The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-09-06

speaking through q window 20 the
empty terrace.
Miss Elinor," she called. miss
ElinorI"
Elinor let her go. When her shut
fling footsteps had died away, Elinor
took the receiver down again, and
called the assistant rector's house. But
this time she spoke directly into the
transmitter.
This is Elinor Kingston, Mr.. Ward.
I wonder If you are very tired to-
night7"
II? Tired? I'm never tired"
Because I am thinking of asking
you to come up. There are some
things I want to talk about, questions
that r troubling me. I know it is
late, but"
II saw you at the early service. OF
course I'll come up"
He had seen her theni
"Ill do my best" he was saying. "Of
course, you know I may disappoint
you. These questions, that come from
within, must be answered in the same
way. But I'm coming at once"
Elinor's battle was only half fought,
but she had a great sense of relief.
Let him meet Walter on the way. So
much the better. Let Huff know that
Ward was out, and the offering pre-
sumably unguarded. He might hate
the man, but no hope Of a running
fight with him would deter him from
his main object, the money.
To save Ward, she was willing, even
anxious, to let Walter succeed.
Women sometimes meet large crises
with small vanities. But Elinor had
no vanity. Without so much as q
glance at the mirror she went out in
to the garden to listen for Wards step
on the road. She knew his walk al
ready; the forceful, certain step Of an
energetic and p%urposeful man.
The illuminated dial on the steeple
Of the Baptist church showed some
thing after ten when Ward finally
came up the hill. The relief Of seeing
him unframed sent Elinor down the
terrace steps with both hands out.
Before he could take them, Ward was
obliged to stoop and deposit on the
ground at her feet q small box that
he carried.
1.-THE morning collection" he said
smiling, and took her hands in his.
Her quick alarm showed in her face.
but you r reckless! To go about
with SO much money"
Ward was following her up the
steps.
II dare say it is safer with me than
any place else in the world. Did any
one ever hear of an assistant rector
going about with a fortune in his
handT"
He followed her into the library and
placed the box on the great table
where old Hilary had been wont to
divide the annual earnings Of the band.
Ward pointed to it with his humorous
smile.
"Would anyone suspect" he said,
shat in that box there is a stone par
ish house, a new church organ, and a
children's Playground"
Then, glancing at her with keen
eyes, he was struck by her pallor.
"You to ask me if I am tired!" he
cried. "Why you poor child, it is you
who r worn out. Wouldn't it be bet
ter to have me come tomorrow and go
over the things ~you-spoke about?"
II think we had better talk about
them now," said Elinor, desperately
calm.
At a quarter before eleven that Sum-
day night, old Henriette, bent on her
evening task of sending Elinor to bed,
wandered into the library. She found
Ward, his earnest face glowing, ex-
pounding the tenets Of his faith from
the edge of his chair; and Elinor ~
Ing back with her face drawn, watch
ing the clock on the mantel.
Old Henriette, astounded, withdrew,
not to sleep, but with the wakeful
alertness Of old age, to wander up and
down the garden paths until such time
as Elinor's visitor might leave.
Ward suddenly realized that he was
making small Roadway. When at last
he caught Elinor's eyes on the clock
he flushed and ~
1--WE done it all very badly" he
said. II seem to wander all about
and. not get anywhere. You see it's
all so real to me-"
ElinOr had leaned back with closed
eyes.
1T is all very terrible to me-" she
replied. "This God of vengeance"
"This God Of tenderness and mercy"
Ward supplemented. "Don't you see
what it all means? How terrible this
life would be if this were all! Our
little lives, full Of %jealousies and
hatreds and crimes: I bringing that
box, over there on the table, up here
with me tonight, because I dare not
trust it to my fellow men; I who could
not sleep last night for thinking Of
you, who are all that is good and sweet
and tender, up here alone in this great
house, with God knows what langer