Henderson daily dispatch., 1941-02-11
r

DOWN MAIN STREET, into Oak
avenue, a short cut through Elm
lane-and there was the church.
Joel could see the late sun touch
ing its ivy-covered walls to silver.
Thee was a sort of CLEAN about
it, as gllmpsed through the huge
and ancient trees that bOrdereu the
graSs-groWn ground surrounding
it. Peaceful-Quiet-like an old
fashioned painting; the sort he had
often seen on the calendars the
grocer, the butcher, or the electric
light maker had given his Aunt
Sall.e at Christmas time. Just to
remind you, Mrs. Randall. that we
still want your patronage"
And what a big part that church
editice had played in his life, Joel
thought; in his. Bills and Aunt
Sallie's. He could remember how
Bill had looked in the infant class.
Hair slicked down, cheeks pink and
shining, a small boy who was a
bit too e.,ger to show how we'll
he could answer questions. Drama
thing the story of Daniel in the
lions n, putting an amazing lot
of color into the n about David
and his slingshot. Even that far
back, Bill had possessed story tell
ing ability. And how the small
girls had admired him! Big-eyed,
handsome, sure of himself; a pock-
et-edition Adonis; an abridged edi-
ton of Romeo; a miniature Sir
Galahad!
The church plays, the Christmas
c%antatas, the Sunday school pic
MICS, with Bill growing handsomer
all the time, and more popular; be-
ing the hero of the plays, the most
outstanding angel in the cantatas,
and the life of the party at the pic
mics. Selling his first story, the one
about life in a small-toWn church,
anl getting written up in the local
paper. Winning a scenario writing
contest, with a yarn about a string
of pearls hidden in a church choir,
depositing his thousand dollar
check in the First National bank
Of ArdenGale, and getting written
up again; this time on the front
page with headlines. Then the trip
to South America, a trip made pos
slble by part of the thousand dol
lars. you can invest all you've got
IN the Randall Mills" he'd said to
Joel, but I'm going to see the
world. Besides, I've got to get ma
terlal for my next story. I can't go
on forever writing about churches
and small towns" And the return
10 Ardendale, the homecoming of
the popular hero. And always the
girls. Little, big, pretty, adoring;
ever the homely ones, dying to win
a smile from the handsome home
town boy. and being a little pa
thetlc when Bill forgot to notice
them.
And now the church again.
IT was the setting for William
randall Latham's marriage to Rita
LlnWood. More color, more drama,
more headlines in the paper. Bill,
with gay banners flying, doing
everything to the flare of trum-
pets, Or so it seemed to Joel. He
found himself wondering just how
Dill would take a setback of some
sort, just how he would act If the
banners were suddenly not there,
o the trumpets. But he would
PROBABLY never know, since Bill ap-
peared to be the sort of chap who
went through life on wings of
slamor anc excitement. And-Joel
grlnned to himself as he thought
,n's-and once he, Aunt Sallie, and
uncle John had been afraid that
ON would always be a sad and for
'ola sort of person--morose, even
nlaiadJusted--because of the tragic
ueath of his parents. They had
oeen afraid that event would leave
al lndelible mark upon the life of
"llllam Randall Latham, How
wrong they had been! How very,
very wrong!
joel slowed down the car as he
teached the church, peering about
W parking space. 1t was prac-
rreaily impossible to fnG one.
Every available inch Of space
seemed to have been taken. How.
Ever, ne finally squeezed his a in
Tween Judge Powers antique
"eetr'o which Bill had nicknamed