Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-06
DAILY NOVELETTE,
THE GREATEST or
THESE" I
BY Manola ii. Cutting

NINTELL. my boy, / s'pose you re
w coming to church this morning
with Aunt lilly and me- ...
well. l prefer the songs of the birds
auntie. and the murmuring sound OF the
brooket. so, although ] am sorry II
disappoint you by not accompanying
you to church. think III be oil to the
woods at once. .... .
About an hour later Tom was lying
on a carpet of pine needles, lazlly
watching the clouds drifting by, but his
thoughts were soon disturbed by the
| sound of the village church bell, when
brought to mind a vision of his aunt's
disappointed looks and his uncle's sober
face caused yby his refusal to go to
church. Suddenly he sat up, pulled ms
watch out of his pocket, looked at It,
then rose, saying: "By Jove, III go
vet. I may be late, but the old saying
is Better late than never, ana the
folks'll be delighted"
Three quarters of an hour later found
Tom Griswold at the church door. lie
was late. of course, as he had more
than half expected to- be, so he tip
toed in and sat down in back seat.
The minister was stating his text
"And now abideth faith, hope, love,
! these three, but the greatest of these
is love-"
While the earnest preacher was talk =
ing Toms thoughts wandered back to
! the scene Of his unhappy love affair and
the events Of those days passed rapidly
| through his mind like motion pictures
before the eyes.
/ lie had first met her at reception
held during the early part of his last
year at college. She had just returned
from Europe. where she had been
studying music for some time. At first
he was enchanted with her beauty
then when, at a special request from
! the hostess. she consented to sing and
! her clear, sweet tones enthralled her au
dience as she graciously responded tc
their applause by several encores, he
was nearly spellbound, but he was su
prcmely happy when, a little later, ht
met her and she allowed him to take
her out to the gardens "for breath oi
fresh air.
Later he had run across a newspaper
article which stated that there were
rumors Of an engagement between "tht
beautiful young society singer, Mis-,
Ruth Prescott, and the wealthy Johr
James Dodd"
"What, that girl marry John James
Dodd It's impossible" he muttered
fhA :
strode to the window, where he had
gazed with unseeing eyes into the street
Then he pictured himself calling al
the door of Mrs. Livingston Prescott
home, where he was told that Miss
Prescott had left town and Mrs. Pres
colt was unable to receive callers. After
that Tom had determined to stop think
ing Of her who was SO tickle, and wher
he had received the offer of a position
as superintendent of construction
company in Arizona, he had gladly ac-
, cepted, thinking that there he coulC
, surely forget. Before leaving he hat
) decided to pay a visit to the old uncl,
and aunt with whom he had spent al
of his vacations since coming to New
r England to study. Although they wer'
r
, the next month, which would find hin
at work in Arizona.
Suddenly Tom realized that the minis
ter had ceased to speak he heard tn
sound of the organ, and then-th
words Of the old song, "Oh, Love Tha
Wilt Not Let Me CO." uttered il
the sweetest, clearest tones imaginable
hoated through the room. Tom sa
| pellbound-''surelyt there was only on
person in the world who could sing lik
that, yet-it couldn't be she-he mus
G be demented, fancying her tones in tn
n voice of every singer he heard. Fl
Y mentally kicked himself for being lat
and taking a seat so far back that b
:, could not see the singer.
{ After the services were over ToI
!. waited eagerly at the church door, an
!. was rewarded by seeing beautiful cir
d who, upon noticing him as she cam
\ down the stairs, exclaimed delighted!
n "Why, Tom Griswold, what good fair
y ever sent you here?"
d "Well, we'll, Tom, see you and m
/. daughter have met before" said ol
81 Prescott, approaching with Tom
I" uncle and aunt. ..~-
). Ruth" said Tom. as they sat to
= gether on the porch steps that evenini
r. 81 supposed you were the daughter
" Mrs. Livingston Prescott, of Boston.
a, "why, no, Tom, thought you kne
, that she is my aunt. She was kir
~ enough to educate me and I should
v. living with her now but for the ia
that I refused to marry the man 81
4. had selected for me and Mortified h
as when ! stated my intention of signiI
t, contract to sing in public"
er "Then you aren't going to marry tn
Y. Dodd fellow?" asked Tom hopefully.
ld "Tom Griswold - she excIaim
re heatedly. mo, indeed, when MARI
e. shall marry for love-"
de "Yes-the greatest of these Is love
murmured Tom reminiscently.
J. Less than a month later Ruth Pre-
- colt agreed to a life contract in t
~ presence of the friends and neighbo
bs who had gathered in the little villa
20 church. and this time Tom Griswc
~ listened attentively to every word u
tered by the minister.
h The next complete novelette,
Runaway.