The Green Forest tribune., 1916-01-14
CHAPTER Xi-Continued.

For just one second the rectors mother felt an impulse to shake Tod Boyd Gail Sargent was young lady of whom any young man might ap- prove-and what was the matter with Tod? She was beginning to be humili- ated by the fact that, at thirty-two. he had not lost his head and made fool of himself, to the point of tight shoes and poetry, over girl.
 Why" and the voice of Mrs Boyd was not cold as she had meant it to be. She had suddenly felt some tug of sympathy for Tod.
 Well. for one thing, she has a most disagreeable lack of reverence" he stated.
 "Reyerence?" and Mrs. Boyd knitted her brows. T don't believe you quite understand her She has the most beautifully simple religious faith that l have ever seen, Tod"
 The Rev. Smith Boyd watched his soup disappearing, as if it were some curious moving object to which his at tention had just been called.
 Miss Sargent claims to have new religion" he observed. She has said most unkind things about Market Square church. She says that it is a strictly commercial institution, and tb t~ss ss =. s4x 5. V new cathedral is vanity"
 He omitted to mention Calls further charge that his own motive in desiring the new cathedral was personal ambi- tion. Candor did not compel that ad- mission. It did not become him to act from piqued personal pride.
 Mrs. Boyd studied him as he gazed somberly at his fish, and the wrinkles once more returned to her eyes, as she made up her mind to cure Tod s irritability.
 T am ashamed of you" she told hee son. This girl is scarcely twenty If l remember rightly, and I'm sure that l do, you came to me, at about twenty, and confessed to logical disbelief in the theory of creation, which included, of course, disbelief in the Creator. You were an inidel, an atheist. You were going to relinquish your studies and give up all thought of the church"
 The deep red of the Rev Smith Boyd's face testified to the truth of this cruel charge, and he pushed back his fish permanently.
 T most humbly confess" he stated and indeed he had writhed in spirit many times over that remembrance However, mother, 1 have since dis covered that to be transitional stage through which every theological stu dent passes"
 Yet you won't allow it to a girl" charged Mrs. Boyd. with the severity which she could much better have ex- pressed with laugh. When you dis cover that this young lady, who seems to be in every way delightful, is so misled as to criticize the motives of Market Square church, you withdraw into your dignity, with the privilege of a layman, and announce that you do not approve of her. What she needs. Tod, is religious instruction"
 She had carefully ironed out the tiny little wrinkles around her blue eyes by the time her son looked up from the profound cogitation into which this reproof had thrown him.
 Mother, have been wrong" he admitted, and he seemed ever so much brighter for the confession He drew his fish toward him and ate it.
 Later the Rev. Smith Boyd present ed himself at James Sargent's house, with a new light shining in bis heart; and he had blue eyes. He had come to show Gail the way and the light. If she had doubts, and lack of faith. and fippant irreverence, 1t was his duty to be patient with her, for this was the fault of youth. He had been youthful himself.
 Calls eyelids dropped and the cor ners of her lips twitched when Rev. Smith Royds name was brought up to her. but she d:d her hair in another way, high on her head instead of low on her neck, and then she went down. bewildering, in her simple little dark blue velvet cut round at the neck.
 {. was afraid that your voice was out" remarked Gail, in tone sug- gestive of the fact that that would De tragedy indeed: and she began haul