Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-15
A GREAT MYSTERY STORY


Bryant" His eyes were like steel. "Of
course, you are not bssing II merely on
what you hear from servants"
Mrs, Bryant flushed, purplish spot in
the centre of each sagglng cheek
u do not gossip with the servants" she
said shortly, ut Is common talk. And
there are other things. Machines come
and so from the house at queer hours of
the night. The girl spends a great deal
OF money. Where does she get it7 Where,
for that matter. did old Hilary Kingston
get it7"
Thus challenged, Ward had nothing to
say.
After dinner he left early, but he did
not 90 home. He went up the hill. AS
he strobe on he remembered many things.
The girl was without the sheet-anchor of
any belief, adrift and alone, and he had
made no attempt TO help her unbelief. AL
though II was after TO- the house was
still lighted downstairs, and he went with
out hesitation Into the garden.
Thus II happened that he saw Blinor in
Hufts arms, saw him thrust her violently
from him and rush away across the flower
beds, leaving her there alone.
Ward remained in the shadows. To save
his life he could not have spoken to Eli
nor then. Under his constrained exterior
he was In the thran OF the lercest jeal-
ousy. This little fair-halred girl, to
whom his God was no God, had taken
a powerful hold on him.
Ellnor, who slept little that night, saw
| the light In his window until 1t faded
into the dawn.
Elinor went to the early Communion
the following day. The church was dark.
There were hardly two dozen people
| scattered over the building. She sat far
back and was heavily velled. When the
congregation knelt, she knelt. An old
woman in the next pew gave her the
| prayer book, open at tho service. On
her knees then went Elinor and listened
to Wards fine voice echoing through the
empty building.
The morning was warm and the win
dows open. The odor OF burned wood
from the parish house crept in.
Thou shalt not STEAL" Ward read from
the Decalogue, and the people said:
Lord have mercy upon us and incline
our hearts to keep this law"
Thou shalt not steal"
In the palm of her left glove Blinoi
had the Bryant pear-shaped pearl.
Ward had not seen her He wen
through the service reverently and will
|
that showed how real 1t was to him. Anc
In his voice, reading, eNhorting, com
manding, there were tender notes ina
caught ElInors breath in her throat
. When the service was over, she ros
from her knees and dropped the Bryan
pearl into the aims box by the door. In
, congregation, small and scattered wa
still kneeling. The doorway ana the am
: box were in twilight
Drawing down her veil, she wen
quickly out into the sunshine
Al the ii o'clock service Ward announc
ed TN. burning of the parish building.
"Tt is not my intention to make an AZ
nsa1 " no said simply THE parish nous
I was built to fill great neeu' Ihat ny
Q stiu axIsts. II our church is to be an ei'
n nent In the daily lives OF the peopIe
t this town we must have meetins pa a.
for them. For the worship OF our SGI " ~
o church building Is suricient, ou' ~
I,rSo,1 ,s 10 YOU the thing 1t Is to me- u
broader religion Of universal brotherhood
tbe church building is not enough
"Thou shalt love thy neighoor as IN!
|. self"
8 s.yenty-eIght thousand dollars WI
i taken up in the collection at 81: 1uoe
that morning. over fifty thousand was
II checks, the rest was in cash
Walter Hun, sitting alone In the pa'
- of the church, had Watcheu '"
'r tuntly through the service.
Unlike Ellnor, Huff had been raised
n PRESBYTERIAN household. He had con
j. to ieer, 10 watch with his theirs eyes q
10 offertory piling into the silver plates
the service told on him. Somewhere ooF
in his violent young heart there crepI
y sense oF shame. II was only when
~ looked at Ward that his eyes hardened
A. This man who had come between n
r. and his girl-this white-handed' surphc'
I'd prayer-reading priest, who in doI
co words could compel the peopleJoetore
I'd to Law n fortune at his feet-Hun grou
d, his teeth together. But something OF u
70 willing admiration was mixed with
IN | scorn. This was no mean adVersal
this Ward; a man, every inch OF hlm
ID would beat him out II he had 10 XIII
to do II.
r. Hun stayed in church after the servi
rs He nccosted Mr. Bryant. one or the "
e. trvmen. as the congregation filed out:
B. ''I don't like to ask you to tax pu
ness on Sunday" he said, "but think
ne going to be mighty inconVenieht uh'i
hs get the new building
" '.Horrible," said the vestryman.
ne fire is ever convenient, but this
10 HUFF drew a business card from
''N pocket. 1T. =, ,,,t,,,
I thought perhaps you might be VIII
. IN talk about temporary building
mt said, eve specialize in things Ike IN