The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-17
COMPOSING HIS SINS
BY ELSIE DESMOND.
1915 by W. G. ChapmanJ

ished During the forty years IN WHICH
he had had charge of the churcn NJ
had never been absent a single sun
day. He had the largest and most
popular church in the little town, anu
had married at least half the adult
inhabitants He had baptized per-
haps quarters of the children
and had watched them grow up
from blinking, squalling infants into
hard.headed men and comely women
or otherwise.
And now Rev. John Curtice was 10
take holiday.
I'm going to run up to New YORK
for a couple of weeks and see my
brother" he said I'VE haven't met
since we were boys. And maybe that
will give me leisure to think over
my novel,"
For almost as many years as he
had been pastor Rev. John Curtice
had been going to write his novel, a
great human novel of a minister's Ia
bors. 1t was known that he had got
as far as the middle OF the book, Dut
he always stuck there.
Yes, Miss Bennett he said to an
elderly spinster who was an ardent
member of his congregation. Il hope
to get my ideas in shape at last during
my vacation. And perhaps ! snail
come back a better man and bet
ter minister.
"Oh, no, Mr.. Curtice!" exclaimed
Miss Bennett.
II have made mistakes, | know,
Miss Bennett, I know. | have mar
ried people whom | should never have
in their hearts"
The fact was that Miss Bennett had
been working on the pastors mind for
long time, and had got him into
rather melancholy mood. According
to Miss Bennett there never was such
a town as Stapleville for matrimonial
dscord Miss Bennett ran to the
, minister with some tale of trouble
every week. If he had been less
charitable man he might have placed
tnC oil6lh VI manly vi thSoS otOii>o AAA
Miss Benefits mind. But, rather
overworked as he was, he attributed
to himself a good deal for which he
was in no wise to blame.
Two days later the locum tenens,
Mr.. Halford, arrived, was introduced
to the parishioners, and the pastor de,
parted
Then came the debacle, which was
to create more excitement in Staple
vile than a presidential election or
ropolitan Life tower-if it could fall
Miss Bennett was the retailer of this
choice piece of news,
Il heard him with my own ears
last night" she told the excited lis.
teners at the Dorcas meeting. Il
had gone to his house to ask him
whether he had told Mr.. Halford
about that new altar cloth We were
to have next Sunday, but seeing Mr..
Halford sitting with Mr.. Curtice by
the window, l naturally hesitated to
go in, being single woman. And
then heard Mr. Curtice say, in a most
solemn voice:
"Yes, l have deceived everybody
| have lived a lie all these years, but
now l can live 1t no longer, and l am
going away to hide my head from
these good people whom l have
wronged. have never been or.
dained minister. | am an impos
tori"
"Sakes alive, you must have been
dreaming, Bessie.' exclaimed Mrs.
Bates. Il met him on his way tc
the depot this morning, and l never
saw a cheerier man or one with the
look Of better conscience on hi:
, face"
The CONSERVATION in Stapleville car
be better imagined than described
, The whole town was buzzing abou
Mr.. EalfOrd's ears. In vain he pro
tested that, to the best of his belief
Mr.. Curtice was an ordained clergy
man; he told how highly he was es
teemed in the diocese. Finally a tel
egram was sent to the pastor urginI
him to return at once.
l He came on the next train, sensin,
: misfortune. He was met by an es
: cited crowd. They surrounded him
accusing, clamoring; they. followed
him to his home, and it was only whel
A.. he laid his proofs of ordination BIZ
J fore them that they turned upon Mis-
Bennett, who had prudently fled a
soon as she saw that Mr.. Curtice ha
e justified himself
l IF she were man, I'd shoot her
y said Horace Howard. sliding his arr
i round his wife's waist.
e And that's just where 1 agree wit
v YOU said Timothy Ranger, embra
. ing his wife openly in the presenc
of all
They were still in the pastors stud
= when little party of them returne,
u bringing with them the weeping an
lamenting Miss Bennett
Here is the mouth that spread tn;
story" cried her cartor, Mrs. Car
v the caretaker of the parish hous
Z. j And | was saying to her, it's up
" her to own in the presence Of yc
v all that it was a wicked invention
|, But I heard you. wept Miss Be
X nett. DO you dare to tell me, M
It Curtice. that you didn't tell Mr.. Hs
n ford you had never been ordained, al
n that your life had been a lie?"
a. Suddenly the pastor burst .cto
roar of laughter.
"Why-why-" he exclaimed, 81