The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-07-22
HAPTER XIn-Continued.

and which was briefly treated by Joan,
was the staggering information that
the congregation had asked for MI.
Presbrey's resignation. This news
came while Eric was in Munich. com
plotting a brief course Of study n that
city, some little time before he vas
to return to America. He had gone
first to Vienna and then to Munich,
after finishing the course at h Beaux
Arts.
the disconnected, almost exuberant
letter, Mr.. Presbrey had undertaken
to put himself and God over and above
Horace Blagden In the management OF
the church, with dire consequences to
at least one OF the allies. Il am quot
ing Mary almost l~iterally.) 1t seemed
that Mr.. Presbrey misconstructed a
certain listlessness on the part OF the
great man OF Corinth; he took II that
Mr.. Blagden was losing his force as a,
dominant leader. that he no longer
held the reins In q rigid grip, SO to
speak. The worthy pastor took heart.
He assumed an Independence that,
through cultivation, grew rapidly into
arrogance. He openly deield Horace
ly that that gentleman would rise from
the ashes Of his hopes to take issue
with him.
The controversy had a trivial be-
ginning. Mr.. Presbrey took sides"
In a choir squabble, The soprano and
the tenor, it appears, quarreled
duet in n of the Easter anthems.
The fact that 1t was q coHtralto and
bass duet doesn't seem to have mat
tered, although you'd think It would.
The bass n the c~ontralto were not
consulted. They were ignored. For
tunately for the congregation, they
sung 1t in their own sweet way and no
was aware OF the fact that the
anthem was ruthlessly spoiled until 1t
became known that the soprano and
tenor were not on speaking terms with
each other. ... ....s
Then the pews began to take notice
Of the ~dissension in the loft. Inside of
a fortnight. the entire congregation
was involved. Mr.. Presbrey came out
f~lat-footed for the tenor, who. on
week days, gave vocal lessons in re-
spectacle support of a teacher In the
Sunday school-his wife, by the way
and did not moke nor drink. More
over, he advised his pupils to abstain
from smoking and drinking. Neither
habits was good for the voice, he ex-
planned. The soprano, on the other
hand. was a good looking young wom-
an. who went to Boston twice a week
to take lessons, and who spent all
she earned on hats and things to be-
deck herself with, 80 hat the men in
the pews would think she could sing,
though their wives told them she
couldn't. Also h was given to
buoyant character at public IN
~tertainments in the opera house,
and she had spent an entire eas in
the chorus of the English Opera COM
pany in Boston, ostensibly for the
training it was said. but, according to
certain ladies in the congregation, in
the hope that she might some day be
requested to appear in tights. The
soprano was conscious Of a very good
figure.
Well, to get back to Mary's letter:
Mr.. Blagden suddenly threw off his
lethargy. Z The soprano, 1t so happened,
had been elevated to the choir on his
recommendation, and as he paid the
weekly salaries Of the quartet u Of
his w purse, no one had h right to
object TO his selection, although nearly
every woman in the church knew OF
someone better qualified than Miss
Smith. And so, In the midst of petty
strife. Horace, like the big man that
he was, snapped his fingers smartly
and the whole congregation scurried
back to the fold in a most amiable way.
The surprised Mr.. Prebrey was left
alone, q shorn, stark figure to face the
result Of his convictions.
He resolved to stand his ground. The
soprano must go. Likewise the fiddler
who came in occasionally Co play obh-
gatos to her solos. The First Congro-
~gational church was not a dance house.
To the intense amazement Of every
one, he bluntly announced in open
meeting that a new soprano would be
engaged for the ensuing quarter.
Horace could hardly believe his ears.
miss Smith is hired by the year, Mr..
r.1AIan~v ~ H. uaNI nklFfI.V aN.N-- .A-
his seat In Congregational meeting.
I trust you will pardon the liberty I
take In reminding YOU, Mr.. Blagden,
that she is nc hired by the congre-
CATION" remarked the minister. mildly.
Horace responded with his wintry
smile. "By the same token, she should
be dismissed by the person who hired
"A change is absolutely necessary.
sir"
Horace was thoughtful for a moment.
IT understand they need a soprano In
the Second church. If o insist on her
leaving this church, / shall be very glad
to recommend her for the position
there"
The threat in these words was too
thinly yelled to escape the attention of
the members who filled the chapel. No
matter how gravely they had divided
against each other In the choir SQUAD
Die, they became q unit or apprehension
In view Of the catastrophe that sud
denly doomed up before them.
II Miss smith went to the Second
church. there also would &C the mighty
Blagdens. And then, what would be-
come Of the mortgage on the church?
Someone sprang to his feet and sug-
gested that the matter be deferred for a
fortnight or so. Mr.. Presbrey had the
temerity TO say the Second church
could have Miss Smith and be welcome
to all she could bring with her.
That vas the beginning. 1t went from
bad to worse, Mr.. Presbrey finally re-
sorting to personalities. He said that
II was time to throw off the yoke. MI.
Blagden, he explained, vas scarcely
the one to regulate the policies OF q
great church when one stopped to con-
slider the unhappy results OF his eff
forts to bring UP his own son In Christ.
Moreover, had II not been for the in
t~ervention of himself and Mrs. Pres
brey, those two excellent young per-
sons. the Midthornes, might have been
hectored into a natural defiance Of all
the laws of God and man, Simply be-
cause the home influences that sur
rounded them were not calculated to
inspire gentleness Of spirit or contrtte-
ness Of heart. With an equal chance,
Chetwynd could have been saved, but
mol The parents OF that young man
stood between him and the true agents
Of God. They set themselves over
against their closed gates n said TO