The hummer. (Houston, Miss.) 1914-19??, 1917-09-28

Of 81. Jude's, makes a call Of coincidence
on Efinor. who consents to have her faith
Or buried from 81. Jude's In the Odor OF
eanctity. The chief Of police recognizes
NorOday and Il suspicious.
CHAPTER WATER the funeral the
band meet at the hall and agree to go on
rs before, lin acting In her fathers
stead. Huff asks Ei!nOr to marry him
and she consents, though she does not
love him. BOroday 10 arrested and threat
enAd.
CHAPTER V-Roroday in jail, Talbot
plans q raid on the Country club. The
friendship between Ward and ElInor
rtpens to something deeper. She enviea
him his faith.
! CHAPTER vI-Huh burns st. Jude's
parish house; Elinor offers to help re-
build It and Is angry with Hun.
no that she had forgotten rnaL rev
minutes in the garden, under the moon /;
but that had been an acddent-hardly
a call.
Talbot chuckled. But Huff was
Thinking hard. EIinor had been differ
ent lately, Il iit,tle softer. Ward rep
resented all that the nlea ElinOr knew
were nOt-law to their violence, order
> to their disorder. There was almost a
snarl in his voice.
He'd better stay down in his valley
with his old women" he said, "and
leave you alone. You don't need him."
"Tm not so sure Of that" Ellnor re-
piled quietly, and left him staring. .
Huff burned the parish house the
next night. He did 1t himself, without
the assistance Of the band. Into 1t he
put not only the devilish ingenuity Of
long experience, but his new hatred Of
Ward.
Church property is always easy Of
srcess. 1t wns the work Of five min
utes to crawl through a basement win
dow and of half an hour to make his
preparations.
He looked at his watch when he had
finished. 1t was just midnight. In two
hours, or before the fire began, he
&ou & be back in the city, establishing
bis allbi.
The flre-whlstles In the village
.wakened ElinOr at something after
o'clock. All of her room was
@71qItith the red glare OF the burn
Ing parish house. Old Henriette
Knocked at her door.
"The church is burning down in the
valley" she called, TITS a grand
Aght."
Ellnor was throwing on her clothing.
She must see Ward. She would sell
her pearls. She would build q new
parish house. She said this over and
OYER to herself as she struggled down
the hill.
new parish house, better than the
old, with plenty Ofroom for the chill
dren to play in! At least it was night,
md the children safe in their beds
thank God for that! She was too dis.
turbed to notice that she had thanked
the God in whom she did not believe.
The fire had gained too much head
way to be checked. All the efforts OF
the volunteer department and the small
engine we're directed toward saving
the church. For a time 1t seemed al II
Saint Jude's must go.
Elinor watched the destruction. II
seemed as though n band had fastened
Itself around her chest. Then she saw
Ward. He<Vas on the ridge,pole of the
church roof with a Ratchet. The ridge
pole was burning slowly. She could
zee him chOpping.
From that time she never took her
eyes away from him. Other men were
there. She did not see them. She saw
only Ward battling on the ridge-pole
and high above on the steeple the
sturdy cross Of his faith.
Once the men on the street below
turned the full force of the hose or
him. She saw him reel, saw him re
cover himself by a miracle.
The fire glare died into the dawn
Saint Jude's was saved. Behind 1t II
its park the charred skeleton Of thC
parish house showed how thoroughly
young Huff had done his work. No
until Ward had descended safely to thu
street did Ellnor relax.
Ward found her sitting in one Of tn
chairs along the pavement, her hail
still in Its long braid, her feet thrus
into slippers, her eyes red from lOnl
staring.
The fire engine was being dragget
away. The crowd had dispersed.
r Ward. blackened and depressed, wal
surveying the ruins with a heavy heart
He turned and saw the girl.
Just at first he was not sure Of her
He was always seeing her, mentally
Then he went toward her. his hanC
out.
lyon see," he said, ''what an houI
may bring forth" And then, "YOl
RECKLESS child. here in slippers"
II saw you on the roof" said ElinOT
barely able to articulate. "Once
thought You had fallen"
'They nearly got me-. It's rather sad
isn't It'll" He stood, bareheaded in tn
cool dawn, and surveyed the ruin.
People meet great crises simply.
\ She tried to find some word Of sym
Uathv to say. hut what was there, poo