The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-09-23
lIl I'LL I'M

!. get nightly beaten. He has too many
friends who resent being sneered at
and they're influential, too. 1
have a great deal Of respect for the
sincere atheist or agnostic. like man
who Is sincere. The atheist Is never
ianything less than he pretends to be.
You can't say as much for the great
majority Of our professed Christians
Give me fair and square. upright
!. atheist every day in preference to
, weak kneed processing Christian who
doesn't stand for anything after he's
1 paid his pew rent and added a half
dollar or 80 Of a Sunday to pay for bis
weeks salvation. The atheist
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 great
deal more than that to get into the 9TH
er place. A man who spends
81 900 a week having a devil OF time
my friends, can't balance his account
with God for so cents or 81.
IFrock coats and black ties don't make
Christians OF you. Overalls and jumpers
will do quite as well. No matter which
your wear, you will have to lay them
aside when you start forth to face your
Maker. -. You may come TO this
church In your every day business suits
II you choose. AS a matter Of fact, /
believe II to be easier to preach saliva
ton to a man In his gray sack suit than
1t Is to try to get at him when he's got
on his black regtmentals.
wear this long black coat because II is.
In a sense, the official robe Of my great
office. respect It. but IL doesn't make
a Christian Of me any more than II
makes one OF the undertaken. I wit
messed a negro minstrel parade not long
ago. All told, there were 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::
all feel better for it il we stuck a small,
fragrant nosegay in the lapels OF our
coats next Sunday, Just to prove to
ourselves that church going 10 JOY
Gus, not a grim undertaking. .
III do not like to see a man singing
J Hallelujah with long and doleful face.
J Sing 1t gladly! That's what 1t 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 II 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
the earnestness OF the young minister.
He was disappointed when the extraor-
binary discourse came to an end. He
wanted more Here was a man with
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
.Va1 1snarv rnf .nVNI ol1lr
ened. No; this mans religion smiled: he
would have warm hand clasp.
TIL bet he's a fine chap" whispered
Eric In Marys 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 corners Of their eyes they
glanced at their uncle's face. It was
beaming; It was rapt
Wonders have been performed"
murmured Eric. Then, this quaint
pered: You can teach an old dog new
tricks. after all"
An old habit moved him. His gaze
wandered, as II had done on countless
Sundays in other times. to the pew I'm
which Joan Bright and her father al
ways sat.
At the same instant, one Of the oc-
lcupants Of that pew turned to look d.
rectiy into his eyes
Joan Bright was there. For one long
Ihazy minute they looked at each other.
Then q 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 q possible illusion.
Strangely enough, his interest In the
service 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. II was not
until the service came to a close that
his mind grasped the 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 hurriedly
left the seat, after a quick apology to
his uncle, and eIbowed 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, a
hand was laid on his arm.
she came out Of the other door,
Eric, to avoid the crowd, I fancy" said
the owner Of the hand. She's getting
into young Sallonsby's automobile now.
Funny how times have changed. Peo-
pie used tc think 1t wrong to 60 TO
church In a carriage when I was "a"
so it's you. Is tt?" demanded Eric
harshly.
Joan was entering the big red car at
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: TITS always me.
Come along with me. Don't wait for
| your uncle. have news for you"
Eric grievously disturbed by Joan's
behavior. suffered himself to be led
down the steps. At the bottom, he
turned to his old friend with O sudden
anger that must have attracted the at
tention OF those near at hand.
II suppose you've had news that he
died, just as you said he would7"
4 Adam did not respond to the angry
sarcasm until they were clear of the
crowd. @- 49, ..-.",-.a = -
mo-" he said. Il have come to notify