Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-08
CHAPTER !.


Hilary Kingston hat been shot.
Old Hilary had been familiar fig.
ure In the village Of Nottingham for
years. The eccentricity of his gray
derby hat, his beetling gray brows, his
always fresh gray gloves, his erect
rather heavy old figure, singled him
out from the mass of commuters that
thronged the city trains. The gray
derby was part Of old Hilary. Ex-
cept on those rare occasions when he
attended service at Saint Judes he
was never seen without 1t.
He lived on the hill above the vii.
lage, with his daughter-had lived
there for ten years. The hall was
beautiful. but old Hilary received no
visitors, returned no advances. Visit
Ors thought this curious. The villagers
prosperous business men with smart
wives. shrugged their shoulders. The
mans house was his own. If he found
that he could do without the town,
the town could get along without him.
There was no mystery about the
hall, and little curiosity. Cars going
to the country club passed under the
brick wall Of its Italian garden. Their
occupants sometimes caught Il glimpse
OF Elinor Kingston there, reading In IL
rose arb0r, wandering among her
peonies and iris In the spring or cut
ting sprays Of phlox In midsummer.
The men thought her rather lovely;
the women, odd, With her blond hair
and dark eyes. The assistant rector
Ut Saint Jude's, newly come to the VII
laga, met her face to face GA one IL
his long country walks, Il month or so
before old Hilary's death, and could not
forget her.
He led the conversation to her that
night at Il dinner.
IAN exquisite face" he described
her "bCt sad. almost tragically sad
"Blondy' The lady on his right was
Mrs. Bryant. In honor Of the new
assistant rector, who came Of fine fam
lily and was II distinct acquisition to
the village, she wore the Bryant pear
shaped pearl. She spoke rather curt
ly. II should not call her exquisite
but you probably met Elinor Kingston.
Her sadness is II pose, believe; she
has everything she wants"
The assistant rector was young, but
very wise. So he spoke no more of
Elin0r until the women had left the
table. Then he ventured again.
Don't join the army of those of us
who worship from affair."" advised the
youth who had moved up beside him.
shes the lovelIest thing in this part
of the country. But, except our salntod
rector, no one ever gets to put foot
on the place. It's exclusiveness to the
nth power. and then some. There's
lot Of talk, of course, or used to be.
Old Kingston brings his servants from
New York. and except an elderly
hOusekeeper none Of them speak Eng
lIsh. They used to say around here
that he was refugee, but that's all
rot. He's a stingy old dotard, afraid
some handsome youth like myself will
captivate the girl. That's all there is
10 It."
The assistant rector, whose name
was Ward. smiled perfunctorlly. In
stead Of the cleaning table spread
with flowers and candles. with the gay
colors of cordlals and liqueurs, he was
seeing a girl standing at the turn of
country road and gazing down into the
valley and the distant village with
somber eyes.
Faith. hope and charity. and the
greatest of these Is faith. Faith in our
selves. faith in those around us, and
that subllmest faith of all which
trusts In something beyond. To all
men Is given such faith at the begin
ming Of life, and some keep 1t to the>
end. But here and there is one who
has lost 1t, who cannot turn his eyes
up and say Lord, Lord" Old Hilary
had not kept the faith.
Years ago he had not been evil. He
had gone from philosophy into unbe-
lief, that route which all must travel.
But, unlike the many, he had not come
back.
He had started with socialism, but
socialism must be founded on the
Christ, and him he scorned. So from
socialism hc had drifted to anarchy.
10 rob the rich and give to the poor,
at first. Later on, to rob the rich, to
incite sediti0ns, to arm the rebelious---
on, II was comprehensive enough, vast
ly wicked with that most terrible law
lessness Of I'LL that believes Itself law.