Gilpin observer., 1916-02-17
CHAPTER XVII.
The Public 10 Aroused.

inc fuplc 10 Aroused.
Clad In her filmy cream lace gown,
Gail walked slowly into her boudoir,
and closed the door. and sank upon
her divan. She did not stop tonight to
let down her hair and change to her
dainty negligee, nor to punctiliously
straighten the room. nor to turn on
the beautiful green light; instead. with
all the electric bulbs blazing, she sat
with her chin In her hand, and, with
her body perfectly in repose. tried to
study the whirl of her mind.
She was shaken. she knew that,
shaken and stirred as she had never
been before. Something in the depths
OF her had leaped up into life. and
cried out in agony. and would not stop
crying until 1t was satisfied.
Il need you to walk hand in hand
with me about the greatest work in
the world!" That was it.; the greatest
work In the world! And what was
that work? To live and teach ritual
In place Of religion; to turn worship
into a social observance; to use help
less belief as ladder Of ambition:
TO reduce faith to words. and hope to
recitation. and charity to an obliga.
ton; to make pomp and ceremony q
substitute for conscience, and to inter.
pose secretary between the human
heart and God!
For just an instant Cats eyelids
dropped. her long brown lasles curved
upon her cheeks. while beneath them
her eyes glinted. and a smile touched
the corners Of her lips: then she was
serious again. No. she had decided
wisely.
There was knock on the door, and
Gail smiled again as she said:
Come in"
Mrs. Helen Davies en.ered, tall and
stately in her boudoir frills and
ruffies. She sat down In front of Gail
and prepared to enact the role of con.
scientious mother.
Doctor Boyd proposed to you to-
night" she charged. with afYectionate
authority.
Yes, Aunt Helen." and Gail began
to pull pins out OF her hair.
A worried expression crossed the
brow OF Aunt Helen.
did you accept him?" and she fair.
ly quivered with anxiety.
mo. Aunt Helen" Quite calmly
piling more hairpins and still more
into the little tray by her side, and
shaking down her ripping waves OF
hair.
Aun. Helen sighed q deep sigh of
relief and smiled her approval.
Gail. dear. you have shown a ia
gree of carefulness which am de-,
lighted to find In you II you handle
all your ahairn so sensibly. you bave
q brilliant future before you"
Il must be an awful worry to you
Aunt Helen" observed Gail, and walk
ing over. ste slipped her arm around
Mrs. Davies neck and kissed her and
looked around for her chocolate box
Calls maid came in. and Mrs. Da
vies bade her sisters niece good
night most cordially. and retired with
great load on her mind; and hal
an hour later the lights in Gair,
pretty little suite went out.
II she lay long hours looking out a
the pale stars; II. in the midst of he,
calm logic, she suddenly buried he,
face in her pillows and sobbed silent
N; II. toward morning. she awok,
with little cry to find her face an,
her hands hot. all these things wer,
but normal and natural. II is enough
to know that she came to her break
fast bright-eyed and rosy y-cheeked an,
smiling with the pleasant greetings o
the day. and picked up the paper
casually. and lit upon the newest sen
sation OF the free and entirely un
curbed metropolitan pressi
The free and entirely uncurbed me,
ropolitan press had found vedde
court and had made 1t the sudde
focus Of the public eye. Those fe,
who we're privileged to know int
mately the workings Of that adroi
master of the public welfare. Tim Coz
man. could have recognized cleari
his fine hand In the blaze OF notoriet
which obscure vedder court had SUD
Aenly received. After having en-
dured the contamination and conts
gioE. Of the Market Square church ter