Show i 4 4 44 4 44 J AMONG TH libigs S t fly by F 11 LANCA LANCASTER STEIL 4 copyright lea by dally daily story publishing company when carson vaughn took charge of trinity church and of its ita congregation he did not dream of the tha rocks that lay in hla his apparently smooth path in fact tha rocks did not develop un tit til after the christmas holidays the trouble began in a small difference of opinion concerning christmas decora eions some wicked girls bent upon shocking the more sedate members mixed mistletoe with tho the moss that was twined around the altar rey rev carson canon vaughn had sided aided with the sedate ones and the mistletoe was abbt ht aside everybody Lvery body had treated the mat ter as a joke that Is everybody save the ringleader of the wicked ones a pretty young society reporter she took the matter not only seriously seri but vengefully and forthwith proceed ed to make maka the rey rev carson s life a burden to him taking down hla his sermons in shorthand and criticising criticizing critic ising his english afterward in open scorn was one ot of the favorite vents for her displeasure but theia vere others vaughn felt himself slighted and cubed at every turn lie was a resolute man and held steadily on his way but he could not help knowing that mable anderson was at the bottom of fill all his trouble and he would have had more imore mildness than tho overage average strong man iman poa posH esies it if be had not once or twice near wished her out of his parish tor bor instance when mable afable persuaded the young people to boycott the fair he held for the benefit of the old homana womans home the cedato ones sympathized zed with the harassed preacher but as aa they were chiefly business men lad 0 1 ad mothers ot of families they could b be of I 1 little atle practical assistance sympathy alone will not get up a fair the homo home was relieved by subscription and th war waxed warmer the climax same am when in the beginning of lent vaughn preached from the text I 1 little chi children lArea love one another those who were unprejudiced declared it the beat sermon he hal ever preached but mable bit off the tha end of her reporting pencil and ifft the church after that her pew knew her no more and when any one attempted to sound her on the subject she ho would respond with eloquent disdain don t mention him carson careon was relieved ile he could write a sermon now without concentrating hla his whole attention upon its ita grammatical construe alon ani he could deliver li it without feeling that he was watched by eyes keen to criticise criticism critic ise ile he would perhaps not have said openly with his lips that he was glad to have shaken off one on member of his congregation but he be was and there were more inore than enough to notice ills his freedom from restraint 1 I do believe mab he la Is actually glad to get rid of you one of her girl chums chuma confided sweetly no doubt he Is my dc ir mab replied smoothly but he cant can t be half eta AS glad to get rid of me as I 1 am to set t rid of him still the hit hurt as 1113 the ih girl chum knew it would and miss bliss lAt andersen iderson began to feel that her dignity demanded demonstration the very next sunday morning found ter ler wheeling out toward trout creek with basket and rod to an old gentleman who plied piled her with inquiries she sh 0 explained that she was going fishing but on sunday my dear young lady why what will your preacher ray eay to you oh my preacher care what I 1 do so BO long as I 1 do not come to church she replied gayly of course poor carson heard fill all it before the week was two days daya older and saturday evening found him sitting over his bla study fire feeling that he ha ought to do so something methIn g desperate det and unable to decide what the something should be Gra gradually duall y Lo however wever resolution took shape and with a shiver of reluctance he pulled on hla his heavy coat and went out into the cold february night miss anderson And ereon was inas at home she S 1 ie fo Z oh nay my preacher dont carel had W just finished her weekly letter to the criterion and was lying on the library rug watching the play of the firelight on the ceiling when mr air vaughn unannounced 1 I wished to see you alone he explained as ae she scrambled to her feet there ethere are some points of difference leewe en us that it would gi give a roe me great pleasure to reconcile oh lob I 1 don doat t know klow she responded 01 r carelessly 1 I m sure that I 1 am quite quit satisfied with tho the situation but I 1 am not be cut in sternly you have spread the report that I 1 have compelled your non attendance at a church will you please explain how I 1 I said that vou ou were glad that I 1 had withdrawn and ou are mabli ie turned coolly ahey I 1 hey looked into each others eyes steadily for a moment as though mesa meas aring their strength parson arson was th the first to speak and if I 1 am ain have I 1 not cause to bo be have you ever been anything but a a crush it under toot foot it you BW bee fit plague and a torment to me since I 1 took charge of this parish pariah 1 I have tried not to be it if there la Is anything I 1 have left undone I 1 am very sorry and promise you that I 1 shall make good the omission at the earliest opportunity there la Is only one omission that I 1 am aware of you have not yet succeeded uc in making me fall in love with you 11 I 1 have hare not gone about it the right way I 1 suppose mable liable returned composedly but it la is not worth while for us ua to spend the whole evening quarreling she added pleasantly father and mother are out at a neighbor a so I 1 hope you will keep my tea from being solitary carson was puzzled by the sudden change but before the evening was wa over ho he realized what a bright brainy woman this stray sheep was mab blab seemed determined to make herself agreeable she sha succeeded so BO well that before he took her hand in parting vaughn was quite ready to forgive and forget and this was only the beginning nearly every day they met somewhere for a moment at least and the meeting was waa al always alays ays pleasant carson heard that she bad explained this sudden change of 0 front by announcing that she and the preacher had made it u up P long enough before the lenten a season ea bad passed it had become natural for him to regard her ber as his sworn second in all church work prid and when they met on to decorate for easter mable took up her role rola as a matter of course and zealously seconded his every enery suggestion ug it was natural then that when they at last stood alone together before the illy banked altar he should have felt called upon to express his bis gratitude and it was also natural that as the evening was waa growing late and the soft abill api 11 twilight was filling the church with all sorts of shadows his words should have hane been warmer than gratitude strictly demanded it if you only knew he concluded huskily how very very dear you have grown groin n to me mable spoke quickly as though afraid of herbele does docs this mean that I 1 have made g good the only omission you could suggest that evening ening en caison started into sternness eliat hat evening ali ah what a fool f 01 1 I im han 0 been lee es mable agreed it la is a rash thing to defy a woman as sou ou defied me carson carbon mado no reply ile he was staring at the lilies with a touch of it was aas easi enough now to understand lie ile stooped and took from the altar steps a long stemmed illy and offered it to her crush it under foot it you see fit lie he said quiet mable took tho the pure fragile emblem of easter gladness and looked tor for a long uncertain unc ertan moment then sud denly with a shy laugh she thrust the long stem into her belt and the illy lold io ld its heavy head upon her breast |