Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-09-23
an I'M mn
MARY MIDTHORNE
o BARR ~UTCHE
Author Of -Graustark." 'rruxton King" etc.
Copyright, 1911. BY Dodd. Mead & Co.
Ill III III

81 H.
him with scorn as the weapon, you'll
get nightly beaten. He has too many
friends who resent being sneered at
and they're influential, toe I
have q great deal of respect for the
sincere atheist or agnostic. l like a man
who is sincere. The atheist is never
anything less thar he pretends to be.
majority of our protested Christians.
Give me a air and square, upright
atheist every day in preference TO a
weak kneed protesting Christian who
doesn't stand for anything after he's
paid his pew rent and added a half
dollar or so of a Sunday to pay for his
weeks salvation. The atheist
Is a man; the w~ish-washy. half hearted,
sceptical Christian isn't good enough
to black his boots. You can't
get into heaven by paying so cents a
week on the installment plan. Why, the
things go in these days, ii costs a great
deal more than that to get INTO the 9TH
er place. . . A man who spends
$1,000 a week having a devil of a time
my friends. can't balance his account
with Goo for 80 cents or 81. :.
Frock coats and black ties don't make
Christians Of you.O veralls and jumpers
Will do quite as well. No matter which
your wear, You will w to lay them
aside when you start forth to face your
Maker. You may come to this
church in you every day business suits
If you choose. AS a matter of fact. !
believe 1t to be easier to preach saliva
ton to a man in his gray sack suit than
it is to try to get at him when he's got
on his black regimentals. I
wear this long black coat because 1t is,
in a sense the official robe of my great
office. l respect 1t. but 1t doesn't make
a Christian of me any more than 1t
makes one OF the undertaken. i wit
messed a naDrn. min f rnJ nc ro1 do nat lnoC
ago. All told, there We're more than 40
Prince Albert coats in that procession.
But those fellows didn't look like
preachers. So. you see, it isn't a ques-
ton of clothes. I believe we'd
all feel better for it il we stuck a small,
coats next Sunday, just to prove to
ourselves that church going Is a joy
GUS, not a grim undertaking. :.
I do not like to see a man singing
Hallelujah with a long and doleful face.
Sing it gladly! That's what it means"
At the conclusion Of the 25-minute
sermon. and while the congregation was
fairly shouting the rare old hymn.
Eric drew a long breath and looked
about him as If suddenly aroused from
a sort of stupor. He had listened in
frank establishment during the first
part of the sermon; toward the end he
allowed himself to be carried away by
III q VI liz yodllS lllilllSlCI.
He was disappointed when the extraor-
binary discourse came to an end. He
wanted more. Here was a man with n
gospel SO broad, and convincing and
brave that his heart warmed toward
him at once. This was not the stern
gospel that Mr.. Presbrey had fairly
damned down his throat in the old
days. He had the feeling that he was
going to like Mr.. King as a man, as
a friend, as a brother. 1t would be quite
impossible to ever look upon him as a
relentless arbiter who prodded one with
texts and dogmas until the soul sick
ened. No; this man religion smiled; he
would nave a warm hand clasp.
I'll bet he's a fine chap" whispered
Eric in Mary's ear. She nodded her
head, but frowned slightly in the fear
that his very worldly estimate Of the
minister might have reached the ears
Of Mr.. Blagden.
Out of the n of their eyes they
glanced at their uncle's face. 1t was
beaming: 1t was rapt.
Wonders nave been performed"
murmured Eric. Then, his quaint
thought found expression in a whis-
pered: You can teach an old dog new
tricks, after ALL"
An old habit nov him. His gaze
wandered. as it had done on countless
Sundays in other times, to the pew in
which Joan Bright and her father al
ways sat.
At the same instant, one of the oc-
cupants of that pew turned to look di-
rectly into his eyes.
Joan Bright was there. For one long,
haZy minute they looked at each other.
Then a slow, even curious smile crept
into her face. She nodded her head. He
was too amazed, too dazed to respond
to her greeting at once She looked
away before he could shake off the spell
of a possible illusion.
Strangely enough, his interest in the
SerV1ce was gone. During the prayer
and the benediction he did not take his
eyes from the half averted, serene face
Of the girl across the church. 1t was not
until the service came to a close that
his mind grasped h fact that she
stood beside a tall. handsome young
man, who held the hymn book with her,
while Judge Bright stood detached and
apart.
With the final amen" he hurricdly
left the seat, after a quick apology to
his uncle, and elbowed his way through
the crowd, bent on reaching the door
ahead Of her.
II he had paused to look at
Mary, he would have seen the wave
Of red that spread over her cheek. and
the curious narrowing Of her eyes. She
had been aware Of Joan's presence
from the moment that young woman
entered the church.
Just as he reached the vestibule
with craning neck and eager eyes, q
hand was laid on his arm.
She came out Of the other door
Eric, to avoid the crowd, I fancy" sait
the owner Of the hand. She's getting
into young Sallonsby's automobile now
Funny how times have changed. Peo-
pie used tc think it wrong to go I.
church in a carriage when l was "a.
$50 it's you. is it?" demanded Eric
harshly.
Joan was entering the big red car al
the curb. She did not look back. His
eyes were upon her. He had not glanced
at the man who volunteered the infor.
nation. He knew without looking.
Yes" said Adam Carr. Then he
added whimsically: Its always me
Come along with me. Don't wait 70,
your uncle. ! have news for you"
Eric, g~rievously disturbed by Joan's
behavior. suffered himself to be lee
down the steps. At the bottom, he
turned to his old friend with a sudden
anger that must have attracted the at
tention of those near at hand.
Il suppose you've had news that he
died. just as you said he would?"
Adam did not respond to the angry
sarcasm until they were clear Of the