The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-11-25

Rev. Smith Boyd colored. At times
the way of spiritual instruction was
quite difficult. Nevertheless, he had
a duty to perform. Mechanically he
had taken his place at the piano.
standing straight and tall, and his
blue eyes softened as they automat-
ically fell on the piece of music she
vorite, the one in which their voices
had scared in the most perfect uni
son. Gail glanced up at him as she
brushed a purely imaginary fleck Of
dust from the keys. For an instant
the brown eyes and the blue ones met.
He was a tremendously nice fellow.
after all. But what was worrying him?
Before we sing / should like to take
up graver matters" he began, feel
ing at tremendous disadvantage in
the presence Of the music. To obviate
this, he drew up chair. and sat fac
ing her. 'T have called this evening
in the capacit::- of your temporary
rector"
Calls eyelids had a tendency to
flicker down, but she restrained them.
She was adorable when she looked
prim that way. Her lips were like a
rosebud. Rev. Smith Boyd himself
thought of the smile, and cast 1t be-
hind him.
"You are most kind" she told him,
suppressing the imps and demons
which struggled to pop into her eyes.
II have been greatly disturbed by
the length to which your unbelief has
apparently gone," the young rector
went on, and having plunged into this
opening he began to breathe more
freely. This was familiar ground.
Gail rested palm on the edge of
the bench behind her, and leaned back
facing him, supported on one beauti-
fully modelled arm. Her face had set
seriously now.
However," went on the rector, 81
do not expect to be able to remove
the spiritual errors, which / am COM
PEELED to judge that you have accu-
INFLATED, by any other means than
patient logic" he resumed. MAY /
discuss these matters with your" His
voice was grave and serious, and full
of earnest sincerity, and the musical
quality alone Of 1t made patient. log
ical discussion seem attractive.
IF you like" she assented. smiling
at him with willful deception. The
wicked thought had occurred to her
that it might be her own duty to
broaden his spiritual understanding.
Thank you," he accepted gravely.
eff you will give me an hour or so
each week, shall be very happy"
81 am nearly always at home on
Tuesday and Friday evenings" sug-
gested Gail. Scarcely anyone calls
before eight-thirty, and we have din
ner quite early on those evenings"
She began to be sincerely interested
in the project. She had never given
herself time to quite exactly define
her own attitude towards theology as
distinct from religion, and she felt
that she should do 1t, IL for no other
reason than to avoid making impul-
sive overstatements. Rev. Smith Boyd
would help her to look squarely into
her own mind and her own soul, for
he had very active intelligence, and
was, moreover, the most humanity
forceful cleric she had ever met. Be
sides, they could always finish by
singing.
st shall make arrangements to be
over as early as you will permit" de-
clared the rector, warmly aglow with
the idea. "We shall begin with the
very beginnings Of things, and, step
by step, develop, / hope, a logical
justification of the vast spiritual revo-
luton which has conquered the
world"
T should like nothing better"
unused Gail, and since Rev. Smith
Boyd rose and stood behind her and
filed his lungs, she turned to the
piano and struck preliminary chord,
which she trailed off into a tinkling
little run, by way of friendly greeting
to the piano.
I'VE shall begin with the creation"
pursued the rector, dwelling, with
pleasure, on the idea of a thorough
progress through the mazes of relig-
ious growth. There were certain
vague points which he wanted to clear
up for himself
"And wind up with Vedder court"
She had not meant to say that. 1t
just popped into her mind, and popped
off the end of her tongue.
Even that will be taken up in its
due logical sequence" and Rev. Smith
Boyd prided himself on having al
ready displayed the patience which
he had come expressly to exercise.
Gail was Immediately aware that
he was exercising patience. He had:
reproved her, nevertheless, and quite
coldly, for having violated the tacit
agreement to take up the different
phases of their weighty topic only "in
that's d,,o 1ooiao1 coCuAunoD 10 xor-