Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-09-25
CROOKED
WILL BE MADE
STRAIGHT
BY MARY M. RAYNAL
20 by Short Story Pub. Coz

~ not tear themselves away from
1 \ the new minister's face. vivid.
sensitive face, plowed by deep
lines of thought and pain. Iso-
lated as she had been from other
thinkers, she was for the first time
facing her intellectual master, and
her hungerlng spirit made obelsance
before him. Mystical by nature, she
scared upward in unison with him. At
the close of the service, still under
his spell, she was stayed by q cousin,
one of the few to penetrate her soll-
tude.
isn't he wonderful, Cousin Agnes2"
EVE questioned, eagerly; walt and
meet him."
Miss Hallam wavered. The slurrlng
Of curious eye in her direction had In
earliest childhood warped the impet-
uosity Of her nature. AS she matured
she had yielded more and more to the
desire to shut herself from sight, a
crook in her body having wrought a
corresponding crook in her soul. Even
as she wavered the minister was up
on her, his plying eyes searching out
the wistful beauty of her face.
When she climbed the hill to her
red brick house she was hugglng to
her heart his promise to come to her
soon. Through the long, sweet hours
until he came she waited in a maze of
dreams, and when he came 1t was bet
ter than the dreaming. Here at last
was one who responded to every need
Of her nature, the mate for whom she
had been waiting through her empty
years.
The minister's calls were lnfrequent,
but each was precious enough to fill
the days of waiting. Meanwhile she
could treasure up so much to tell him,
mentally rehearslng each item, until
the actual and imaginary CONVERSE
tons became intermlngled in q golden
haze. At night, when her own light
was out, she would stand long by her
open window gazing at the other light
glowing through his window. He
studied far too late, she felt with
loves pang of apprehension, after a
while he would be made to rest. And
then she would fall to wondering shy
ly if, In the fulfillment Of her dream
ing, he would move up to her great
house on the hill, or she down to the
little gray manse.
During those April days the very air
breathed Of love Never before had
Miss Hallam's garden broken into such
splendor Of bloom. Never had so
many wee chickens and fluffy balls of
ducklings scurrled across her path.
Rushing out In new abandon she
stood with head thrown back, eyes
half closed, drinking In the intoxicat-
ing beauty Of the day. AS she stood
thus, syrlnga petals showering her, q
light buggy flashed past her on the
street, eternally printing its picture
upon her brain. The vision showed
her Evle, the sun cleaning on her
bright head, her ardent young face
lifted to her companion. And he, the
minister, gazing so absorbedly down
into her eyes that he did not even see
Miss Hallam, though his head was
turned IN nef direction.
Very slowly she went back into her
s0mber library. The strength had
gone out Of her limbs, she felt as II
the actual physical pain Of the shock
would take her life. The panorama
of her friendship with the minister
spread itself before her. That which
she had taken for budding love had
been but the kindness Of sympa-
thetlc nature. The burning glance,
the lingering handclasp had been de
void Of meaning. He had pltled her.
If II had been any one save Evle.
was her moan, but she had loved her
so Like an older sister she had
watched over the girl, and her own
bank account mad furnished every
luxury Of Ewes life. Such a return
Its Inconsistencies did not lessen its
cruelty.
Through that sultry morning, during
which her dreams fell dead about her
Miss Halam abandoned herself to the
bitterness OF this final thwartment Of
her loving nature. Then, very YEARLY,
she took W life again, living through
The days by sheer nerve strength, Civ
ing no sign Of suffering.
A few weeks later Evle came slip
ping In at twilight, and, somehow,
they worked up to the dreaded an
nouncement. But when Evle began to
beg her to play the wedding march
Miss Hallam's powers Of endurance
snapped. Her refusal was so curt
that the young girl fairly fled from her
presence.
cousin Agnes is so queer some
times" she sighed while telling the
minister about II.
"But think how she shrlnks from
publicity, with that poor crooked
body" he gently reminded her, and
Ewes tender heart melted with re-
morse
On the bridal evening Miss Hallam
shut herself into her own room. She
had tried to brace herself for the
ordeal OF the service, but so fast was
her control ebbing that she dared not
offer her face to public scrutiny. Fall
ing down across hcT great ioui -pontt'
bed. desolatlOn closed In upon her
Her suffocating heartbeats set them
selves to the measure Of Lohengrin
The scene in the church famed in her
minds eye. She saw the ministers
radiant tenderness, saw Ewes child.
like pride merging into awe as ST."
stood before the altar. She follOwcd
them through the congratulations, u'
the rice shOwerlng and when the lac