Show I v i r f r S 7 It I I Ij r j t I HERIG i i r r It i t to Joseph Me McCord Cord Service r- r SYNOPSIS The congregation of the Old White Church ChurchIn h In Locust Hill HUl turns out in full force to loo look k over ever the new preacher Dr Jonathan Farwell Farwell Far Far- well and there Is much speculation amon among g the communicants as to what sort of ma mabe man n be he will be Cassius Brady treasurer of th the church had recommended Dr Farwell fo forthe for forthe r the post after hearing his baccalaureate sermon sermon ser mon at nt the graduation of 01 Dale Farwell Far well hl hlson hison his son con on who Is a n geologist Bradys Brady's daughter Lenora Interests Dale who lives alone wit with h his father lather CHAPTER I Continued I-Continued 2 2 o Y Later when their elders had withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn with with- drawn for their talk Dale found foun d himself charged with the responsibility responsibility responsibility of entertaining Miss Brady i ia in ina ina n a secluded corner of the hotel Note lounge What 11 at I cant can't understand h he e declared wonderingly is ho how v youve you've been around here for three thre e years and I never saw you I still stil 1 dont don't believe it I should have found foun d you jou before I feel cheated And now its it's too loo late sh she e teased Youre all through here r- r Im not so sure Im I'm thinking o of t doing post-graduate post work n next e ext x t year ear Dale volunteered hopefully t I uI know Ill I'll be around for a while whit e when you get back Im I'm going t tsee to o see you Jou But I may not be here Lenora remarked soberly Daddy hasn't brought me a very good report about my mother I haven't told him but Ive I've almost made up my m Y mind that I ought to stay with heri her i next year Well Vell Dale ventured boldly a perhaps the Farwells will wilI be living living living liv liv- ing in your town by that time Your father seems rather keen for it She laughed softly Daddy has amused me so today Hes He's been the treasurer of Old White for ages and he almost never attends But dont don't tell him I gave him away He surely is enthused over your Jour father You should be proud Doctor Doctor Doc- Doc M tor Farwell is is a wonderful speak speak- er Pretty fair Dale agreed com com- I wouldn't be at all surprised if he is the man you need Im I'm growing convinced of it Before the day was over Cassius Brady had gained Jonathan Farwells Farwell's Farwells Farwell's Farwell's Farwells Far- Far wells well's promise to consider the new pastorate if the proposal came through official channels Within three weeks a committee from Locust Locust Lo Lo- cust cult Hill waited upon the western pastor and heard him preach in his g own pulpit A formal invitation followed followed fol fol- r lowed and was accepted Dale would not admit to himself least of all to his father to what degree his expectations regarding I that tha first church service included iiI seeing Lenora Brady But he was doomed to disappointment There was no sign of or the Brady family in inthe inthe t. t the congregation r 7 When Doctor Farwell mounted the rostrum Dale made a swift survey survey survey sur sur- vey of the faces within range The brief tension gave way to a general rustling Whispers By the timer time r the minister finished reading the lines of the hymn Dale experienced his first feeling of relief The reaction reaction reaction re re- action on the majority of the listeners listeners listen listen- ers was undeniably favorable Dale rose to his feet with the others others others oth oth- ers smilingly declining a share of the hymnal offered by his neighbor r- r in blackI black yz y I know the words he assured z f her With his brown head tipped back hands clasped behind him the ministers minister's min mm- r r- r ister's son raised his voice in song all unmindful of the interest his hist t- t vocal effort was creating among the thet t nearby listeners r 4 1 CHAPTER IIi II i Staid composure marked J Jonathan Jona Jona- onaL ona- ona L than an Farwells Farwell's demeanor when he stepped down within the altar rail r after the benediction to meet the fr members of his congregation many p of whom pressed forward for the I I purpose E Each ach new arrival was greeted with a firm handclasp and a search search- k ing lug glance from the black eyes making it evident he would be known by name when he met the minister a second time Approving comments upon the morning sermon sermon sermon ser ser- mon many of them effusive were f accepted with grave unconcern When Henry Marblestone Locust Hills Hill's banker and wealthiest citizen citizen citizen citi citi- zen elbowed a way through the milling crowd to proffer his own particular greeting those nearest to Doctor Farwell gave place def def- Marblestone had headed headed head head- ed the committee responsible forthe for forthe forthe the pastoral selection and the satisfying satisfying satis satis- prestige lingered With his florid face wreathed in smiles Henry Henry Henry Hen Hen- ry declared Well Doctor that was a very good effort I can see where you and I think alike on a lot of things Congratulations That is very kind Some undertone in Farwells Farwell's response rei response re re- i had a chilling effect upon Henrys Henry's ardor There was an awkward awkward awk awk- ward silence then Marblestone deferred deit de de- de- de it hurriedly to the two women i at his elbow k 1 I I My wife has been very anxious V l to meet you Doctor And this is ismy ismy ismy my daughter Evelyn Welcome CC to Old White While Doctor Farwell Your discourse was positively positively positively delightful Inspiring Wasn't it Henry You know I This breathless and fering came from a pudgy woman wearing a white fur piece that came I nearly to the crown of her lavender lavender lavender laven laven- der hat Scarcely waiting to observe observe observe ob ob- serve if her encomium had registered registered registered regis regis- Sarah Marblestone merged unobtrusively into the atmosphere of her husband leaving the field to her tall daughter Farwells Farwell's black eyes narrowed a trifle as he found himself elevating his hand so that it might encounter the limp fingers of Miss Marble- Marble I stone He saw a willowy figure in a clinging green gown A pale blonde with eyes very nearly matching the shade of her dress A smiling red mouth displaying small white teeth The voice suggested a cultivated drawl N So glad to meet you Doctor We just heard that your son had arrived arrived ar ar- rived too This momentary respite served to aid the banker in recapturing his former assertiveness Where is the boy Doctor Were We're taking both of you home to dinner My l mother A startled expression expression expression sion in the blue eyes My mother moth moth- er is dead For goodness sake sakel What will you think of me Mr Farwell Here Ive I've been talking your arm off and andI I I never thought to tell you who I am Im I'm Abbie Brown I guess I just took it for far granted that everybody everybody every every- body here knew me By the way Miss Brown Dales Dale's eyes sought the front of the room Do you mind telling me who those people are the are the three talking to my father Henry Marblestone and his wife And their daughter Evelyn's Evelyns Evelyns Evelyn's Evelyns Evelyn's Eve Eve- lyns lyn's pretty isn't she Ill say If you'll excuse me Ill I'll see if father isn't about ready to go now Dale received another playful tapon tapon tap tapon on the arm Youre interested in other things besides history arent aren't you Quitting the church together Dale Farwell and his father walked in silence over a path that led past the thickly set gravestones gravestones-a a short route to the parsonage that stood ona ona on ona a far corner of the church property The new home was a roomy brickhouse brick brickhouse brickhouse house product of a more modern era than the picturesque church with its wide white clapboards As problem for which there seemed no immediate solution The two Farwells were living alone in the house Not only was the fact well established established established but it appeared that the pair pairin in some preposterous fashion Cashion were managing their own meals There might be no logical argument against a son father menage but the idea was disquieting It war wai waione one of those situations which carried car ried an appeal for action To add to the general irritation no visitor to the parsonage had succeeded succeeded succeeded suc suc- in do penetrating farther than the parlor Closely drawn window shades gave rise to the interesting speculation that the remainder of the ground floor was unsettled Watchful eyes had accounted forthe for forthe forthe the fact there was none too much furniture unloaded from the van Women visitors comparing eager notes agreed reluctantly that theone the theone theone one attainable apartment was more attractive than might have been ex ex- Carefully verified statistics accounted accounted accounted ac ac- counted for the rooms room's inventory One grand piano tightly closed One mahogany center table Four upholstered chairs and three floor lamps One oriental rug in dull duIl L- L i iV I V t kt I T i N w 31 t a S M 1 v 1 a fDale fr f r Dale stood regarding the burial ground he explained heartily My cars car's out front Just as soon as you can break away from here Thank you Farwell returned mildly Dale and I have arranged to dine at home We are scarcely unpacked you know I 1 appreciate it just the same Oh well whatever well whatever you say Well We'll make it later It was evident that invitations to the Marblestone board seldom were treated so In the vanguard of those pressing forward at the conclusion of the services was Miss Abbie Brown She sped swiftly down the center aisle leaving her friend Hannah Garner staring after her in helpless tion As Abbie hovered uncertainly on the side lines her birdlike glance chanced to fall upon Dale who had taken refuge in in the shadows under the gallery until his father Cather should be at liberty At the moment the younger younger- man was bestowing absorbed absorbed absorbed ab ab- attention upon a bronze tablet tablet tablet tab tab- let set in in the wall Abbie regarded him closely Speculation Speculation Spec Spec- became a certainty Making Making Making Mak Mak- ing a brisk circling movement she approached the stranger from the rear and announced her presence with a playful tap on the arm Arent you Doctor Farwells Farwell's son she demanded Yes Im I'm Dale His eyes lighted lighted lighted light light- ed with amusement remembering the red hat and its owners owner's comment comment com com- comment ment upon his name I UI thought so You dont don't look i much like your father Im I'm sure I hope you'll like Locust Hill Im going to It is a very attractive attractive attractive at at- town the little Ive I've seen of it Dales Dale's eyes strayed towards the tablet I III didn't know before that this was such an historical spot Ive I've just discovered that the British British British Brit Brit- ish burned the church here He smiled again a trifle apologetically Ive always been rather keen on American history Really Then you must meet my brother He has everything about Locust Hill right at his finger ends A Son of the American Revolution of course Hell He'll be so glad to know youre you're interested intel sted in Colonial things With this common ground established Miss Abbie ventured to bridge the years And Im I'm s sure re you and your father will find the parsonage very comfortable It must seem dreadfully large for just two men I was sorry to hear about your mother Doctor Farwell hunted through his pockets for the door key Dale stood regarding the burial ground Did you know there was fighting around here father I just saw a tablet that says the church was burned by the British in 1781 Seems a lot of your our former parishioners were in the Colonial army Some of them buried here after the fighting Soldiers of 1812 too It would not be surprising Farwell Farwell Far- Far well weIl had located his key We Ve are living in an old part of the country now You should find it interest interest- ing He thrust open the door and passed within Dale following I III didn't see anything of Mr Brady Brady Bra Bra- Brady dy today Did you He uHe was not at the service I 1 had a note from him yesterday explaining explaining explaining ex ex- ex- ex that he and his family were out of town Have we some milk I will take lake a glass up to my room I have some work to do With the reopening of Old Whites White's parsonage Locust Hills Hill's feminine contingent found itself faced with a coloring and considerably worn I covering most of the oak parquetry Two large steel engravings hung on opposite walls One of the pictures Abraham Lincoln surrounded by his cabinet was a trifle askew on its wire No women could sit in a room five minutes with a crooked picture on the wall waIl Lesser items in conference had to todo todo todo do with the utter lack of oC those little homelike touches that tha t bespeak a womans woman's presence The marble for example Its dreary expanse was broken by a small clock Nothing else Not even evena a photograph to furnish speculation Most unbelievable of all the parlor parlor parlor par par- lor and its deficient furnishings were immaculately free from any vestige of dust A grudging unanimity in intha that tha t finding But the kitchens kitchen's what Id I'd like to see Ill I'll venture its it's a mess Thus the oracular comment of one of the parishioners TO HE LW CONTINUED D |