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Show ...... WW Ginger EuM: : -..... v : . ........... . by Ethel Hueston . opntcK r Bobtx lfwriii c. Illuitrationa by Irwin Myer$ WlTOIanlos II CHAPTER VI 12 Life Is no bower of roses for the schemer of schemes. Glleo Tolllver was 001. the flrst to make thai discovery discov-ery In actual experience. There could be no possible question but that she had figured the family future along the most pleasant as well ar profitable profit-able lines, and yet It grew Increasing-ly Increasing-ly difficult to hold her recalcitrant subjects to the designated stars. Take Miriam, the sensible twin, for Instance, In-stance, frlvollng awsy the precious hours of her life out at Pay Dirt In the company of a mere can grocer. And It was not merely thai she did those things, she enjoyed the doing. That was the painful side of the situation. situ-ation. ' And there was Marjory. Hlrpm Uuckwortb remuioed a pleasant and comradely member of the household, cheerfully paying ten of his Qfteen dollars Into the general coffer every week, and obviously counting this not so much hardship ss a privilege. Miss Jenkins llk'd blm. Mr. Tolllver liked htm, the members of the church liked him. All the young daughters of alt the Influential members developed a Strang assiduity along lines of religious re-ligious activity. On the surfuce, 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 keeo mind that suspected even more, knew Intuitive)? that all was 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 But 1 am sure the people peo-ple will contribute it of the own free will, In gratitude 00 the day of tbe dedication.1' ' Presently came Joplln Westbary, alone. III at ease, but obviously a man with bis mind made op. "Well, Brother Tolllver," be said, "it's good to see you again. Ton are looking better. Eyes any stronger?" j "I think so, yea, 1 am sure of It 1 feel much better. What hour waa appointed ap-pointed for the meeting? Isn't 'tbe rest of the committee la let 1 "Well, as a matter of fact the rest of the committee la 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 acme Indigestion. Not that I believe a word of It myself. They just backed out that's all." "Is the meeting postponed, then?" "Well, no. Tou see, I was tbe chairman chair-man anyhow, and 1 can do as well without the committee. We'll just have it out by ourselves." The girls rose quickly. "Well run upstairs If you will excuse us." said Miriam, "No, don't go," said Joplln West-bury West-bury quickly, evidently not at all desiring de-siring to be left aloue wttb his gentle, unseeing pastor. "Tou stay right here. It's a family matter, as you might say, and we'll just bnve It ail right out In the open.'- ' 1 . Mr. Tolllver sat very still, a rigid figure against the faded blue velvet of the big chair, bis bead tent for ward. iimemil the stricken minister. "No. Ellen, Iff not your father's church, It's not our church. It's God's." Ginger wilted suddenly. "Tea." she assented. "Tea, of course. I wish we could let God run It" "Ellen," reproved ber father gently. "I'm sorry -I didn't meanr-" she stammered nervously. "Yes, never mind. We know you meant nothing wrong. Ton are quite right of . course. Brother Westbury. ;t Is all true. A blind man would only be an encumbrance In a new church like that 1 should have resigned beforebut be-forebut I kept hoping I would recover. re-cover. And 1 bad my family" "Oh, you'U be taken care of, Brother Broth-er Tolllver, don't you worry, too wont be allowed to suffer, you nor your family either. Just you remember remem-ber that It's all down In the 'Discipline.' 'Dis-cipline.' Tbe conference will take care ef you." "How soon When do you' "Well, now, Brother, we figured we would Just keep you right along until conference, 00 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 Jke 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 aa you might say, It's your church. That Is, you understand, you raised the money and alL "Tea, I sea. Thank you very much." Awkwardly, the trustee made his good bys and hurried away. Be did not look back. Miriam walked with him to the door, shook bands with him. She even smiled. Then she slipped back and Joined tbe bushed little group. "F-father," begged Ginger, In an anguished tone, "dont be shocked please don't Bemember what the "You see, we had a meeting of tbe official board Monday night" "You did I Why, I could have come In for If "Well, we Just bad It by ourselvea In fact we've had several. Well, there's no use beating about tbe bush," continued the embarrassed official. "You see. Brother Tolllver, that 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 One new church like this one of ours. Now that we've put so much money Into this new church, we've got to get In the crowds to' Oil It up, and belp pay tbe expeuses. And a blind man" Mr. Tolllver did not move, "tes. Brother Wesibury. Go on," be sjald gently. "Well, you see bow It is. And since the Congregatlonallsta have started to bold meetings of their own In the Odd Fellows' ball, they've taken about a dozen of our good payers, and we've got to get In others to take tlelr places. Now you see bow we're flxed. We like you, Brst-rate, but we've got to work for the church, flrst and last. Well, we waited, and hoped you would get over It We wrote to tbe doctors, and they say you've not got much chance not one In a hundred. You're all run down, and you need a Ipng rest maybe a year, maybe two years to build yon np." "But perhaps an operation It would be expensive, but" ! "We asked about the operation. They Just talked about that to cheer you up. An operation wouldn't do any good. Your eyes are Just plain worn out You'll all worn out that's the straight of it" ( "I see." "Well, we talked It over with tbe district superintendent, and be badn't a word to say against you, Brother, nor any of us either for that matter. But you see bow tt Is. The new church and all. So be said je would fix it up at the conference this fall, and they'll retire you according to the books 1 dont know Just bow It Is, but they pay yon right along, and It's all down to the 'Discipline.' And you'll get a good long rest and we'll get In some fresh young chap to draw the crowds and Oil up the new church." ; "But but It's father's the new church Is," rfnsped Ginger, unable to endure the dead silence that bung so blackly over the little group. i Joplln Westbury turned on ber sharply, evidently glad of s chance to switch tbe tide of bis talk from doctors said." He put out bis band to ber, with a sad smile, and she crushed It between be-tween both of hers. "You see, there Is no hope," be said. "They were only ' pretending that 1 bad a chance." "No, father," contradicted Miriam sweetly. "No, they were not pretend-Ing. pretend-Ing. They said you bad a chance, and they meant It They said the onlj way was for you to become so strong and well that your eyes also would grow strong and welL They did not deceive you. Yon did have you have, got a' chance, t asked them a dozen times, and tbey told me honestly." "And as far as money goes." cried Ginger, more cheerily, "I nave quite a few little secrets of my own. It Is two months till conference. By that time, old darling, 1 shall probably bs able to take care of you myself He smiled at her again, "Dear Ellen," he said gently, "If only tbess Urn little bands could carry out tbe kindly projects of that eager little bean we should never want for much In this world." "Oh, but this time 1 really mean II I mean I am quite sure" The disclosure of ber hopes trembled at the tip of ber tongue her eyes grew rapt and luminous. But ber sisters, so used to ber daring dreams, and ber extravagant promises, paid small heed. Their thoughts were upon the sordid reality of tbe present moment and Its disappointment "It's a good thing the wedding Is over," said Marjory. "Helen would never have gone. If she bad suspected sus-pected this." "Boarding Mr. Duckworth will help out quite a little," said Miriam. "As for us, as long as we stay at Pay Dirt, we're simply gorging ourselves among the fleshpota of Egypt." Ginger shook the rapture from ber eyes, closed ber teeth firmly upon ber secret Tbe time bad not come for ber triumphal pronouncement . "Well, as Old Jop says" she began. . "Ellen 1" "1 mean Brother ' Westbury. Eddy Jackson calls blm Old Jop. Well, as be says, the conference will take care of us. What will we get father! Where Is the 'Discipline V Let's look It up." She ran upstairs for the book. "I should have resigned," said ber father drearily. "I knew I could not minister to them properly. But 1 did keep hoping." (TO BE CONTINUED) not well, not In the church, where were beard vague murmurtngs. Indefinite In-definite suggestions, and were seen strange and significant looks, nor. In the parsonage Itself, where Hiram Duckworth looked too often, and too long, upon tbe slender white hands of Marjory Tolllver. Tbls was a bad sign, one of the very worst Hiram Buckwortb was good looking. Marjory had always been man-mad. The situation situ-ation held all sorts of horrible possibilities. possi-bilities. Ginger renewed her vigilance. Hiram Buckwortb, good looking, brilliant young student bad deliberately deliber-ately chosen the ministry as bis life work. She tossed blm a scant respect re-spect for that choice, which, although It accorded blm a high mark for character, It. no way entitled him to a permanent place In ber plans for the family's future. Being a seminary man, with special study at Oxford, be would begin perhaps at a thousand dollars, or twelve hundred If be was lucky, and would progress upward, slowly, perhaps ar far as two thousand, thou-sand, twenty-Ova hundred, possibly be was so very good looking. If he married, he would Instantly, according to time-honored Methodist parsonage statistics as figured hy Ginger, become possessed of a minimum of three children. chil-dren. ' Small good would be one of bis estate es-tate to tbe impoverished and needy Tolllvers. Encouraging blm was a deliberate throwing sway of their one resource. It was the willful choking of their oil welt It was tbe burning of their liberty bonds. Ginger reconnol-tered reconnol-tered carefully. She did more than rec-onnolter. rec-onnolter. She hounded. She was all-present all-present all-pervasive, all-observing. If Marjory and the young minister Inclined for a stroll In the moonlight Ginger Inclined also. If they sat In the shade oi the ramblers 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 for the dishes of Hiram Buckwortb and a minimum of three? The attic saw little of Ellen Tolllver during these days. She met the post man, thanked him warmly for the letters he gave ber, and flew to the attic The dimes cia&bed into the dolls' trunk, and Gtnger returned to her veranda vlglL In a way considerable disappointment disappoint-ment attended tbe accumulation of funds for the blind. Barely did she receive more than Ave contributions In a day, a stingy fifty cents. Lovely daughters cannot be sent to finishing schools, shabby parsonages cannot be done over, suffering eyes cannot be operated on by expensive surgeons, upon a paltry five dimes a day. Not that Ginger frowned upon ber receipts, re-ceipts, far from It It was only that she had hoped so greatly. In the three weeks of Mr. Tolllver' Idleness In the country, he had acquired ac-quired a thick coat of unaccustomed tan, and five full pounds In weight, with such an Increase of strength, en-thuslasn, en-thuslasn, and ambition, that be waa Inclined to feel ashamed of bis continued con-tinued Idleness. Word from town that a special committee from the otliclal board wlshec to meet blm at the parsonage par-sonage en Thursday evening for a discussion dis-cussion of Important churcb matters, gave blm real pleasure. Eddy Jackson drove him In, with Miriam, and feeling, with bis usual tact that the family would like to he alone for a few hours of Inilimite re union, be p'eaded iiuportuut business and left loem, promising to reiurn foi them at eleven o'clock. Ant. alter their modest supper, they sat. Hie three girls and . their futhei. In ibe |