The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-08-31
CHAPTER vi.

days position become that the band
met at the hall on Thursday of the
week after the country-club affair.
L~ethbridge was to get his instructions
Talbot wished to discuss his prospect.
After dinner. the night being warm,
they had their coffee on the terrace.
A summer storm had come up. All
Jude's.
Huff leaped to his feet.
1--WE got 1t! !" he said. "What is 1t
they call the big building back of the
church,"
None of the lei knew. 1t was, rs n
matter OF fact, the parish house. Leth-
bridge, however, knew its function.
"Fine prospect that! :" he drawled.
That's where the Sunday school is
held, and where they keep the plated
knives and forks for the church up
pers."
"It's n darned fine building" said
Huff. "What would they do if it burned
DOWN."
They were too unfamiliar with
church affairs to hazard a guess. Eli
nor, who had been sitting silent. sud-
denly voiced an objection to Huff's IN
spoken plan.
There must be some other way"
she said. '"Thc children-they have
sewing classes and entertainments for
the children there. It's the parish
house."
IF lightning struck the parish house
tonight" Huff said quite eagerly.
''This is Thursday. BY Sunday morn
ing they would be taking up a whack-
ing big collection to rebuild it."
The iden had taken hold of his imagi-
nation. Even the suggestion that a
large part of the offertory might be in
checks mattered not. But Elinor was
obdurnte.
you can do it some place else," she
hard to build the church and they need
money now. Mr.. Ward told me"
Huff turned on her jealousy.
"Ward-that's the preacher chap?"
"He is the assistant rector" Elmer
replied with dignity.
Hes been coming here. then?'
."Twice. Once when father died, and
once to warn me against all Of you."
Not that she had forgotten that few
minutes in the garden, under the moon !;
but that had been an accident-hardly
Il call.
Talbot chuckled. But Huff was
thinking hard. Elinor had been differ
cnt lately, a little softer. Ward rep
resented all that the men 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 lie said. "and
leave you alone. You don't need him."
"Im not so sure Of that" Elinpr re-
piled quietly, and left him staring. . /.
Huff burned the parish house the
next night. He did it himself. without
the assistance of the band. Into it he
put not only the devilish ingenuity Of
long experience, but his new hatred Of
Ward.
Church property Is always easy Of
access. 1t was the. work of five min
utes to crawl through a basement win
dow aud Of half an hour to make his
preparations.
He looked Mt his watch when he had
finished. It was just midnight. In two
hours, or before the fire began, he
would be back in the city, establishing
his alibi.
The fire-whistles in the village
wakened Elinor at something after
three o'clock. All Of her room was
filed with the red glare Of the burn
ing parish house. Old Henriette
knocked at her door.
1.-THE church is burning down In the
valley" she called. Its a grand
sight"
Elinor was throwing on her clothing.
She must see Ward. She would sell
her pearls: She would build a new
parish house. She said this over and
over to herself as she struggled down
the hill.
"A new parish house, better than the
old, with plenty Of room FOR the chill
dren to play In! At least 1t was night,
and the children safe in their beds;
thank God for that! She vas too dis
turbed to notice that she had thanked
the God in whom she did not believe.