The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-04-17

be home to spend the day with hi
mother. She would see him then. II
would be at church and would probabl,
wait for her and take her home, vol
uble with reasons why 1t would b,
best for them to break their engage
ment. She knew Jack Reeves, but
she would no give him a chance tt
talk to her.
Easter morning, Joan, In a smart
new costume, started for the little
church where she was both organist
and choir leader. Under her arm she
carried a large roll of music. 1t was
to be a gala day. Never had there
been such an elaborate musical pro
gram given In any church in Clear
field. She had practiced every night,
determined to set the whole church
astir, and particularly Jack Reeves.
She would put her whole soul into play
Ing that organ. She imagined she
could see the effect 1t would have on
him. He would be touched, sorry he
had written that note, anxious for for
g1veness. And then-then would be
her chance tc freeze him.
She walked down the street with
her head high. People spoke to her
with a little more than the respect
she always commanded. There was
frank admiration in their glances for
this tall, stunning girl in the tailored
blue suit. Joan was not unconscious
of the effect she produced, and it
pleased her enormously. The side
walks were still wet from the rain
of the night before, and spattered with
fresh, red mud, washed down in little
gulleys from the lawns. There was a
crisp odor of earth in the air that
life that was beginning to stir under
ground. A typical early spring day
The kind of day that makes one glad
one Is alive.
The little church was crowded to
the doors. Joan walked majestically
up the main aisle to take her place at
the organ. She was like some ancient
priestess in the serene arrogance of
her bearing. And she played as she
had never played before. The choir
was in perfect harmony, and the con-
gregation sang with the happy joyous
ness that only Easter can inspire. 1t
was the kind of thing an organist can
feel proud of, and Joan was
proud.
She remained at the organ long after
,nrui0o Che fa1f fhof Cnpnauvhnra ~
he church Jack was waiting for her,
md she would let him wait! But
When a half hour had passed, she put
N her coat, drew on her long gloves
nd left the church. He was nowhere
bout. Could 1t possibly be that he
eliberately gone off with never even
n effort to see her? She was en-
aged. Back of her eyes the blood
ushed in angry pulses. He had can
eled their engagement with a single,
hort note. Surely he could not be
1ch a beast or such a coward to let
lie thing drop there and avoid making
lrther explanations to her.
She hurried down the steps and
alked hastily off towards the East,
,arcely knowing what she was doing;
did she realize where she was un-
the paved street abruptly ended and
lie deeply-rutted mud road began.
hen suddenly she realized, with a
ocular sense of shame, like that Of
,ople in dreams when they suddenly
Id themselves naked in some public d.,
ace, that she was walking directly ,
wards the Reeves home. They lived /,
'wn the dirt road about two miles A..
ON where she now stood. On the ,
# was a deep ravine. There were :
ruts leading off the road and down (,
e side Of the hill as II some heavy :
hicle had gone over. Joan, her curl :
ity aroused, ran on a few yards to ,
e what had happened. She uttered {
sharp cry when on looking down ;
e saw the t%urned-over body of an :
tomobile. Quickly she ran to the !,
Arrest house and phoned the hospital
d the local garage man. Almost
mediately the ambulance and truck Z
rived. The men had difficulty in '
tting down the slope because of the 4