Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-08
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CHAPTER xII-(Continuea).

efeo ali that very nicely"
4 am amazed. For years you have
III Is my opinion. Presbrey, that If
they are going to be saved they will
nave to do the greater part of the work
Themselves"
But surely, with God's help at
their"
Adam Carr said something to me
once that made a lasting impression. 1
believe he is right. He said: God
knows a bad boy as we'll as anyone else.
You don't have to tell Him about it
morning. noon and night. 1t isn't Cos
pel-lts gossip. 1t amt proper to Cos
sip with The Almighty"
My dear sir. l don't see the relev-
ancy. Carr is a scoffer. Surely you
are not coming to his way of thinking.
lit is unbelievable"
Nevertheless. my dear friend, it has
occurred to me that if God knows the
bad boy, He's equally discerning with
respect to the good boy"
II am quite confident, and always
have been, that Eric is a good boy, MIR.
Blagden," said Mr.. Presbrey stiffly.
tie, far off criticism.
UNDERSTAND me. please, l do not re-
gret the methods we have pursued in
showing him the right path. We've done
all we could, Presbrey. He will keep
to that path if he SO desires. If he con-
1870 " "ahdef away lioin IL, l uoA .
believe God or man is going to stop
i m It's the thing in here that will
keep him straight. God made the
strong and he made the weak. They go
the way which is easiest. The strong
go up, the weak go down. We cant
guide them beyond a certain point.
They cast us off. The strong don't
need us n the weak despise US"
Mr.. Presbrey left in a state of great
depression. He had suffered What he
was tempted to consider a personal loss.
A pillar in his temple was Wobbling. 1t
was the most impeccable pillar, at that,
If the metaphor may be allowed. If
Horace Blagden bent ever so slightly,
1t was extremely doubtful if he, as
Gods artisan. could hope to restore
that portion of the temple to its for
aner strength and usefulness. If Horace
Saw fit to bend. the whole of the per
feet edifice must needs sag with him.
Small pillars always are forced to lean
in the direction in which they are
pushed by the larger ones, and some
times they tumble and disintegrate.
That was the trouble with the church,
the world over, said Mr.. Presbrey. Too
many monoliths.
And. l am sorry to say, Mr.. Pres
brey felt that he himself had been very
much put pom by Mr.. Blagden in the
matter of the little Mtdthornes. Some
how, he always has suspected himself
of being a sort of catspaw. Now he
was quite sure of it. Remorse for their
treatment Of the children seemed to
have seized upon the Blagdens. Unless
he was mistaken in Mr.. Blagden, that
gentleman, in chastising himself, was
now cody shifting a rather trouble
some burden so that it might appear to
rest on other shoulders. In so many
words, so to speak, Horace had given
him to understand that his prayers
would be wasted, that they might just
as well be dispensed with. 1t was rath.
er hard to hear ones earnest prayers
cataloged as gossip.
Mr.. Presbrey's heart was sore as he
STROBE up the garden path leading te
his own doorway. His wife noted thu
faint flush IN his cheeks as he entered
the sitting room.
Have they had any news of Chet
wynd?" she asked.
my DEAR said her husband, sitting
down rather heavily. and quite ignor
ing her question, Il have come to the
sorrowful conclusion that it is retri
button after all. God can and will pun
ish those who make use of His office:
to further their own ends"
She vas startled. "Retribution
Ends?"
"Mr. Blagden is paying. [ firmly be
lieve, for his Christian like treat
ment of his sisters children. Yes, i
Is ~retribution," said he. staring at tn,
floor.
come" said she, her lips Tightening
Her husband had not said it in 81
many words. but she was shrewt
enough to see that his visit had no
been q pleasant one. "They are suci
les children. And look at Chetwynd
Goodness mel That was as near t.
blasphemy as she ever yentured.
uor h,,cho foco hriobfaraJ sT
If we had worked as hard over Chef
wynd as we did over Eric and Mary
we-well. who knows?"
1--WE couldn't have saved that DO,
with all the prayers in Christendom,
she announced flatly.
"Oh, my dear! You forget what
"I don't forget anything. God Him
self couldn't save a Blagden if he didn'
want to be saved
"Sh! My dear, hat is positively sac
ri-no, it is worse han sa%crilegious. l
Is profane. 1 am sorry to hear"
do you know what I'd do, Arthur
If 1 were in our placer she interrupt
this very thing. There is a moral t
be taught, an example to be set.
wouldn't be afraid Of Horace Blagden.
II am not afraid Of Mr.. Blagden,
said her husband testify. II shall no
take unfair advantage of him. however
1 is III IbouDlC. L iltCuS NY pIlNdl
ministrations, not public contumely
No. my dear, I shall go to him tomor
row and the day after. Even such a
Horace Blagden can be of contrit
heart"
"You might include Rena Blagden,
said Mrs. Presbrey. "By the way. wha
did Horace say to your"
"Sh!" said Mr.. Presbrey, with a quicl
glance in the direction of the dining
room. Don't speak so loudly. Maggi
is setting the table"
"She never repeats anything sh
hears here, Arthur. Besides, why SHOULD
we care so long as she is truthful
I nave the utmost confidence in Mag
gle Green. 1 don't believe that womal
ever uttered a falsehood In her life
Oh. that reminds me. She saw Chef
wynd on the way to the station tina
very evening, and spoke to him."
Eric" said Mary. a few days befor
he went up to Cambridge. why ar
you SO hateful to Joan? You haven
been near her in weeks, and you seer
to avoid her everywhere we go"
HAS she said anything to you abou
it?" he asked. uncomfortable. He wa
very unhappy over Joan. The pain tina
his resolve had brought upon him wa
almost more than he could bear. ~
heart ached for her. The hour of bills
had been so short, and she would no
understand WHY IL had ended. Their