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Show Griinifer 3lla; . CHAPTER VI Continued 13 "You must kceo on tiuplnc," pleaded Mlrlnni. "The) IlUc lllinm. continued ttieli father. "They evlileiiil.v waul lilin." "Oh. no." cusped Marlmy "Nm llirani. fni her. Nut in ymn church." "1 like him myself." salM hit tin her Kemly. "lietier him tlinn soiih ol hers." Hul Marjory shooh ' her head pas Slolialely "Nu. no, she whispered "Not in yout eliun li.' (linger hurried Inn k wllh the "I'la cipllne." "I'ind It. Miriam. You're up on Indexes." Miriam deftly turned to the Index referred to sccih.ii hurried down to 1 1 1 x r-; i u i ; 1 1 r i . Ullll l it 1 1 HlnUll "'The ii 1 1 n ii i I eliiiin nt a Itellred Mililsiei shall he not less than one seventieth (ITU) ol Hie uverage sal ary, house rent excluded, ol the pftee five ineiiihers ot Ills Conference who are 1'asiurs or Itlsirlet Suiierlntend eiits. niulliilled hy Hie iiiimhei d tils years ot service In the elTei live rein thin. Including two veiirs on trial, as a ineinher ot un Annuiil Conterenee ot the Meihodisi Rplseni.nl Church '" "Mercy." interrupted Ginger "It's iieometry. We'll have towalt fill Horace comes home.'1 "Why. i3 very simple," explained tier father. "One seentlul of the salary of our conference we are not a very rich one. you kimw is twenty one dollars. Mulilply that by " "X darling, you torgot r." Inter rupted (linger again "X ts the nuniher ol )ears one fins Been preaching. My x Is twenty three. .Multiply tvveniy-oiie dollars by twenty-three years, and It coiaes lo four hundred and eighty-three dollars Hut we have not qulie enough money In our treasury to meet the claims In full, so the pro rata reduction would allow nie about three hundred and twenty dollars a year Approximate ly twenty live dollars a month. That will hardly support a family " "Oh. dearest, yon have supported us long enough," said Miriam. "Ii is our turn now." "Why. father, with your twenty five a month, and my er prospects Why. darling, well be-simply Ja'e.' At eleven o'clock. Kddy Jackson came with Hiram Kuckworth and the two men listened in silence as they told theiu. as Indifferently as they could, ol the purport of the special meeting. "So that's what It was." Eddy said soberly "1 was afraid of it." "They needn'i offer me your church,' said Uirinu Buckworth stoutly "1 wouldn't accept It for any consldera tion either financial or spiritual.' j Marjory glowed at nim "Unless." I)h added reflectively, "unless they would make some arrangement to let us both work along together, and use me as your assistant until your eyes are restored." "You couldn't work as my assistant. Hiram. You are too good a man for that. And couldn't even assist you blind as 1 am." "1 don't believe the church as a whole will stand for IL" Eddy Jack son broke out. finally. "Old Jop hus just talked them info this. And I'll bet 1 can talk them out of n I say we Just walk out on them and siari a church of our own. They might keep most of the money, but we'd take nost of the religion." "An affectionate thought." smiled Mr. Tnlliver. "Hut not a very Chris tian one. No, Eddy, this Is the thing a ministe- accepts, and does not fight." "Put ap your sword. Peter." quoted Ginger softly "Well, if worst comes to worst," declared de-clared the young man, "I'll move the whole gang of you out to Puy Dirt, and Install you In the lab. And we'll start a farmers spiritual union." Laughing at that, they walked slow ly out the flagstone puth to the curb. "How's the private business coming along?" Eddy asked In a low voice. "P.ather slowly, In the face ot such an emergency as this." Ginger Ella sighed. "1 may have to forge another an-other link or so." i CHAPTER VII A stricken silence prevailed In the sturdy little touring car that Eddy-Jackson Eddy-Jackson guided carefully along the country roads from Red Thrush to Pay Din. Not one wi rd was spoken But in the rear seat Miriam, the sensible sen-sible twin, sat with one of her father's bands crushed tighlly between both of hers, and now and rhen she pressed It against her cheeks In a wordless passion of sympathy, longing to com fort. It was not until the car stood before the side porch of the big white house, and Miriam, with firm, light hand, ha' led her farher up the steps, that Eddy spoke. "Mr. Tolliver." he said awkwardly, 'don't worry. It's a raw deal, all the way round, but honestly they mean all right. We'll do something about It. that's all." "There's nothing to do, Eddy. And 'hey not only mean all right, thej are all right." "And if It goes through the way they nave planned, we'll start something on our owd account. We're right In the midst o tlie farrnin; district here, and a lot of these people don't bother to go so 'ar to church Pay Dirt '.is nig. Well bufld a little chupet ol our by Ethel Hueston Illustrations by Irwin Myers CorOTlKht. !, Pnbl'ii Morrill C. WNU Hervlco own, and run It to still ourselves I don't want you lo leave Iteil Th rush." "You're a good friend, and n good ii in ii, Eddy." saiil the oilier gratefully "Hul don'i liLve me too much on yotii inliid It's all rlln. I will never d" anything thai does not completely ac cord with Ihe pulley of our church, you understand. Good night, my dear hoy, and to repeat your own words, don't worry." Silently, up the slalrR to the right wing. Miriam guided his si Hps. She turned hack the covers of his tied carefully spread out the things he would need for the night, placed a fresh towel on his rack. "Father, shan't I read to you a while?" she offered. "Until you feel 1 1 rod enough to sleep." "No, thanks, dear, not tonight. You're a nice girl, Miriam, but I don I if kf "How's the Private Business Coming Along?" Eddy Asked In a Low Voice. want to be read to. I have many things to think of." "Put, darling they aren't nice things." "Well, some of them are. You. for instance." "Father," her voice was low almost apologetic, "father, u knnw we are so used to each other, you. and we girls, living together all the time, und arguing, and quarreling, and making up. We never say the real things that are In our minds But father, in our hearts, we all of us--thlnk you are Just wonderful, father" ' His arm lightened about ner shoul ders. "And I tease you girls, and laugh at your little tricks, and yout vanities, and what c'llen calls your man-madness But nil the time 1 know you are the very best girls In the world." "Oh. father, we aren't. Well, Helen she is awfully good. And Ginger Is good, too. In her funny way. Bjt Marjory and I are n u much." There was silence between .hern, as each smiled tenderly Into the dark ness. thinking of the thousand sweet ridiculous, whimsical, pathetic hap penings of the shabby old Vethodist parsonage. But after a little while, he sent her back to bed. and to sleep But Wesley Tolliver himself lay awake all oight. thinking of many things. When Miriam entered his room the next morning she found him standinc by the window, fully dressed. Oh, "'ther, you re getting too smart for me," she said regretfully But when he turned to look at her i he expression on his fnce sent a swlfi glad brightening over her own. "Oh, father," shi cried Hgaln "You've thought of something! Every thing is all right again. Isn't It?" He laughed quite merrily at her young eagerness. "Perfectly all right again," he assured her "Oh, tell me all about It," she begged. But thl he denied her. "You must wall lo share It with Ihe rest ol th-fiunlly th-fiunlly How Imperii' us you are iret nig why. you are quite anoihet Gin ger !" So Miriam was obliged to content hetselt by straightening his rle and giving a careful hi-iisti to his halt lie fore she led him down to tircakfasl Here apologetically la iisk.-d an ad II I i o.ui I Invnr at the tiands of Ivldy I lacksnn "You tuive dune so much Kddv .tin! you are always su k nil ihut i rea!l hale to ask anylhlnu more nt vni '.ill 1 must uo ilhl atlei ureal; fast lo speak lo m da nuhl els I shan't lie ni.he lon. tint I nui-o i;o Now II yon ea n I lake me. ol Kind aie of the men. suppose I lust lele plume In fur hi- " "t if course I can lake you Whv i haven't u thing lo do." lied Ivldy luckson stoutly "Father!" ejaculated Miriam "The way you talk ot orderliu; las-Is one would Itiluk you were a doctor or H lawyer at the very least." So I'.ddy Jackson ''ellnipnshed his experiments foi auoiliei day Hud after a few m lsii mm ructions to the men. turned his -iiiiall ci reward town again. But tie would noi ac company the minister and .its rluiu.'h ler Into the house, said le laid an errand uptown and would he nack foi them In an hour, realizing that this hunt wiib lo in. h sacred one. and thai even the presence of a friend us faith fill -ts himself would he an olrusion II was Ginger who first caught sllit of the touring ear unloading Its passengers at the end of the flag stone ,iath. and her voice sent Its sum mon ringing ovet the house "Margie qnll primping this' minute Come down It's fatter! Father's cornel Tiikt off your curlers. Jenky It's father !" And their eager feet Drought them swiftly, each Id something of dishabille, dis-habille, to receive tin one who had left i hem so sadly the oij:ht before lie was no longer sad He greeted them brightly, smiling warm affection upon them "What a glum and gloomy old parent I was last nluhl." he hegan at once. "What a hopeless and . nr old curinuilgeou you had to put up with!" Father, no!" Then his voice deepened. "Girls, forgive me. I was surpriseu. and I lost my bearings. But lust for a little while." "You've got them again," crowed Ginger triumphantly. He srnf led al her. "Yes. I've got them again But I shouldn't have lost Ihem. Sit down, girls Miss lenklns let s talk It over together You see, it is like this. Years ago. Iiefore even Helen was born. I dedicated my life to the Lord's work. I dedicated my service, my time, my money even my family Well, what then? He has used me a blunt and stubborn I list ru ment many times for all these years If He has finished with me. what of it? If He wants me again. He will show me where, and. how What have I to do about It? Nothing. See how foolish 1 was" "Father.' gasped Ginger In a shocked low voice, "do you mean that you are not going to try--even to try to get well any more? Are you Just going to give up and let go?" "Most certainly not. my dear child I am going to stay al Pay Dirt as long as I can. and get lust as strong as I can. I shall go to I'hlcago t i all the care we can possibly afford And I shall ptay without ceasing for God to bless the means wi use But the outcome- -wtiat difference uoes that make? None If I am not to be used iD lied Thrush any o-nger. what dif fer:-nce? Perhaps 1 shall he ot serv ice some place else. If I uive com pleted by labor entirely, that Is en tirely satisfactory to nie I am per fectly content. I have no fears, not ev-ui for my dear daughters foi whom I wished to do so much Foolish of me! Old I not dedicate my family cares alo.ig with the rest of my life? How foolish It was fo; me li- worry " "Of cottrst It whs For I tolo you 1 would take care of you Don't laugh I 1 mean It." "1 am not laughing. Ellen. I believe you. When the times comes. I know that jOU truly will take care of me And I am glad to have 't to he sure of.' (TO BE CONTINUED) |