Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22

bors, cleaning news. Harry staley's train had
been held up and robbed of gold dust; a serious
loss.
THE foundation was laid. Slowly the great
walls rose. Almost alone he built them.
For the men the church remained too huge an
undertaking. Barton gave only his day week.
Hodges worked internationally, as did a few
others. All were Indifferent carpenters He
stayed to do their work over deepened grooves,
fitted joiSts, smoothed the rough hand-split
boards. They kept hours He was overtaken
by the Winter night. 1t rained and they stop
ped working. He toied on through the down.
pour
True to his word. Killingsworth contributed
not one hands turn But endlesSly he turned
his tongue. He called the church "Parker's
Folly" He let every one know that his OK
team-the best in the settlement-Stood idle
while Childers Parker snaked the great logs
with worn beasts. He lured the half-hearted
helpers away from the building.
There was one violent squirt of interest in the
church. Consciences hared up. Wives sud-
denly nagged their husbands to help the elder
1t was better, they said tartly, to work on the
meeting house than to lose to Killingsworth at
poker household furniture they'd carted pain
fully across the plains and could not replace
Every one worked. Then the men remembered
the unsplit rails. He was left alone again. But
the building grew.
Lucy was inextricably bound up with the
Oulu1HB. WIN ~Lne return OF mllder weather,
she carried their MONDAY meal to the woods
when he was telling trees. While he washed
away the sweat and ran wet hands through
his hair, she spread the meal on the creek bank
He said grace and Lucy sat, correctly reverent Of
attitude, but with eyes sdelong to watch the
sunlight filter through the trees on his bowed
head
When he came home, wet to the skin, from
laying up logs in the rain she bit her lips and
swallowed sensible protest. Childres, heaven
knew, met protest enough. She laid out dry
clothes and had hot bath ready in the wash
tub by the kitchen fire. 1t might be, as the
neighbor women said mad project of the
elders. but he was her husband and she loved
him. She spurred him on, Lucy.
The months passed, and he was strainng
every nerve now to finish the meeting house
before Lucy's time should come, for it was
drawing near. BIT Summer had come again
before Childres Parker looked at his finished
meeting house and found it good. The golden
peeled logs had been built into structure that
was Stanch, massive and enduring.
The bell arrived on Saturday morning, and
Childres Parker hung it. small crowd gath
cred in front of the doors, Klngsworth, his
wife and several others.
The circuit-riders broad face and shoulders
emerged from the squat tower. He tapped the
clapper lightly against the curve of the bronze
When the clear note died away he leaned out
and spoke to them:
ut will reach the ears of the farthest
settler"
A thin smile veneered Killingsworth's sharp
features. do you reckon it will reach Jasper
Black?" he asked the men,
They laughed
"Or Tumwater Tom?"
They laughed again.
"A SwaSh in church in a blanketi" Killings
worth joined in their outlaws
Childres Parker came down and out through
the front doors to face his neighbors.
I'VE will have the dedication tomorrow at 10
O'Clock" he said in his booming baritone
you'll all Gomez"
But even now, that dedication was to be
snatched from him. His church was never to
be conSecrated as he had planned
L-oA Iof,, kE~A ar1A