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Show p.....B....u .....,.... ................w I Ginger Ella j by Ethel Hueston j i . -I j ! Copyright, b7 Bobbs Merriu Co. Illustrations by Irwin Myers wNusorvtca ! ! I; CHAPTER VI 12 Life Is no bower of roses for the schemer, of schemes. Ellen Tolllver was noi the tirst to make that disoov ery in actual experience. There could be no possible questioD but that she had figured the family future along the most pleasant as well as- profitable profit-able lines, and yet !t gTew Increasing Jy dutiful t 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 a mere can grocer And it was not merely that she did those things, she enjoyed the doing That was the painful side of the situation. situ-ation. And there was Marjory. Hiram Ruokworth remained a pleasant and comradely member of the household cheerfully paying ten of his fifteen dollars into the general coffer every week, and obviously counting this not so much a hardship as a privilege. Miss Jenkins liktd him. Mr. Tolllver 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 religions re-ligions activity. On the surface, things seemed to progress with a sweet serenity which should have been highly satisfactory to everybody concerned. con-cerned. But Ginger Ella, casting about her with keen eyes that saw everything, and a keen mind that suspected even more, knew Intuitively that all was not well, noi In the ehureu where were heard vague murmurings. in definite suggestions, and were seen strange and significant looks, nor In the parsonage Itself, where Hiram Kuokworth looked too often, and too long, upon the slender white bands of Marjory Tolllver. This was a bad sign, one of the very worst. Hiram F.uekwotth was good looking Marjory had always been man-mad. The situ ation held all sorts of horrible possibilities. possi-bilities. Ginger renewed her vigilance. Hiram Buckworth. good looking, brilliant young student, had deliberately deliber-ately chosen the ministry as his life work. She tossed n.'m a scant respect re-spect for that choice, which, although It accorded him a high mark for character, it, 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 a thousand dollars, or twelve nnndred If be was lucky, and would progress upward. Blowly, perhaps as far as two thou Band, twenty Bve hundred, possibly be was so very good looking. If he married, be would instantly, according to time honored Methodist parsonage statistics as figured v Ginger, become possessed of a minimum of three children. chil-dren. Small good would be one of his es tate 10 the impoverished and needy Tollivers. Encouraging him was a deliberate throwing away of their one resource. It was the willful choking of their oil well. It was the burning of their liberty bonds. Ginger reronnol tered carefully. She did more than rec-onnolter. rec-onnolter. She hounded. She was nil present, all-pervasive, all-observing. If Marjory and the young minlsiet Inclined for a stroll In the moonlight. Ginger Inclined also. If they sat In ttie shade oi the Tumblers on the veranda. Ginger sat with them, bored but unyielding. Had she washed dishes all these years merely to save the fair hands of Marjory fot the dishes of Hiram I'.uckworth and a minimum of three? The attic saw little Ellen Tolllver during these days. She met the postman, post-man, thanked him warmly for the letters he gave her, and flew to the attic The dimes ciahed Into the dolls' trunk, and Ginger returned to her vcrambi vigil. In a way considerable disappoint inent attended the x'curuulatlon l funds for the blind. Itarely did she receive more than five contributions In a day, a stingy fifty cents. Lovely daughters cannot he sent to finishing schools, shabby parsonages cannot he done over, suffering eyes cMtinut be operated on by expensive surgeons, upon a paltry live dimes a day. Not that Ginger frowned upon her receipts, re-ceipts, far from It. It was only thai she had hoped so greatly. In the three weeks of Mr. Tolllver'") Idleness in the country, he hud ac-ipilrtd ac-ipilrtd a thick coat ol unaccustomed tun, and live full pounds In weight, with such an Increase of strength, en UnmiiiHi'i. and uuihlllon. that he was Inctitiei) to feci ashamed of his con-tinned con-tinned PllcncFH Word from town that B special committee from (he ollicial board wIkIm-i to meet hltn at Die pier Huinige on Thursday L-w-nliiK for n dU ru.-ialoii of Import-nil church mnttera gave him real pleasure. Eddy Jacl.Kon drove tilrn In. with MIrhim. mid fi-cling, with ioh iihiihI tact, that the family Mould ili.i. to in-olotie in-olotie for a few hours ot Imlmatp re union, be p'l.-adcd .inporliiiil lui'dnow nod left lio-rii, jin-lnl'iing lo relurn ft.i them at eleven iVIiM'k. Am u 1 1 i their modeat supper, I tl- ;lf Hie three gins mid their fuihci, lu Un pleasant old living room and waited for the coming of the committee. "They want that last two thousand raised." said their father, smiling, "and so do L Bu' I am sure the people peo-ple will contribute it of the own free will, In gratiiud', on the day of the dedication." Presently came Joplln Westbury, alone, ill at ease, but obviously a man with nls mind made up. "Well, Brother I'olliver," be said, "it's good to see you again. Vou are looking better Eyes any stronger?" "I think so, yes, I am sure of lu 1 feel much better. What hour was ap pointed for the meeting? Isn't the rest of the committee late?" "Well, as a matter of fact, the rest of the committee is not coming. Broth er Dawes was called out of town on business late this afternoon, and Brother Macklen Is In bed with an attack of acute Indigestion. Not that I believe a word of it myself. They just backed out, that's all." "Is the meeting postponed, then?" "Well. no. You see, I was the chairman chair-man anyhow, and I can do as well without ilie committee. We'll Just have it out by ourselves." The girls rose quickly. "We'll run upstairs if you will excuse us," said Miriam. "No. don't go." said Joplln West bury quickly, evidently not at all desiring de-siring to be left aloue with his gentle, unseeing pastor. "You stay right here. It's a family matter, as you might say, and we'll Just bnve It -all right out in the open.' Mr. Tolllver sat very still, a rigid figure against the faded blue velvet of the big chair, his head bent forward. for-ward. "You see, we had a meeting of the official board Monday night." "You did I Why, I could have come in for It" "Well, we just had It by ourselves In fact we've -ad several. Well, there's no use beating about the bush." continued the embarrassed odielal. "You see. Brother Tolllver. thnt while all our people like you. and like your work like your whole family. In fact still Well, you can see that a blind man can't run a church not rightly not a fine new church like this one of ours. Now that we've pui so much money Into this new church, we've got to get In the crowds to fill It up. and help pay the expenses. And a blind man" Mr. Tolllver did not move. "Yes. Brother Wesibury. Go on," he said gently. "Well, you see now It la. And since the Congregutlonalists have started to hold meetings of their owd In the Odd Fellows' hall, they've taken about a doxen of our good payers, and we've got to gel In others to take their places. Now you see how we're fixed. We like you. first-rate, but we've got to work for the church, first and Inst. Well, we waited, and hoped you would get over It. We wrote to the doctors, and they say you've not got much chance not one In 9 hundred. You're all run down, and yoo need a long rest maybe a year, maybe two years to build you up." "But perhaps an operation It would be expensive, but " "We asked nbout the operation They just talked about that to cheer -you up. An operation wouldn t do any good Your eyes nre just plain worn out You'll all worn out that's the straight of It." "I see." "Well, we talked It over with the district superintendent, and he hadn't a word to say against you, Brother, nor any of us either for that matter But you see how It Is. The new church and all. So ne said le would tlx It up at the conference this fall, and they'll retire you according lo the books 1 don't know Just bow It Is. hut they pay you right nlong, and ll nil down In the 'Discipline And you'll get a good long rest, and we'll get In some fresh young chap to draw the crowds and (III up the new church.'' "But hut It's father's the new church Is" gasped Ginger, unable ,o endure the (lead silence that hung so blackly ovet the llille group. .Joplln Weslburv turned on bet Miiirply, evidently glad of a chance lo switch the tide of his talk from the stricken minister. "No, Ellen, It's not your father's church. It's Dot our church, It's God's." Ginger wilted suddenly. "Yes," she assented. "Yes. of course. I wish we could let God run it." "Ellen." reproved her father gently. "I'm sorry -I didn't mean " she stammered nervously. "Yes. never mind. We know you meant nothing wrong. You are quite right, of course. Brother Westbury. It Is all true. A blind man would only be an encumbrance In a new church like that. I should have resigned before be-fore but 1 kept hoping 1 would recover. re-cover. And I had my family " "Oh, you'li be taken care of. Brother Broth-er Tolllver, don't you worry. You won't be allowed to suffer, you nor your family either. Just you remember remem-ber that. It's all down In the 'Discipline.' 'Dis-cipline.' The confetence will take care of you." "How Foon When do you " "Well, now, Brother, we figured we would Just keep you right along until conference, on full salary and everything. every-thing. And you can just rest up In the country, and let this young Buck-worth Buck-worth do the preaching. We Ike him first rate. And we want you to preach the dedication, we're absolutely unanimous unan-imous on that nobody but you for the dedication, for as you might say. It's your church. That Is, you understand, you raised the money and all." "Yes, I see. Thank you very much." Awkwardly, the trustee made his good-bys and hurried away. He did not look back. Miriam walked wltb him to the door, shook hands with bim. She even smiled. Then sne slipped back and lolned the bushed little group. "F-father," begged Ginger, In an anguished tone, "don't be shocked please don't. Remember what the doctors said." He put out his hand to her, with a sad smile, and she crushed It between be-tween both of hers. "You see, there Is no hope," he said. "They were only pretending thnt 1 had a chance." "No, father," contradicted Miriam sweetly. "No, they were not pretending. pretend-ing. They said you had a chance, and tliey meant It. They said the only way was for you to become so strong and well that your eyes also would grow strong and welt. They did not deceive you You did have you hav got a chance. I asked them a dozen times, and they told me honestly." "And as far as money goes," cried Ginger, more cheerily, "1 have quite a-few a-few little secrets of my own. It li two months till conference. By that time, old darling, I shall probably bt able to take care of you myself." He smiled at her again. "Donr Ellen," he said gently. "If only these slim little hands could carry ont th kindly projects of that eager llttl heart we should never want for much In this world." "Oh. hut this time I really mean It I mean I am quite sure " The disclosure of her hopes trembled nl the tip of her tongue her eyes grew rapt and luminous. But her sisters, no used to her dnrlng dreams, and her extravagant promises, paid small heed. Their thoughts were upon th sordid reality of the present moment and Its disappointment. "It's a good thing the wedding In over." said Marjory. "Helen would never have gone, If she had suspected sus-pected this." "Boarding Mr. Buckworth will help out quite a little." said .Miriam. "A3 for us. as long as we slay at Bay Dirt, we're simply gorging ourselves unions Ilie fleshpols of Egypt." Ginger shook the rupture from her ryes, closed her teeth firmly upon her secret. The lime hud not come for her triumphal pronouncement. "Well, as Old .lop snys " she began. "Ellen I" "1 mean Brother Westbury. Eddy Jackson calls hltn Old Jop. Well, lis he says, the conference will take care of us. What will we gel, father? Where Is the 'Discipline?' Lei's look It up." She run upstairs fot the hook. "1 should have resigned," said her father drearily. "1 knew I could not minister to them properly. But I did keep hoping" (TO UlC CONTINUED) |