The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-11-25
CHAPTER XXIII.-(Continned.)
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Soh I w ~, MISS joan, Salu lie
s~tukaornly, but with an effort TO sub
due the wistful look in his old eyes.
Nothing would please me better. I'd
love = do 1T. But it amt right, as Mr..
KING says. l got to go by what he
says"
Eric assumed an air of severity. DO
you mean to say that the church has
been meddlng with your affairs?"
Meddlng?" gasped JabeZ.
Yes, sir, meddling.'
Go long with you, Eric" exclaimed
Jabez helplessly. Lies is lies"
And MI. King has put the land of
bigotry on YOU life? in fine scorn.
What's that?" demanded Jabez,
bristling.
Don't tease, Eric" interposed Joan.
The church has a great deal to
answer for" insisted M%idthorne. Med
ding like this with a mans business"
.Business?" murmured Jabez.
Who's business?"
isn't it your business to make peo-
pie happy?"
Well, | guess it's Mr.. Kings bust
ness, too" said he ~resignedly. He
truth about things and / see things in
a new way from wha l used to. Old
Presbrey stretched the truth so that it
looked mighty 1ishy to me Mr.. King
puts it in a nutshell. If he says it's
wrong to lie. why it is, that's all. Dang
i I eui, AZ GA plouSd VII LuOuSly, L llSNe l
see a pirate in my life. Nor a hand
some princess either" John Payson
spoke, with a twinkle in his eyes. do
you believe that everything in the bible
is true, Uncle Jabe?"
Jabez glared at him. "Ill believe it
all until some of you smart Alexis prove
it amt. l used to laugh al that tale
says it's paregorical. L told him no.
body could make me believe a Teller
could live inside a whales belly-bible
er no bible. He said he didn't believe
it either, It's just a paryble."
The are joking with you. Uncle
of course. we are" cried Eric
warmly. We will not ask you to tell
us n more lies. Mir. King is right.
But o surely can't object to telling US
Il few true stories"
Jabez Carr Wondered. WELL" he
tald at last and with conviction, "a
.tory amt wuth tellin' unless it's u
Ie.' Then, to change the subject,
which was more dangerous than he
cared to admit: "XVhen do you start
iIric?"
And so, instead of being entertained
by him on this Sunday afternoon, they
were content and eager to discuss their
own intimate affairs for his especial
benefit. thereby doing much toward the
supE~~t of Mi. Kings missionary eff
forts and at the same time adding con-
siderable to their own estimate of what
HEAVIER really is.
Jabez succeeded in g%rasping a few
OF the more important details; a thou
rand trivial points escaped him. BY
tlnt of questioning, he gath
cred that the ground was to be broken
next week for the Bright mansion; that
the plans for The great public library
We're we'll under way; that Jack and
Mary wnra IN live in Maui vorl1 Ci+,,.
that Eric and Joan We're to make Cor
NTH their home for a few years, at
least; that the Widow Payson would
Eot hear of Adams removal to a sani-
forum in the A~dirondacks; that Mr..
Presbrey and Mr.. King were bosom
leader in the reconstructed First
Church, and very sure about it; that
Mi. Blagden was a greater man than
ever before; that Mrs. Blagden was an
angel: that Corinth would be put on
the map to stay; that the world was a
very wonderful abiding place, after all.
One secret remained untold. He was
never to know that one of the tall
young men who sat there glibly talking
was his own grandson.
He walked with them to the gate
when the dusk of night began to fall.
1t had been a great afternoon for him.
but a distressingly short one. Yes. they
seemed to be growing shorter all the
time. He leaned on the bars and
watched them until they We're out Of
sight among the trees.
Funny thing" he unused, "but I { can't
remember being so keen about things
when l was their age. Times must
have changed q whole lot. Still, I
wonder. 1t was a long while ago. I
guess a young Teller is a young Teller.
no matter where o put him"
Their he went back. clucking to the
SQUIRRELS:
Adam Carr. propped up In his wheel
chair. eyed a dark and threatening
sky from the tiny lawn in front of the
Widow Payson's house in Handy
street. There was an alertness in ais
eyes that coEtrasted sharply with the
inertness of his body, which sagged in
the depths of the chair. Late after
noon winds came gently up from the
sea, bringing GOODNESS to relieve the
heat of this blistering day in May.
Passers-by bespoke him from the
sidewalk. along which they hurried in
advance OF the approaching storm.
Riding at anchor in a safe cove,"
said Adam to himself and of himself.
Mrs. Payson came to the porch.
II think we'd better have the nurse
get you int the house, ADAM" she
said.
He looked wistfully at the sky. I'D
N " - OWN iCiiSiliAlS, ilC Sdlu
to her. 1T can't hurt me-"
Nonsense" she said. Don't be
silly" She went into the house to call
the nurse.
He grumbled. "a little rain won't
spoil me. You'd think 1 was a lump of
sugar instead OF clay"
The nurse and Mrs. Payson lifted
the chair to the tiny front porch.
I'll stay out here. If you please" he
said, until it really begins to rain. I
like the rush of the wind. Don't
worry. / won't blow away. I'm an
chored, safe enough"
They left him to wait for the sweep
of the storm. Who can tell of the
thoughts, h bitter conflict of thoughts,
ran through the keep, active brain
OF this Wonderful mar as he sat there
glowering at a sky no blacker than his
mood?
There was life in the wind that swept
his GRIM. eSpressionless face; there
was strength Ia the way it came up to
smite him. to faress him. to tantalize
him.. He Sopensd his mouth and drank
1t in. and held his breath as IL to keep