Middletown transcript., 1917-09-01
CHAPTER V-continued.

AN audacious piece Of work. Half
NE women in this vicinity suffered.
Host Of them are my parishioners."
"Ah" breathed Einor Il am sorry"
Ward shrugged his shoulders rueful-
IJ. SIT means, dare say, that the poor
Of the parish will get less than ever
This year Mrs Bryant, for instance,
who has always been generous, lost a
pearl necklace and a wonderful pear
shaped pink pearl"
SIS shea wealthy wOman?"
"yery, I believe"
'1Then is it such a terrible thing for
her to lose the pearl? Perhaps these
Bandits, as you call them, think they
could use these things better than the
people who owned them"
Ward smiled. Il daresay we all
think we could use the other fellows
possessions better than he does"
Elinor persisted, frowning q little.
Things are SC terribly mixed up"
she said. "If you could know the things
that l know"-Ward looked family
amused-"the people who are fighting
for a principle, and have nothing to
Aght with, fighting lor life sometimes
A good half of the world, you know,
just struggles along, and the other half
5s so SNUG, so satisfied; it's-it's hor-
.sble."
Mr. Ward stared at her.
'How in the world do you come by
such thoughts?' he demanded.
i've never known anything else; l
was brought up on the injustice of
things. You have your poor here in
The parish, but you see I was brought
up with the poor of all the world. l
am afraid I'm always for the under
dog"
Rather startled was Rev. Mr.. Ward
Mat summer afternoon on the terrace
mt the Hall, startled and puzzled.
~fDown in our hearts," he said, "per-
Anps we are all Of us for the under
dog. But how does that excuse my
bnndits?"
'This Mrs. Bryant-how much do
you suppose you are going to lose for
your poor by her loss?"
mot so much, but enough. She had
promised a lot of things. She called
ap this morning to say that it was all
of." He started to say that all bets
we're off, but decided that it was un-
clerical and changed it. "But didn't
come here to worry you about myself
o. the parish. think you should not
be here alone"
Elinor looked down over the village.
Then perhaps, after ALL it would be
Better if 1 married at once"
"Ah! You are to be married?"
snow that my father is gone," said
ElinOr wistfully, sit seems the best
ching. And-I should like children. I
have no friends, except perhaps you"
Ward strove to keep his voice steady,
and matter-of-fact.
Marriage is so serious-so vital
thing" He was trying to be calm and
judicial. But his voice sounded far
of his heart pounded in his ears. "To
marry because one is alone, or needs
friends-is flimsy foundation to build
On"
Once again Elinor surprised him.
''There have been few really great
passions in the world" she said. II
could almost count them on my fingers.
The rest of US seem to get along with
cut"
perhaps there are more than we
Near about. Every now and then, In
7Dy work, l come across something so
much greater than had expected, self
sacrifice, love, charity, as to justify my
faith in mankind"
"Your faithW Elinor said softly.
That is what envy you-your faith.
Not only your faith in your kind, but
She other sort"
Faith, hope and charity-and the
greatest Of these Is faith. Alas for old
Hilary, who had not kept his!
Il had a governess once who had
that sort Of faith; it was a great COM
1DGt to her. But I sit here on my hill
side, and it seems to me that spread
cut Mt my feet is all the injustice and
cruelty and hatred in the world. And
yvHr God allows 1t all. My father tried
10 Selieve-tried Lard, but he said that
when he asked for bread they gave him
q stone"
DO you know who said that?"
MY father" said Elinor.
Father surprised, he let 1t go at that.