Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-08-04
CHAPTER !.

DERBY nat, MS DeetlluS gray UioWo, Aio
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 q part of old Hilary. TX
cept on those rare occasions when he
attended service at Saint Jude's he
was never seen without it.
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 nc
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 q glimpse
Of Elinor Kingston there, reading in
rose arbor, 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
of Saint Jude's, newly come to the VII
lage, met her face to face on one OF
his long country walks, month or SO
before old Hilary's death, and could not
forget her.
He led the conversation to her that
night at dinner.
can exquisite face" he described
her, "but sad, almost tragically sad.
"Blond?" The lady on his right was
a Mrs. Bryant. In honor of the new
assistant rector, who came of fine fam
'ily and was a distinct acquisition to
the village, she wore the Bryant pear
shaped pearl. She spoke rather curt
ly. 81 should not call her exquisite
but YOU probably met ElinOr Kingston.
Her sadness is pose, believe; she
has everything she wants"
The assistant rector was young, but
very wise. So he spoke no more OF
Elinor 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
"She's the Ioveliest thing in this par
of the country. But, except our saintec
rector, no one ever gets to put FOO
on the place. It's exclusiveness to the
nth power, and then some. There's
q lot of talk, of course, or used to be
Old Kingston brings his servants from
New York, and except an elderl!
housekeeper, none of them speak Eng
fish. They used to say around mere
that he was a refugee, but that's al
rot. He's a stingy old dotard, afraid
some handsome youth like myself vii
captivate the girl. That's all there il
| to it,"
The assistant rector, whose name
was Ward, smiled perfunctorily. In
| stead of the cleaning table, spread
with flowers and candles, with the ga!
colors of cordials and liqueurs, he wa'
seeing a girl standing at the turn of
country road and gazing down into thu
valley and the distant village will
somber eyes.
Faith, hope and charity, and thu
greatest of these is faith. Faith in our
selves, faith in those around US, ant
that sublimest faith of all which
trusts in something beyond. To al
| men is given such faith at the begin
| ming of life, and some keep it to tn
end. But here and there is one WHIT
has lost it, who cannot turn his eye
I'D and say Lord, Lord" Old Hilar,
had not kept the faith.
Years ago he had not been evil. FL
had gone from philosophy into unbe
lief, that route which all must travel
But. unlike the many, he had not com
back.
He had started with socialism, bu
socialism must be founded on tn
Christ, and him he scorned. So iron
socialism he had drifted to anarchy
To rob the rich and give to the poor
Mt first. Later on, to rob the rich, t
incite seditions, to arm the rebellious-
oh, it was comprehensive enough, vast
ly wicked with that most terrible law
lessness of all, that believes itself law
To pit his wits against the worl'
and win-that had been old Hilary
creed. "For the oppressed" had beel
OF first the slogan Of the band he gath
cred around him. Against the or
pressor" it became later on. Vastl
different the two. Most of huma
charity and kindness lay crushe
down and trampled underfoot durin
old Hilary's progress from Christ t
Antichrist.
The band had been gathered wit
much care. Responsibility, order, dc
rorum-these spelled safety to oil
Hilary's astute mind. Most of ther
we're younger sons Of English lande
families, with sprinkling of other nc
tionalities. Young Huff was an Aus
tralian, for instance, the son of
wealthy sheep-owner. Boroday tn
Russian-implicated in the bomt
throwing that destroyed the ministe
Of war-was q nobleman. Old Hilar
had got him out of Siberia durin
those early days when he righted what
to his crooked mind. were wrongs.
There were twelve In the band at th