The Lamar register., 1917-09-12
ELDERS TOP BUTTON
BY LESTER THOMAS.

| little brown house at the foot Of the
hill. Miss Faith conducted a genteel
home bakery. Here the Ladies' Aid So
ciety met at stated intervals, and the
local Temperance union held It's month
ly rallies.
Grace had stopped at the house on
her walk up from the village to make
her usual outburst against fate and
also to buy some of Miss Faiths
whipped cream cake to take home TO
the colonel.
81 think it's perfectly terrible" she
said, "for the elder to deal In horses.
l know perfectly well that last Sunday
after church he told young Lem Rob
bins that he'd buy that sOrrel mare of
his, and inside of two days he'd sold
her to old Mrs. Newell and made S25.
1t isn't respectable. Dad says that If
he wants to be n horse trader he had
better give up his job as elder. What
do you think, Miss Faith?"
'Well, / don't know" she answered.
81 don't think he had any right to
trade on the Lords day. Horse swap
ping always did seem to me kind Of
grown-up boys play. He's a real good
man, and there aln't nothing against
ever since he was boy he's done just
us he pleased, and nobody to say him
nay. It's good for every one to obey,
more or less"
did you know him when he was a
boy?" asked Grace eagerly. dad says
he WIS awfully good-looking. Even
now, think he Is, with that iron-gray,
curly hair, and the brown eyes with a
twinkle in them. It's queer he's never
married. Do you believe what they
say about him and Lll1ah Thompson
81 don't listen to gossip" answered
Miss Faith, dellcately, but, all the
same, after Grace had gone away with
her cream cake she thought of what
she had said.
Faith stopped cooking as the front
doorbell tinkled lightly announcing n
customer in her tiny shop. Before
answering this summons she put on a
white apron and pinned up n few
curls which cooking over the fire had
1lsarranged.
1t was David. Dressed in his suit
1f corduroys, high brown shoes laced
to his knees, and a brown slouch hat,
he looked more like the boy she had
known than the elder of Bethany
,hurch.
I've been fishing" he said. would
you accept u fine string of pickerel,
Miss Faith?"
Faith looked at him from head to
foot with manifest disapproval in her
brown eyes. His hat needed brushing,
his clothes were worn and dusty, and
the top button of his coat was miss
ing. He sat down on the edge Of the
counter, leaning toward her on the
other side, and, somehow, he found
himself telling his troubles. He had
gone fishing in such garb deliberate
y, with malice aforethought, meaning
to shock Walpole Center out of its
SNUG little notions. And, all at once,
The fiat truth came out.
DO you know" he asked, "that the
church committee called Il meeting
this afternoon about met"
whats the meeting fort" she asked.
isn't It about Lillah and you, or just
the horse tradlng7'
'Lillah and meT" he repeated in
imazement. 'why, Falth-Faith-
You don't mean that?" He caught at
her wrist and gripped it hard. you
ion't think I'm that sort, do your
Have you forgotten, Faith7 I've only
asked you about twenty times to mar
ry me. You've always said no. Now
I don't care what happens! If they
put me out of the church, I'll go away.
believe in freedom, first Of ALL"
Faiths eyes filed with sudden tears.
She turned on him with one of her
rare bursts of anger.
: yes" she repeated. you believe
In freedom, no matter how 1t hurts
yourself and those who love you best.
[ refused you fifteen years ago, Dave,
because you were wild, and you took
revenge on me by getting religion and
joining the church. Have they got
anything special against your
"Only that someone saw Lillah sew
button on my coat one day. Fearful
evidence, isn't it?'
Faith glanced out of the window.
Along the road leading to the village
came several women. The minister's
wife was leading and they all headed
for the little home bakery, to call for
Eoith on their yny IN the church