White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-01-17
CHAPTER vi

AAe&0 A6uA GU VIC AAAAAhy A0S0AS WAO~s0
the most pleasant as well as profit
able lines. and yet 1t grew Increasing
~ difficult to hold her recalcitrant
subjects to the designated stars. Take
Miriam, the sensible twin. for In
stance, frivoling away the precious
hours Of her life out at Pay Dirt in
the company Of mere can grocer.
And 1t was not merely that she did
those things, she enjoyed the doing.
That was the painful side Of the stu
alton.
And there was Marjory. Hiram
Buckworth remained a pleasant and
comradely member of the household,
cheerfully paying ten Of his fifteen
dollars into the general Golfer every
week. and obviously counting this
not SO much hardship as a privilege.
Miss Jenkins liked him, Mr.. Tolliver
liked him, the members Of the church
liked him. All the young daughters Of
all the influential members developed
a strange assiduity along lines Of re-
ngious activity. On the surface,
things seemed to progress with a
sweet serenity which should have been
highly satisfactory to everybody con.
cerned.
But Ginger Ella, casting about her
with keen eyes that saw everything,
and keen mind that suspected even
more, knew intuitively that all was
not well, mol In the church, where
were heard vague murmurings, in
definite suggestions, and were seen
strange and significant looks, nor in
the parsonage itself, where Hiram
Buckworth looked too often, and too
long, upon the slender white hands
Of Marjory Tolliver. This was bad
sign, one of the very worst Hiram
Buckworth was good looking. Marjory
had always been mammal. The stu
alton held all sorts of horrible posi-
bilities. Ginger renewed her vigilance
Hiram Buckworth. good looking,
brilliant young student, had, deliber-
ately chosen the ministry as his life
work. She tossed him a scant re-
speci for that choice, which, although
1t accorded him a high mark for
character, il no way entitled him to a
permanent place in her plans for the
family's future. Being a seminary
man, with special study at Oxford, he
would begin perhaps at q thousand
dollars, or twelve hundred II he was
lucky, and would progress upward
slowly, perhaps as far as two thou.
sand, twenty-five hundred, possibly
he was so very good looking. If he
married, he would instantly, according
to time-honored Methodist parsonage
statistics as figured nv Ginger, become
possessed Of minimum Of three chill.
dren.
Small good would be one of his es.
tate 10 the impoverished and needy
Tollivers. Encouraging him was q
deliberate throwing away of their one
resource. 1t was the willful choking OF
their oil well. It was the burning Of
their liberty bonds. Ginger reconnoi
tered carefully. She did more than rec
onnoiter. She bounded. She was all
present, all-pervasive, all-observing
II Marjory and the young minister
inclined for stroll In the moonlight
Ginger inclined also. II they sat in
the shade OF the ramblers on the
veranda, Ginger sat with them, bored
but unyielding.
Had she washed dishes all these
4 years merely to save the fair hands
of Marjory for the dishes of Hiram
Il D,sn -Nvkh NIL ~
The attic saw little ox Ellen Tollive1
during these days. She met the post
man, thanked him warmly for thu
letters he gave her, and flew to thu
attic. The dimes crashed into tn,
dolls trunk, and Ginger returned t,
her veranda vigil.
In way considerable disappoint
ment attended the accumulation )
funds for the blind. Rarely did sh'
receive more than i've contributions II
day. a stingy fifty cents. Lowell,
daughters cannot be sent to finlshin,
schools, shabby parsonages cannot b.
done over. suffering eyes cannot b.
operated on by expensive surgeons
upon a paltry five dimes day. No
that Ginger frowned upon her re
ceipts, far from 1t. 1t was only tina
she had hoped SO greatly.
In the three weeks Of Mr.. Tolliver'
idleness in the country, he had &C
ouired u thick coat OF unaccustome,
tan, and five full pounds In weight
with such an increase OF strength. en-
3 tiusiasrn, and ambition. that ne wa
inclined to feel ashamed OF his con
tinued idleness. Word from town tina
special committee from the ofIicia
board wished to meet him al the par
sonage on Thursday evening for dis
cussion of Important church matters
gave him real pleasure.
Eddy jackson drove, MIN in, Will
B Miriam, and feeling with Ills usua
tact, that the family would like to b.
alone for few hours of intimate re
union. he pleaded important business
aud left them, promising TO return to
chem AT eleven O'Clock. AnL afte
their modest supper, they sat, tn
three girls and their futhei in tn
pleasant old living room and waite'
for the coming of the committee
"They want that last two lh0usan
raised" said their father. smiling
''and so do l. But am sure the pee
Pile will contribute It Of the own FIRE
will. in gratiiud,. on the day Of tn
dedication"
Presently came Joplin Westbury
alone, Ill at ease. but obviously q ma
with Ills mind made up.
"Well. Brother rolllver," he saic