Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-21
THE GIRL WHO HAD NO GOD
A GREAT MYSTERY STORY

Perhaps. II she IL living. She was no
strong. sometimes I wonder"
So, after all, Ward took an extra PAM
away with him from the chance meet
ing. What II, after all, his watchini
. and waiting meant nothing7 II she wer,
3 gone, beyond earthly finding? Death fo
him might be n beginning only, a dooi
to eternity. but all the philosophy and
hope OF his faith did not al his empty
human arms. That night he walked the
London streets until dawn.
He came back from oxford at the end
OF his course there. Home was calling,
and work, blessed work, that brings for
getfulness.
On the last Sunday before he sailed.
ne attended service In Saint Paul's. He
knew the church we'll. In those earlier
days when philosophy had taken his
young brain by storm and his faith had
rocked, he had gone to Saint Pauis.
| something In the very solidity of the old
! church. In It's antiquity, IN the nearness
OF those dead-and-sone great ones Of the
earth who had lived and died secure in
Its teachings had steadled him.
It was there that he found Ellnor. She
was Just in front of him, In the prim
garb Of an English army nurse And it
was no resemblance that reused his hrst
interest. What he saw was only a slen-
aer girl kneeling and evidently in tears.
she was very thin; he saw that, and her
the service went on she grew ouieter
Mnen she rose from her knees at last
she was quite calm II was then that
he knew her.
ward watched her with an ache in his
throat. She looked frail, sad. Always
IN MS mind he had pictured her in her
summer garden a flower herself among |
her flowers, or as she had looked that |
nlght In old Hilary's library, the night
When' TO save him, she had told him the
snanletul truth about herself And now
ne round her here, wearing the garb OF
service, and on her kneesl
ana so 1t was that they came face TO
.tie .aoe AGAIN. She put her hand to her
throat, with the familiar gesture, when
she saw him. For a moment neither Of
them spoke. The ordinary greetings were
out or place and what was there TO saw
II was Ward who spoke at last.
1t doesn't seem quite possible, Elinor,"
She had never been "Elinor" to him
them noticed
1 am sorry you have found me.
nave tried 80 hard to bury myself"
~ was increasingly hard for him to
speak All the things that had lain in
nus heart for three years clamored for
speech. i'i
You are-quite well again?'.
-N~N'J' A8uN your 1Ou are tltnnnF'
nave worked hard and, of course. I s
lave suffered. 1t was not easy-to tear !
lad" 4ieiuS
ana then. at last, he broke into speech !
apiu, lncoherent. He blamed himself ]
~ 0l ms hardness that night in old Hilary's (
~ a ne condemned himself for a thou
,,,s III t,inss. She listened, rather be- b
,nuered' with the old wistfulness in her b
Nhy should you say such things?" she
sheu at last when he stopped from sheer
a,e' lou were right. l was a crinI
a. al nave been learning things since 81
aeii rem iou We're always kind to me. g
ave never forgotten" r
hindP he almost groaned |
enc held out her hand. "I must On |
Hw. MY time is not my own" she
lanced down at her uniform, "Do vn,,
,,a,,. what you said to me once
oout the brotherhood of man? l have
cen trying TO live up to that L
ward took her hand. 1t was very cold h,
DO you remember that?' tr
~ remember almost everything Won p5
,01 ,la me. Even the things, that night p,
nile / was watching the clock. re, II
ember them ALL" OF
Inc church was empty, save for Tres
erger here and there, busy about ht1 or
lues quite suddenly Ward LOST his DR.
,nposure iOs' ms ne
AND Il remember everything too. be
'ur smile, your eyes that night when, ga
was carried into the house-ob. NV at
"a .ar; :, my dear you are written on my my pa
He bent over, shaken and male. and i've
ssed the palm of her hand ye
it is you who are good" he said TEL
'sNiy IL who talked smugly of virtue in
ID tenderness and pity, and who let his
u go out OF my life-I care for Won gu
ore , man care for anything in this to
1rid' 1lr,id' | want you'll want you" wo
1hnor.s eyes turned toward the bieb a
TAR with its cross. Always. when she 'a'
3ked at IT, she had seen the cross an
mt Jude's, and the dawn, and sparrows 7
mixing out of the wet gutter al her
""'''u'
1ut her eyes came back to him, clear
d full of promise 4
/ nave always loved you," she said
lply. II will so with you And your
d shall be my God" 'OD'
THE END.