Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-11-29

for her a box holding six red, half
blown dollhouse roses.
Dear Lady Of the Song" the card
beneath them read, please wear these
tomorrow instead Of the arbutus of
which robbed you last Sunday"
Anne divided the roses with her
roommate, but slipped the card out of
sight
( Two weeks after the Rev. Nathan
tLedyard was Installed as pastor Of the
church, and with his wife and baby
moved into the parsonage. A week
later Anne, at the station, saw the
young pastor greeting a broad-shoul-
dered man, with thick. grazing hair.
Unseen herself, she had time closely
to observe Palmer before they went
away. She wondered she had hot OBJ
served before how well set up he was.
and how his fine black eyes lost their
stfulness when he talked
@fhe next Saturday evening Anne,
invited to take tea with the Ledyards,
found Palmer In their little parlor. In
the, course of the evening she learned
that his conversation was delight and
his laugh infectiously boyish.
"rd love to stay for tomorrow" he
told her as he escorted her home but
I must go to Lone Fir, where preach
once each month. You See, some folks
want ne. If must only whisper my
sermonA to them, but they can pay me
but little, so rye little money to do
good with. It's been only three Years
since I could preach. but ought not
to complain" no went On, "Tfh getting
some success since began to write
for the magazines-but find I'm want
ing, with all the heart In me, some
thing I've no right to wish for, or ex-
pect to get, and 1t goes nardl"
II intended my work to fill my life,"
she said to herself that night. II
thought If ever permitted myself to
think Of anything else-he'd have to
be success in what he'd chosen to be.
Don't you go crying, Anne Mccall
you're thirty-hve years old, remem-
bert"
But the dignity of thlrty-ave years
did not keep the little teacher from
sobblna herself to sleep, nor from cry
ing over the beautiful letters that af-
ter that came weekly from Trentville.
"Pamer's going to preach 10 Bars
town tomorrow" Ledyard said 70 Anne
one Saturday 10 late July. "clteiy and
I viii miss him awfuify."
Under his keen giants Anne flushed
painfully. They had iohg since read
Palmers secret and were doing their
best to help him to his hearts desire,
but even Ciceiy had begun to des-
pair.
The next morning the flood came
BY noon the river, n raging torrent,
was over the links on its bank and the
timbers Of hundreds Of houses were
coming by on the yellow flood.
"Half Barstown's gone by this time"
Anne heard an old man near her say,
"and no tellin' how rnany's ketched
end. drnwnedl"
Anne could not sleep that night. He
might be among the dead The next
morning Edith called her.
They're sure six were drowned ut
Barstown, Anne-Mr. Palmer, for one.
He was rescuing a baby somebody'd
left. and-well, It might be best for
hin-afllicted 80. Why, Anne, Anne !"
Anne was shaking her. Flush = she
said hoarsely. He'd n better right to
live thhn You or II"
In the early morning the Ledyards
came for Anne. They were going to
try to walk to Barstown. II was only
five miles, but II seemed O thousand
10 Anne. Once they passed a baby's
bed in mass Of drift across their
path. Anne felt her heart break at
sight Of that little empty cradle.
II wish I had let him know I loved
hlm," she told herself, her lips cold
4 could have taken my savings and
bought us home, and he could have
written and studied. He wanted-he
wanted to tell me he loved me, and !
was not willing to listenP
"Mr. Palmer wasn't drowned" a
uan told them Mt the ruined town.
but somethln' hit him and he's badly
hurt"
At the house In which Palmer lay
the doctor met them.
Hes not dangerously hurt" he told
them, "only got some broken ribs"
Anne waited outside until Ledyard
and Cicely came out. Then they made
her go In. He was lying. spent with
suffering, his eyes shining like Goals
In his white face. She had meant TO
say she was glad to see him alive, to
know he was not dangerously hurt.
She had meant to be very calm and
self-possessed.
Instead she threw herself down by
the cot md laid her dark head on his
breast, whispering, "Joey-Joeyl I
love you! Do you still want mel"
His eyes glowed. "Want your My
sweet, has there ever been minute
when / didn't want your
A little later holding her 1utterlng
hands in both his weak ones, he smiled
whimsically at her.
II thought yesterday I'd received nm
other cruel knock in the school Of hard
knocks, but today know It was
kind hard knock, Anne-Anne, denrw