state OF
dusX, weed-fianked. country pike. He
came to u place where the road rose
sharply and fell again. Mounting to
the crest, he threw himself on the
roadside and waited; thlther Richard
Courtney would come on the after
service walk that was his custom.
Up the rise, village bound, leisurely
creaked an ancient top buggy. In 1t
slouched middle-aged man upon
whose face were written humor and
patience, qualities of which he had
great need just then. His horse la
bored heavily at its task, head hang
Ing low; not the bellows in Simon
TRUTHS smithy puffed louder or hard
er. AT the crest 1t stopped without
urging Mark frowned impatiently.
Then he noted the sad state Of the
horse and grin displaced the frown.
Hear you're going away" boo"
Hedges remarked. For the good OF
the town.
Mark nodded. the grin widening.
"Maybe you'd like to help pay my
farce" -.#."..
Il have helped" the doctor rejoined
dryly. Going to get rich. ain'f you?
They all think that"
1T happens sometimes"
"You might. though Any man ought
to get rich that could sell me- this
would you call II hose?"
Hmm Mark considered the AMI
NAL judicially. We'll, It has four
legs
Sos billy goat drawled the doc
tor 'tioatd be more use to me, too"
What did you buy 1t for, then7"
Il amt squealing. Pretty slick Gus
TONER, am you
The grin returned. Il can sell
horses" Mark modestly admitted, ito
some people
"Humph! Only foold buy EN- of
You" the doctor agreed "Whatl you
take for the brown mare?"
The brown mare isn't for sale"
A hpfSn ID for cola - fhn doctor
insisted. at the right price. Give you
hundred and fifty"
Il wouldn't sell her for two-ftty."
The doctor sighed and clucked to
the weary horse
Out of the dusty cloud trailing be-
hind the creaky buggy emerged tall
STOPPING figure, clad In the rusty black
Of the country clergyman. He walked
slowly and when he came to the rise,
with a slight effort; evidently he was
frail man physically. At the crest
he stopped, breathing hard.
Taking good-by look at it?'' he
asked between breaths.
mo Just waiting for you"
The preacher smiled family; the
worn dispirited face lighted up lit.
tie. He turned his glance to the val
ley.
It's worth a farewell. Youll be
homesick for 1t something's hope.
Shall We walk bit farther?"
At his tagging pace they tramped
along the road, constantly rising and
descending but always reaching up to-
ward higher level They kept the
frank silence OF those who have been
companions often.
Ten years before Richard Courtney
had resigned the city congregation
that was steadily whitening under his
ministry and had come to shepherd the
little flock of Bethel. 1t proved to be a
life sentence, but In the end he stayed.
If not gladly, at least with such Chris
tian fortitude as quivering sensitive
soul could summon; having found-so
he put ita need to which he could
minister. In the early days of his new
service he had discovered neglected.
unlettered, moody youngster suffer.
ing under the blight of his relation to
Simon Iruitt, who. for his supposed
atheism, was accounted little less
than respectable. Some quality in the
boy caught the preachers fancy. Tact
fully he sought to win into Marks
heart, not very difficult task once the
lad learned that ministerial converse
ton was not confined to graphic pic,
lures of eternal torment And then.
not quite realizing how this new inter.
est eked out the Christian fortituds
just mentioned, he set about to make
Mark over. From Richard Courtney
the blacksmiths soa had had his Yer
gil and Xenophon and Homer. his
Euclid and Quackenbos. What may
have been best OF all, he had had Rich.
ard Courtney
In tho intense. imaginative, quick.
Drained lad Courtney thought he dis
cerned rare spirit fitted 10 bs q
chevalier OF the Lord, fighter Of
others battles, a bearer of others bur
dens; thus we may read what Richard
Courtney would have made his own
life. He, the exile, had failed but In
the larger life from which he had been
banished he would live again and be
felt through fine strong man of his
making For ten years he had jeal.
ously surveyed the prospect, patiently
toiled and prayed that 1t might be.
But now, when the day for which he
had prepared was come, he was not
happy. The question continually re-
CURED. How well had he buildedf
With suddenly clarified vision he be-
held the youth at his side, raw, un-
shaped, the reaches of his soul as yet
unlighted by purpose, unwarmed by
inspiration. After ten years he was
almost as Richard Courtney had found
him.
81 have secured the windows.
cannot give the light" thought the
4 a