The Press., 1916-04-26

train for home. Within a week he re
 ceived a note from the bishop that all
 had been arranged, and straightway
 Mir. Baxter began to prepare himself for the coming ordeal.
 Easter Sunday falling in a spring
 month Is apt to be pleasant. The East
 CT that Baxter preached his trial ser
 mon opened bright and beautiful. He
 arrived at the station at Masonia to
 meet an auto sent for him by the lady
 whose church he was to preach in and
 was conveyed to her house. She was
 a Mrs. Mason. Her family owned ev-
 erything in sight of the center of the
 village, and hence its name.
 On Baxter's arrival at the Mason
 homestead he was ushered into draw
 ing room. where he waited for some
 one to receive him. A heavy curtain
 draped an east window, and Baxter,
 desirous of letting in the sunlight, went
 to it and pulled it aside. What was
 his astonishment to uncover a girl.
 The blood rushed into her cheeks and
 she boltea for the door. Then the cu-
 rate heard her running upstairs.
 Surely" he remarked to himself,
 this whole affair is amazing. It's my
 opinion that in following the bishops
 advice I have acted very foolishly. No
 good can come of it.
 In a few minutes more a mddle aged or, rather. elderly. woman entered the room. She was dressed in a most ab- surd fashion. It struck Baxter that she had riggcd herself out to make her self look young, and nothing is more grotesque than an old face decked in the trappings of youth.
 'T am Mrs. Mason" she said, ad- vancing and graciously extended heI hand. 'The bishop has spoken very highly of you, not only of your talents, but of your Christian qualities. He as sured me that. l will not need to look further for rector
 Baxter bowed. Inwardly he said You'll have to look a good deal fur ther for a husband" Outwardly he told the lady that the bishop haG doubtless raised false expectations of him. Then the lady told him that whoever was selected as rector for heI church would be untrammeled by those cliques that are so intOlerable to clergy men. Indeed. she had determined that the edifice should be used for those who need a church, but cannot afford to build one It should be free to all As to the rector. he was not to be in stalled till there was every reason tC hnt ha fha fnr. tho place. and once installed he could not be driven out. as the lady expressed 1t. ''by a lot of clattering spinSters," fol be would be part owner of the prop erty.
 When she said this the lady looked down at the floor. causing her listener to believe that she referred to the condition attached to the 
 While they were chatting the auto was announced. and Baxter and Mrs. Mason were driven to the church. He found an indiscriminate congregation nearly all being poor per sons, judging from their dress and ap- pearance. There was something so little to his taste in the affair that he was not his usual self. He got through the service we'll enough, but when he came to the sermon there beneath him was the curious looking Mrs. Mason and in the same pew with her the girl he had found secreted behind the cur tain. When the latter glanced up at him, which she seldom did, she looked The natural consequence of all this was that he bungled his ser mon, and, what made the matter worse, he could see plainly that Mrs. Mason was grievously disappointed in him.
 After the services Mrs. Mason drove the curate back to her residence speaking a word to him on the way. He wondered what would be the she had promised of any nan holding pulpit with her for his wife, even though he owned half of he church. He was not sorry that she vas dissatisfied with him. He would ,e relieved of telling her that he would | lecline the honor of the appointment | with the coEdition attached.
 On reaching the house Baxter was eft in the drawing room again. while | 'Irs. Mason went upstairs. He heard | 'oices above in what sounded like | minated discussion. One voice he reg ,gniZed as Mrs. MasOn's. The other | vas also that of woman. but seemed | o belong to young person. Baxter vas too much of q gentleman to listen O what was said and closed the door between him and the disputants.
 Baxter wondered if the girl he had | surprised and had seen at church | would be at dinner She came to the | able late and looked much disturbed | When the curate was introduced she