Gunnison news-champion., 1918-07-26

Ward remained In the shadows. To
save his life he could not have spoken
10 Elinor then Under his constrained
exterior he was in the thrail of the
fiercest jealousy. This little fair
haired girl. to whom his God was no
God. had taken a powerful hold on
him
Elinor. who slept little that night.
saw the light In his window until IL
faded into the dawn.
Elinor went to the early communion
the following day. The church WAS
dark There were hardly two dozen
people scattered over the building. She
sat far back and was heavily yelled
When the congregation kneit- she
knelt- An old woman in the next Pew
gave her the prayer book open at the
service. On her knees then went Eli
nor and listened to Wards fine voice
echoing through the empty building.
The morning was warm and the win
dows open. The odor OF burned wood
from the parish house crept in.
Thou shalt not steal" Ward read
from the Decalogue, and the people
said:
Lord have mercy upon us and in
cline our hearts to keep this law"
Thou shalt not steal"
In the palm Of her left glove Elinor
had the Bryant penr-shaped pearl.
Ward had not seen her. He went
through the service reverently. with an
I,t,, .af nd ka.. ..rfr.s
that showed how real II was to him.
And In his voice. reading. exhorting.
commanding. there Were tender notes
that caught ElInor's breath In her
throat.
When the service was over, she rose
from her knees and dropped the Bry-
ant pearl into the alms-box by the
door. The congregation, small and
scattered. was still kneeling. The
doorway and the alms-box were in twi-
light.
Drawing down her veil. she went
quickly out into the sunshine.
At the eleven o'clock service Ward
announced the burning OF the parish
building. .--
1T is not my intention TO make an
appeal" he said simply. THE parish
house was built to fill great need !:
that need still exists. II onr'church is
to be an element in the daily lives Of
the people of this town, we must have
a meeting place for them. Foe the
ing is sufficient. but II religion is to you
the thing II is to me, the broader reli-
gion OF universal brotherhood. the
church building is not enough.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself."
Seventy-eight thousand dollars was
taken up In the collection at Saint
Iude's that morning. Over fifty thou
sand was In checks, the rest was in
cash.
Walter Hun. sitting alone in the
back Of the church, had watched Ward
mtentiy through the service.
Unlike ElInor, HUI had been raised
in a Presbyterian household. He had
come to jeer. to watch with his thiers
eyes the ofrertory piling into the silver
plates. But the service told on him,
Somewhere down in his violent young
heart there crept a sense of shame. 1t
was only when he looked ut Ward that
his eyes hardened.
This man who had come between
him and his girl-this white-handed,
surpliced. prayer-reading priest, who
In dozen words could compel the pe0-
pie before him to lny fortune at his
feet-Huff ground his teeth together.
But something of unwilling admiration
was mixed with his scorn. This was
Svu. Ike to Ask Ycu to Talk
Business on Sunday"
no mean adversary. this Ward man.
every inch Of him. He would beat him
out If he had to kill him to do 1t.
Hun stayed In church after the serv-
Ice. He aceosted Mr.. Bryant. one Of
the vestrymen. as the congregation
fiied out.
II don't like TO ask you to talk
business on sunday" he said. hut !
think it's going to be mighty incon-
venIent until you get the new build.
ing."
Horrible" said the vestryman. sNo
nre Is ever convenient. but this"
Hun drew a business card from hia
pocket. !.
II thought perhaps you might bs
willing to talk about q temporary
building" he said. I'VE specialize in
things like that. Wood, you know. and
weatherproof. but inexpenMve."
The last word caught Mr.. Bryant's
ear.
"Seems to me-" Hun went on. ''the
choir boys need q place to dress In.
You. couldn't ask them to put on their
surplices at home and walk over here" !"