Gunnison news-champion., 1918-07-26
CHAPTER VI.

week after the country club affair.
Ta'hh-Id-- Trs fu ct his ius'rurtluus;
Talbot wished rp discuss his prospect.
Arr"r dinner rr- night ,oInc warm.
they had their coffee on the terrace.
4 summer storm had cume up. All
at ono" flash threatened Saint
Jud.'s
Hun loan"d to HIS feet
"Iya gnr If'" h" said. what IS Il
thoy cnu the biz building back Of the
church,"
Nonr N N" men knew. II was rs a
mnr'rr ~ rarr. N" parish h"us"- T.cth-
bridge. however. knew IFS function.
Fine pr"-p"ct TINT L" d-awlcA.
"Thats where th" Sunday school Is
held. aud where they keep the plated
knives und forks for the church sup
pors."
IT'S darnrd fine building" said
HuT. What would they do II 1t burned
DOWN."
They wrr" too unfamiliar with
rhurrh nGnlr- 70 hazard O guess. I'll
nor. who had been sitting silent. sud
denly voiced an objection to Huf's un-
spoken plan
There must be some other way"
she said THE children--th"y hHv"
sewing classes and entertainments FOR
the children there. It's N" parish
house"
"If lightning struck tn" parish h"us"
tonight" Hun snId quite eagerly.
"ThIs Is Thursday. Ry sunday morn
Ing they would be taking up whack'
Ing big collection to rebuild It."
The lden had taken hold 0f his imagI-
nation. Even the suggestion that II
large part of the ofr"riury might be In
checks mnttcred not. But Elinor was
obdurato.
You can do 1t some place else" sh"
said. "N"f here They struggled very
hard to build the church and they need
money now. Mr.. Ward told me"
Hur turned on her jealously.
"Ward-thr''s the preacher chap
ale &. the sSstnnt rector" Elmer
replied With dignity.
Hes been coming here. thenT
"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
4 call.
Talbot chuckled. But Hun was
thinking hard. ElInor had been differ
ent lately. little softer. Ward rep
resented all that the men Elinor knew
were not-law to their violence, order
10 their disorder. There was almost
snarl in his voice.
He'd better stay down In his valley
with his old women" he said, "and
leave you alone. You don't need him."
"rm not so sure of that" ElInor re-
piled quietly, and left him staring. :.
Hun burned the parish house the
next night. He did 1t himself. without
the assistance Of the band. Into It he
put not only the devillsh 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 basement win
dow and of half an hour to make his
preparations.
He looked at his watch when he had
finished. 1t was just midnight. In two
hours. or before the fire began, he
would be back In the city, establishing
his alibl.
The fire-whistles in the village
wakened Ellnor at something after
three o'clock. All of her room WIS
filled with the red glare OF the burn
ing parish house. Old Henriette
Knocked at her door.
"The church is burning down In the
valley" she called. ITS grand
sight"
ElInor was throwing on her clothing.
She must see Ward. She would sell
her pearls. She would build now
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 il was night.
and the children safe in their beds;
thank God for thatl She was too dis
turbed to notice that she had thanked
the God in whom she did not believe.
The fire had gained too much head
way to be checked. All the efforts of
the volunteer department and the small
engine Were directed toward saving
the church. For time it seemed as If
Saint Jude's must go.
Elinor watched the destruction. 1t
seemed as though band had fastened
itself around her chest. Then she saw
Ward. He was on the ridge-pole of the
church roof with hatchet. The ridge
pole was burning slowly. She could
see him chopping.
From that time she never took her
eyes away from him. Other men were
there. She did not see them. She saw
only Ward battling on the ridge-pole,
and high above on the steeple the
sturdy cross Of his faith.
Once the men on the street below
turned the full force of the hose on
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