The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-09-14
CHAPTER V-Continued.

"An audacious piece Of work. Half
the women in this vicinity suffered.
Most Of them are my parishioners."
"Ahw breathed Elinor, 81 am sorry"
Ward shrugged his shoulders rueful-
ly. 'It 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 q
pearl necklace and q wonderful pear
shaped pink PEARL
as shea wealthy woman?"
every, 1 believe"
'Then Is it such 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. II daresay we all
think we could use the other fellows
possessions better than he does"
Elinor persisted, frowning little.
'Things are SO terribly mixed up"
she said. eff you could know the things
that 1 know"-Ward looked family
amused-"the people who are fighting
for a principle, and have nothing to
fight with fighting for life sometimes
A good half of the world, you know,
just struggles along. and the other half
is so SNUG, so satisfied; it's-it's hor-
rible."
Mr.. Ward stared at her.
"How in the world do you come by
such thoughts?' he demanded.
"Tve never known anything else;
was brought up on the injustice of
things. You have your poor here in
the parish, but you see 1 was brought
I'D with the poor of all the world. l
am afraid I'm always for the under
dog
Rather startled was Rev. Mr.. Ward
that summer afternoon on the terrace
at the Hall, startled and puzzled.
"Down in our hearts," he said, 'per-
haps we are all of US for the under
dog. But how does that excuse my
bandits?:
This Mrs. Bryant-how much do
you suppose you are going to lose for
your poor by her loss?"
"Not so much, but enough. She had
promised a lot of things. She called
up this morning to say that it was all
off," He started to say that all bets
were off, but decided that it was I'M
clerical and changed it. But didn't
come here to worry you about myself
or the parish. l think you should not
be here alone"
Elinor looked down over the village.
"Then perhaps, after all, it would be
better if I married at once"
"Ah! You are to be married?"
"N0w that my. father is gone" said
Elinor wistfully, sit seems the best
thing. And-I should like children.
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
off his heart pounded in his ears. "To
marry because one is alone, or needs
friends-is a flimsy foundation to build
on"
Once again Elinor surprised him.
1lSIC nave DteIl lew IcuIly SIedi
passions in the world" she said. 81
could almost count them on my fingers.
The rest of US seem to get along with
out"
perhaps there are more than we
hear about. Every now and then. in
my work, l come across something SO
much greater than l had expected, self
sacrifice, love, charity, as to justify my
faith in mankind"
Your faith!" Elinor said softly.
"That is what I envy you-your faith
Not only your faith in your kind, but
the other sort"
Faith, hope and chartty-and the
greatest Of these is faith. Alas for old
Hilary, who had not kept his
II had a governess once who had
that sort of faith; it was great COM
fort to her. But 1 sit here on my hill
side, and it seems to me that spread
out at my feet is all the injustice and
cruelty and hatred in the world. And
your God allows 1t all. My father tried
to believe-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.
Rather surprised, he let it go at that.