Evening star., 1925-06-04

The plot spread. BUSY men anu
busy women paid little attention to II
in fact, they didn't pay enough at
tention to It. That's usually the case.
But there were women who thought
Sister Hopkins rather stuck up
Sarah Finny for instance, thought
she didn't visit enough for preach
er's wife. OF course she had chill
dren: but the work of the Lord ought
to come first Yes. put down her
name. And then he had his own
clique. Deacon Crump, his partner in
business. who did anything he said
tWithers owned most of the stockl:
Brother Thompson, on whose home
WitherS held mortgage; even
Brother Hulsizer, superintendent of
the Sunday school who had never
been noted for his independence, but
who could draw excellent charts of
the Red Sea on the Sunday school
blackboard. showing where the chill
dren of Israel crossed.
Deacon Withers, sitting in his Office
like a spider in the center of his web,
seemed to be only remotely connected,
if at all. with those fine threads that
went into the homes of the members
of the church.
There are people who never suspect
others. Mr. Hopkins was one of these.
He thought he was doing a good
work He attracted young people, and
it was commonly said that the town
had improved since he came. He
preached good sermons on everyday
fair dealing and honesty. He liked
his field His wife and children had
been healthier here in the mountains
than they had ever been before. His
children were doing well in school
He had high hopes for them, and
dreamed of the time when each one
would enter the world with q good
education, with a body stronger than
his, with a mind, he hoped, better
stored.
He was fighting the battle tens
of thousands of obscure preachers
fight. there in the little home with
the fine maple tree in the front yard
that turned vermilion each fall, and
the vegetable garden in the rear that
cut down his grocery bills. and the
COW in the lot that did away with
milk and butter bills.
But in his nature was something
that called for romance, for a getting
away into the mountains where he
could breathe freely.
Once, when his wife cautiously sug.
gested that he stop going out to Nc
Corkle's, his manhood fiared up. He
thought of Old Bill, his comrade; of
the times they had tramped through
bottoms after quail, of the hours they
had spent silently in blinds after tur-
keys. The mystic tie that unites men
who hunt together tugged strong at
his heart, and he looked at her anx-
ious face with eyes that for the mo-
ment were stern.
I'm not going back on Bill" he
said.
She did not have the heart to in
Sist. Perhaps she loved him the bet
ter because of this loyalty in him she
did not quite understand. 1t was
hunting season again and she knew
how much her husband loved to hunt.
Then came the blow. Old jeff Ben
net told Bill McCorkle about it. JEFF
had gone to town the day before and
had heard the talk; he was something
of detective. too, and had run down
and ferreted out the plot.
If he had gone home that night and
told McCorkle, there might have been
time given to collect the forces in
favor of the preacher. But JEFF spent
the night in town. Even next morn
ing. instead of striking straight out,
he loafed around while, and saw a
dog fight. 1t was noon, therefore, on
Wednesday before he drew up In
front of McCorkle's house.
For a minute after he announced
his news Moonshine Bill's face, &C.
cording to jeff Bennet's description
afterward, was "turrible" to look at
Then Jeff went on: HE looked like a
man tooken sick. 1t had dawned on
him all on a suddent that folks crick
ticized the preacher for huntin' out
here. He got hisself together. an
asked few questions, quick an to
the point. Now, here's what's hap
pened,' l says to him, I been hearin
1t a long time, but never paid no at
tention: OF man Withers has been
sowin' seeds Of discontentment be
cause the preacher comes out here an
hunt with us fellows-you 'spe-
cially. He's got EN- all sowed
They're growed up an ripened. To
nights the harvest. You know there
don't many folks go to prayer meetin'
Tonight's the time for business
meetin, too, and Old Man Withers has
notified, had other notify. the folks
that are dissatisfied, or think they