Show R HERI 13 GIST A 0 joseph mccord service SYNOPSIS the congregation of the old white church in locust HUI turns out in ull full force to look over the new preacher dr jonathan farwell and there Is much speculation among the communicants as to what sort of man be will be cassius brady treasurer ot of the church had recommended dr farwell tor for the post after hearing its his baccalaureate sermon at the graduation of 0 dale farwell his son who A he Is a geol geologist 0 gist bradys daughter lenora interests da dale le who lives alone with his lather father dr farwell meets the members of 0 his congregation personally accepts their tributes but refuses to be impressed by the bankers family the Marble stones whose daughter evelyn obviously sets her cap for or dale Clean meanwhile while the women ol of the town are curious about the mystery of the far wells worn womanless aless housekeeping in the privacy of his room dale has ensi enshrined irined a picture of a beautiful woman inscribed in childish lettering elaine El alne the marble stones invite the farwells farrells Far wells to dinner with cassius brady at the dinner evelyn monopolizes nopo lizes dale he tells her he has only one friend in locust hill and she Is ue lee brady marblestone bluntly quizzes farwell about his oman manless less menage brad brady y adrams admits that the housekeeping arrangements asre temporary constable kerney Is perturbed by the arrival on the train of a suspicious looking little man and shadows him he Is further mystified when the stranger tt ranger goes to the parsonage there the newcomer Is warmly greeted as pink and takes up his duties as housekeeper adding to the towns speculation dale calls on the bradys CHAPTER IV continued im so glad to see you again was lees frank greeting maybe im not glad to see youl you replied dale then the nicest person welcoming the caller from her big chair beside the glowing fire dales heart went out to mrs brady at sight A delicate woman with snowy hair framing a young face dark eyes me like lees gentle voiced 1 I feel as if we were old friends mr farwell she explained as dale held her slender fingers in his warm clasp lenora and mr brady have told me about you we are he assured her and just how long have you been in town he demanded of lee two whole days our trip lasted longer than we expected we know you were here until daddy told us I 1 was sure you would be at school 1 I was stayed there long enough to make sure you registered toen then I 1 decided to look you up you told me I 1 could you know lenora should have returned mrs brady interposed 1 I dont know where she got the idea she must stay here to look after me its quite ridiculous her hand hand stole out and rested upon lees ashes a stubborn child like her father they both spoil me of course they do dale could understand that she adorable lee asked after mrs brady left the room she slipped down into the chair her mother had bad vacated she certainly is I 1 wonder if you know how lucky you are of course I 1 do now tell me about things out in the great wide open spaces and dont skip any details they talked about the university town the installation of the new president there prospects of a winning football team when will you be leaving again lee asked 1 I made up my mind i you know I 1 dont have to go until after new years I 1 like it here the place interests me a lot 1 I know that quick little turn of the head dale remembered and I 1 understand that you have been very busy not very puttering around getting in a little golf and things ive been studying too exploring around here and ive wanted to help father all I 1 could getting the place settled you know of course lee agreed soberly being a ministers son must be quite a responsibility what have you been studying I 1 suppose we had much geology around here your hobby it its my job or going to be to tell you the truth ive been getting a kick out of the past history here 1 I never lived in a place before where things like that happened always had a yen for colonial history and you run into tablets here everywhere you turn do you know thomas brown you mean miss abbien brother the chap looks like a musty old parchment but he sure knows his stuff hes given me a lot of dope and ive been checking it up in the field I 1 had to amuse myself in some way until you came home and then I 1 had to call you up it a all right I 1 dont blame you a bit it was growing dusky in the room and the fire was low but dale knew the brown eyes were laughing at him go on he encouraged what are you thinking about now 1 I was wondering why you decided to be a minister like your father be spending all your time in the wilds poking around with a little hammer searing scaring all the birds away it seems such a waste of time they both laughed its my turn now dale warned what are you planning to make of yourself when you finish college well lee reflected seriously there are two answers both of them are teaching school im too dumb to have a career what else get married im predicting you wont have a chance to teach long the most comforting thing ive been told in a long time they still were chatting animatedly when cassius brady found them upon his return from his office hello young man was his greeting found your way over did you yes sir and almost forgot the way home I 1 realize it was growing so late all right I 1 know what it is to get in this young womans comans clutches CHAPTER V evelyn marblestone did not neglect her mothers suggestion of entertaining for the ministers miZi ministers son it will be very informal she explained to dale over the telephone A few couples that want to meet you I 1 thought we could dance bridge table for the hopeless addicts something to eat later im depending on you ill be there thanks dale no sooner had hung up than he wondered if it would be possible for him to call for lee the night of the party he would find out before someone else beat him to it im sorry but I 1 cant say yes lee told him readily when he dropped in to call and proffer his request evelyn has arranged for my escort its a quaint custom we have here pliny morehead is the victim one of the st stand and bys he hes s a nic nice e boy like him 1 I dont like his name and I 1 shant like him dale wished afterwards that he had taken advantage of the occa ision to inquire what this pliny person and the other males would wear evelyn had called it an informal affair but he feel sure he finally elected to wear a dinner jacket 1 I was beginning to worry about you evelyn told him when she greeted him in the hall youve been very neglectful of me too but you do look nice she adde added graciously eyeing his slender figure and well tailored clothes so do you he replied with a little bow gorgeous come in and meet the crowd there was but one name that impressed itself on dales memory pliny morehead A portly youth with thinning blond hair and pale eyes and here is an old friend of yours mr farwell lees brown eyes smiling up from the depths of a big chair lee in a little russet dress that matched her hair russet slippers she looked sweet of course how are you miss brady very well mr farwell im delighted to meet you again later the rugs were rolled back and the broadcasting stations searched for dance music 1 I know it dale remarked complacently but ive been wanting to dance with you all my life go on very pretty thanks another thing ive been wanting to tell you you look very sweet its your dress I 1 think you make me think of an autumn leaf in the sere and yellow you mean very candid but not comforting dont you know you should be dancing this with your hostess ashes bridging I 1 dont play and I 1 wont be a kibitzer then you should be paying more attention to some of these nice girls remember I 1 have to go on an living here this is the fourth time youve danced with me its only the fifth and I 1 still dont like pliny maybe I 1 do evelyn soon found a substitute for her place in the bridge game and appropriated her guest of honor for the remainder of the evening stay for a little while and talk she commanded when the others made ready to leave youre supposed to tell me that youve had a pleasant evening you know of course I 1 did marvelous thank you dale said politely are you sure you mean me not lee you 1 I know after all you seem able to tear yourself away from her until I 1 helped she is sweet but you have made it quite so obvious do you think evelyn smiled sweetly and how about some golf tomorrow if it a clear we been 1 out to the country club for ages you know or had you noticed im not sure that I 1 can do you mind if I 1 call you later dale glanced at the distant hall clocks clock toda today Y never mind some other time will do after you get caught up with your work dale extinguished his cigarette and rose to his feet 1 I must be going he said shortly his sense of irritation persisted as he strode through the dark streets perhaps he had devoted himself to lee rather too conspicuously but what of it she had tried to tell him the same thing in a tactful good natured way though she was like that sweet that T hat word always came to him when he thought of her too bad if he had hurt evelyns feelings funny about women when he reached the parsonage dale was surprised to catch the faint notes of the piano his father was playing the one lighted lamp brought out farwells farrells Far wells rugged features in bold relief his chin was sunk on his breast the dark eyes were half closed from the keys came the stately solemn strains of andante r dale caught his breath sharply y he moved on tiptoe towards t the h e foot of the stairs dalel dale yes father w where have you been miss marblestone had a few people in tonight she asked me over 1 I have not heard you say anything recently about going back to the university have you changed your plans well not exactly to tell you the truth father ive been thinking about the finances after the first of the year ill be making my expenses there and a little more I 1 then I 1 want to find a real job in the meantime 11 and in the meantime I 1 1 I can carry on a good deal of m my y work here by myself ive been a rather steady drain on you the past few years and what I 1 have left of my own money will last mi me longer here unless youre thinking of raising my board he smiled a little at his suggestion I 1 finances need not enter into your decision his father reminded gravely you mean you think I 1 should go back you will have to settle the matter in your own way farwell rose to his feet it is late good night lee drove to dales house one day 1 I thought maybe you would like to ride she said when he ran out in answer to the honking of her motor horn if youre not too busy and if there is any of the country coll around here you explored sure id me to only he glanced down at his jersey im not dressed exactly of course you are look at me 1 I have been dale already was opening the car door lets go all right ill fool you ive brushing up on my history so that I 1 could talk intelligently to you when I 1 had the chance how would you like to cover the retreat of the hostile british nation over to staten I 1 mean great Is it very far not with me at the wheel theres ii a small ferry over to the island that runs every so often dale entered wholeheartedly into the excursion and will you look at the old houses scattered along here was his delighted exclamation as they followed the road along staten islands northern rim they must have been standing at the time of the revolution if only they could tell us what they have seen what stories stor lesl 1 1 I suppose they could lee admitted A few moments later she turned the car about on the summit of a small elevation and shut oft off the motor for a little time she settled back in her corner of the seat watching her companion he was staring dreamily at the scene below apparently lost in his historical reflections 1 I am still here lee suggested hopefully ohl oh im sorry lady lee but I 1 cant very well help it and why that name 1 I meant I 1 was sorry if I 1 seemed to be wool gathering and I 1 think the name suits you do you know youre funny funn Y D dale a le ive never known anyone just like you its almost as if u you d forgotten to quite grow up it makes me wish I 1 had known you when you were a small boy im not so sure what I 1 was like but I 1 know that everything would have been altogether different if we could have had haa elaine elaine she repeated hesitatingly my mother you see I 1 cant quite remember her I 1 wish I 1 could as so 0 do I 1 dale will you tell me something about her dale unless rather not in answer he fumbled a worn wallet from his pocket out came a small lei leather ither case in the case was a photograph that was elaine dalel dale how very lovely abut lee exclaimed softly studying the picture then she murmured as if to herself lily maid of astolas Ast olat dale caught his breath sharply you thought of it tool too she has abw always a ys been that to me dale reflected ever since I 1 was old enough for my father to tell me about her I 1 have wondered some times that he object to my calling her elaine instead of mother but he never did he was the one who sent me to arthurs arthur I 1 S court in the first place what do you mean well you see father looked after most of my early education and he used to read to me by the hour 1 I became a disciple of old malory when I 1 was pretty small rather a rabid one as I 1 think about abou t it now you mean you liked stories of knights chivalry I 1 understand that perhaps I 1 think most boys get the fever at one time or another I 1 went to extremes I 1 always had the house littered up trying to make armor out of pasteboard and tin cans I 1 was forever playing at being a knight it was a good thing in one way I 1 developed a regular mania for physical culture dale smiled to himself 1 I know I 1 used my desire for deeds of prowess to g get t into scraps with the other kids young galahad that was the general idea by way of squaring myself I 1 would stand in front of blaines El aines picture and tell her how I 1 had ridden out with her scarf on my lance that sort of thing 1 I thought it was something like that lee nodded wisely it explains you but it makes make s me want to ask you about other things such as well your father I 1 feel it every time I 1 look at him its something in his eyes I 1 think I 1 cant explain it very well but he was very devoted to your mother he yes 1 I was sure he carries her scarf too perhaps I 1 say that TO BE CONTINUED |