The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-11-29
CHAPTER xIv-continued.

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carry Hannah's Car'lyn myself"
The party, including the excited
Prince, got back. to the docks without
losing any time and without further
accident. Still the chapel bell was
ringing and somebody said:
"We'd have been up stump for
knowing the direction if 1t hadn't been
for that bell"
me, too" muttered Chef GoHmley.
'sThat's what KEEP me goin', folks
the chapel bell. 1t just seemed to be
calm me home"
Joseph Stage, carried his niece up
to Mrs. Gormley's little house, while
one Of the men helped Chef along to
the same destination. The seamstress
met them at the door, wildly excited.
"And what do you think?" she cried.
"They took Mandy ParlOw home in
Tins hack. She was just done up,
they tell me, pullin' that chapel bell.
Did you ever hear of such silly crit
ter-just because she couldn't find the
sexton!"
"Hum! you and I both seem to be
mistaken about what constitutes silli-
ness, Mrs. Gormley." grumbled the
hardware dealer. 81 was for calling
your Chef silly, till learned what he'd
done. And you'd better not call Miss
Mandy silly. The sound of the chapel
bell gave us all our bearings. Both of
'em, Chef and Miss Mandy, did their
best"
Carolyn May was taken home in
Tins hack, too. To her surprise Tim
was ordered to stop at the ParlOw
house and go in to ask how Miss
Amanda was.
BY this time the story Of her pulling
of the chapel bell rope was all over
Sunrise Cove and the hack driver was
naturally as curious as anybody. SO
he willingly went into the Parlow cot
tage, bringing back word that she was
resting comfortably, Doctor Nugent
having just left her.
San she's one brave gall" declared
Tim. "Pitcher of George Washington /
pullin' that bell rope amt no baby's
job"
derstand what Miss Amanda had done,
but she was greatly pleased that
Uncle Joe had so plainly displayed his
interest in the carpenters daughter.
The next morning Carolyn May
seemed to be in good condition. In
deed, she was the only individual vi
tally interested in the adventure who
did not pay for the exposure. Even
Prince had parked his legs being
hauled out on the Ice. Uncle Joe had
caught bad cold in his head and suf-
fered from it for some time. Miss
Amanda remained in bed for several
days. But 1t was poor Chef Gormley
who paid the dearest price for par
ticipation In the exciting incident. Doc
tor Nugent had hard work fighting off
pneumonia.
Mr.. Stagg surprised himself by the
interest he took in Chef. He closed
his store twice each day to call at
the Widow Gormley's house.
Mr.. Stage found himself talking with
Chef more than he ever had before.
The boy was lonely and the man found
q spark Of interest in his heart for him
that he had never previously discov-
cred. He began to probe into his
young employees thoughts, to learn
something of his outlook on life; per-
haps, even, he got some inkling of
Chefs ambition.
That week the Ice went entirely
out of the cove. Spring was at hand,
with its muddy roads, blue skies,
sweeter airs, soft rains and general
revivifying feeling.
Aunty Rose declared that Carolyn
May began at once to 'perk up" Per-
haps the cold, long winter had been
hard for the child to bear.
One day the little girl had a more
than ordinarily hard school task to
perform. Everything did not come
easy to Carolyn May, 'by any manner
Of MEANS" as Aunty Rose would have
said. Composition writing was her
bane and Miss Minnie had instructed
Carolyn Mays class to bring In writ
ten exercise the next morning. The
little girl wandered over to the church
gard with her slate and pencil-and
Prince, of course-tO try to achieve
the composition.
The windows Of the minister's study
overlooked this spot and he was sit
ting at his desk while Carolyn May
was laboriously writing the words on
her slate (having learned to use
slate). which she expected later to
copy into her composition book.
The Rev. Alton briggs watched her
puzzled face and laboring fingers for
some moments before calling out OF
bis window to her. Several sheets Of
sermon paper lay before him on the
desk and perhaps he was having al
most as hard a time putting on the
paper what he desired to say as Car
plyn May was having with her writ
ing.
Finally, ne came to the window and
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