| Show 1906 by da ly stor pub po fair coming on or a hospital dona lion the rich man stood in the middle of his study one hand holding his eyeglasses in an attitude ol 01 expect ancy and the otier waving the young clergyman to a beat nothing of the kind today mr the minister said as he took the eat some family in narrow straits then I 1 suppose I 1 realize that men of your profession have to play the lighthouse pretty often for storm daiv en and household barks there a first rate figure the minister smiled and looff ad vantage of the pause I 1 came to ask you a new church he thrust into the ocal vacuum if the rich man dropped into his revolving chair with the suddenness ol 01 a discovery in gravitation you did did you well I 1 dont know about that he said quizzically we need a church and a rectory the minister continued without vis ible discomfiture there will be no trouble about getting a rectory it I 1 can manage to secure the church building Married 7 the rich man inquired swinging about no was the laconic answer want to bea mr asked curiously s it he had searched years tor such an anomaly if I 1 had the church the clergy man replied I 1 could have a rectory and it I 1 had a rectory I 1 could es yes I 1 understand mr clan pel broke in but I 1 m afraid I 1 can t afford ou a church yet hold on a minute he added as he took up a letter which he had apparently writ ten that morning see here he continued as he glanca over it read this here is a way in which you might get what you want graham looked over the sheet and read it the second time then he at for a little while in a train of thought which brought a to his Eo the revolving chair swung around once or twice nervously and the oc cupani turned about to his desk and aegan to write mr do you remember ellza leth Travers 7 the clergyman asked suddenly the pen dropped instantly and the chair came around with a quick jerk in heaven s name man how glibly you use a name what do you know about her the rich man s face showed an in terest eyen more profound than the clergyman had expected I 1 know all about her graham de dared as he rose from the chair and laid the letter on the desi sit down man sit down and tell me begged there s no hur ry about our going is therea I 1 should make a call graham said consulting his watch it I 1 could write a note and send by messen ger oh surely yes sit down here I 1 will have a man drive over with it mr indicated paper an 1 en delopes then he touched a button and gave orders for the carriage the minister wrote a few lines rap idly on a plain sheet of paper reject ing the stationery which bore the letter head of the host As he tore up the page and re wrote the words mr paced the room in a ner ious but manner the sealed letter bore no address and graham handed it to the servant fair coming on or a hospital dona ton wanted with directions tor delivery and a request to wait for an answer how came ou to know mrs miss Traver 7 ed almost be tore the door had closed behind the servant I 1 am engaged to marry her niece graham explained Is Is she wella asked struggling to open the conversation quite well her marriage was it accounted a success 7 hardly graham answered with a flavor of irony inasmuch as she never married the older man stared at the young clergyman tor a full minute without speaking do you mean to tell me he ask ed at leneth in a slow vo ce that I 1 have deceived myself all this timea graham nodded affirmatively man al ve continued with a high note n his voice ive had in my heart tor ears and now you tell me that I 1 have har bored this hate without reason tell me more and sprang up in his excitement there isn t much to tell ten ears ago ou thought only thought captain thomas had won out yes the furies take him the older man he Is dead graham said wih something of solemnity he died a week after his arrival in london where he had hoped to marry her she came back here in the course pt you w II 11 understand time five years later she lost her father and almost all paeans of support since then she has been gling against adverse circumstances and I 1 with more than I 1 can use murmured does she stil care for that dead mana he asked she never did care tor him it was all a mistake and more your fault than her s graham sa d with a little resentment hardly gave a glance in the direction of the door when the servant came in alth the answer to graham s note mr graham asked after reading the answer do you still hold to your agreement in regard to the letter you showed mea yes was the absent reply the letter instructs your agent graham continued to secure the mercer farm at the lowest possible figure with thirty thousand dollars as the limit thai is the idea whatever he saves out of the thirty thousand you shall have for the church mr clan pel assured him with evident effort to keep his mind on the subject very well graham replied I 1 have written to the owner and this reply gives me authority to fix the price there Is a mortgage on the place the owner must have as much as possible I 1 thirty thousand dollars read the letter mr glanced at the written page signed elizabeth travers he said in amazement for whose sake I 1 would forfeit a much larger tee graham muttered thinking of a younger woman she wrote thise asked she must live here an impatient and expectant light came into the eyes as he turned to graham she lives on the outskirts ot the village graham admitted though she did not know of your home when she came go and buy the farm in per son said impetuously as he touched the button and caught up his hat turning to graham he add ed my boy I 1 hardly know how to yes I 1 do he put on his hat took up a pen and rapidly wrote his signature then blotting it nervously he thrust it into his pocket she shall fill it out he said softly tei te i per cent Is your fee if it Is for more than three thousand dollars you bill know you will understand that that she did bot shut the door against me graham deposited the next day in the name of the church a check for ten thousand dollars |
