The Green Forest tribune., 1916-02-18
CHAPTER XVilI-Continued.

NT attend vestry meeting now and then, . he replied, and then he laughed ehortly. 'I'd rather do business with .fcrty corporations than with one ves- .try. A church always expects to con- duct it's share of the negotiations on .a strictly commercial basis, while it .expects you to mingle little charity with your end of the transactions"
 #"The Vedder court property" she |Guessed, with a slight contraction of her brows.
 8sStill after it." said Allison, and talked of other matters.
 Jim Sargent returned, and glancing Into the little reception tete-a-tete as hes passed, saw Allison and came back.
 "I didn't expect to see you so soon," wandered Allison.
 S%We broke up in row." laughed Jim Sargent. Clark and Chisholm were willing to accept your price, but the rest of us listened to Doctor Boyd land Nicholas Van Ploon, and fell. We 1nsist on our cathedral, and Doctor 60gd's plan seems the best way to ksS it, though even that may necessi-
 te four or five years delay"
 x Whats his plan?" asked Allison. @ Rebuilding, returned Sargent. "We ean put up tenements good enough to pass the building inspectors and to last fifteen years. With the same rents we are now receiving, we can |oHer them better quarters, and, as Doctor Boyd suggested, redeem our selves from some of the disgrace of ms whole proceeding. Clever. sen gible idea, think"
 Gail was leaning forward, with her qngers clasped around her knee: her prOWn eyes had widened, and little red spot had appeared in either cheek. ger red lips were half parted. as she looked up in wonder at her Uncle Jim. Ae'0
 ' Is that the plan upon which they nave decided?" and Allison looked at his watch. M well. hardly" drowned Sargent .MWe couldn't swing Clark and Cbis. noim. At the last minute they sue. |gested that we might build lofts and Ene impending fracas seemed too ser. gus to take up just now, so we've LRpled the whole thing"
 Allison smiled. and slipped bis watch back in his pocket
 It's fairly definite, however +b.t Eou won't sell," he concluded
 
 ssnt: If we took your money. Doctor soyd would be too old to preach in tbo new cathedral" 'ne
 lie pull 1t through some way" aa- eiAred Allison. He's as smart whip" n"i' as a
 Nelther gentleman had noticed Gail pne had settled back in her chair dnr. ne these last speeches, weary and ustiess, and overcome with son.a 'N some humiliation too evasive to ho 5operly framed even in thought sho sense that she had given .n,au
 mething vastly precious, and which 9uio never be valued. Neither did
 py notice that she changed sudden1u
 feiief' She had been Justified in nM decision. 'o Ill
 ohe LOOK the reins of conversotio,
 rseif after Uncle Jim had left and sntertalned Allison so brightly tb.t I ho en with impatience at the tea s nar.., .u Rnlch monopolized her.
 Later, when Rev. Smith pous Fopped in, he met with a surnrisinS no disconcerting vivacity. In his avas here were pain and suffering and ,''
 pressible hunger, but in hers there
 only dancing frivolity; little too Rpllent, perhaps, if he had been wise
 2ugh to know; but he was not ne study door was open when late
 evening Houston Van Ploon ga aRseiy escorted Mrs. Davies and Gail
 the library, one of those rooms cn appoint themselves the instinc- Re iounglng places of all family inti-
 tes- Gail turned up her big eyes in 1rkiing acknowledgment as the punc-
 sous Van PloQn took her cloak and
 Athat moment, as she stood grace 9nS poised, sne caught the gaze of MY Smith Boyd fixed on her with 4en infinite longing that it distressed
 She did not want him to suffer.