Show HERI GrAG E a joseph mccord W service SYNOPSIS the congregation ot of the old white church in locust hill turns out in full force to look over the new preacher dr jonathan farwell and there Is auch much speculation among the communicants as to what sort of man he will be cassius brady treasurer of the church had recommended om dr farwell for the post after hearing his baccalaureate sermon at the graduation of dale farwell his son who Is a geologist bradys daughter lenora interests dale who lives alone with his father dr farwell meets the members of 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 dale meanwhile the women of the town are curious about the mystery of the farwells farrells Far wells worn adless housekeeping in the P privacy reacy of his room dale has en enshrined a picture picture of a beautiful fui woman in inscribed c bed to in child childish sh lettering elaine El alne the Marble stones invite the farrells farwells Far wells to dinner with cassius brady at the dinner evelyn mono donop only opo lizes dale he tells her he has only one friend in locust hill and she Is lee brady marblestone bluntly quizzes farwell about his womanless menage brady admits that the housekeeping arrange ments are temporary constable kerney ts Is perturbed by the arrival on the train ofa of a suspicious looking little man and shadows him he is is further mystified when the stranger 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 daia calls on the bradys chaiter CHAPTER iv IV continued 5 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 like lees gentle voiced 1 I feel as it if we were old friends mr farwell slie she explained as dale held her slender fingers in his warm clasp lenora and mr brady have told me about aboud you we are he assured her her and lust just how long have you been in town he demanded of lee two whole days our trip last lasted ed 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 then I 1 decided to look you up you told roe 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 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 vacated she certainly is I 1 wonder it 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 tha new president there prospects of a win ning football team when will you be leaving again lee asked 1 I made up my mind you know I 1 dont have to go until r after new years I 1 like it here the place interests me a lot 1 I know 11 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 I 1 never lived in a place before where things like that happened always had a yen tor for colonial history and you run into tablets here everywhere you turn do you know thomas brown you mean miss abbles brother the chap looks like a musty old parchment but desure knows his stuff hes given me a lot of dope and iveleen 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 its au 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 i 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 scaring an all the birds away it seems such a waste viasta 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 ow what it is to get in this young womans comans clutches CHAPTER V evelyn marblestone did not neglect her mothers suggestion of entertaining tor for the 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 forham birn 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 stand bys hes a nice 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 occasion 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 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 0 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 teu 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 hos hostess tesi 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 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 tor 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 Marve marvelous loust thank you dale said politely are you sure you meance mean me not lee you 1 I know after all you seem able to tear yourself if 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 Ws its clear we been 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 P dale glanced at the distant hall clock toda today never mind some other time will do after you get caught up with your work dale extinguished 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 tolee to lee rather too conspicuously but what of it she had bad tried to tell him the same thing in a tactful good natured way though she was like that sweet that 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 in bold relief his chin was sunk on his breast the dark eyes were half closed from from the keys came the stately solemn strains of andante dale caught his breath sharply he moved on tiptoe towards the foot of the stairs dale yes father where have you been miss marblestone had a few people in tonight she asked me over 1 I havi have not heard you say anything recently about going back to the university have you 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 then I 1 want to find a real job in the meantime and in the meantime 1 I can carry on a good deal of my 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 wil llast me longer here unless youre thinking of raising my board he smiled a little at his suggestion 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 it if youre not too busy and if there is any of the country around here you explored sure id like 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 IU 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 greatt great Is it very far not with me at the wheel theres 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 stori stories esl 1 I suppose they could lee admitted A few moments later she turn turned edthe the car about on the summit of a small elevation and shut off the motor for a little t time ime she settled back in her corner of the seat watching her hei companion he was staring dreamily at the scene below apparently lost in his historical reflections 1 I am still here le lee e suggested hopefully ohl oh im sorry lady lee but I 1 cant very well help it it and why that name 1 I meant I 1 was sorry it if I 1 seemed to be wool gathering and I 1 think the name suits you do you know youre funny dale ive never known anyone just like you its almost as if forgotten to quite grow up it makes me wish I 1 had known you when boti you were a small boy I 1 rm im not so sure what I 1 was like but I 1 know that everything would have been altogether different it if we r could have had elaine elaine she repeated hesitate angly my mother you see I 1 cant quite remember her I 1 wish I 1 could so do 1 I dale will you tell me something about herdale unless rather not in answer he tumbled fumbled a worn wallet from his pocket out came a small leather case in the case was a photograph that was elaine 5 i dalel dale how very love lovely lyl lee exclaimed softly studying the pl picture then she murmured as it if to herself lily maid of astolas Ast olat dale caught his breath sharply you thought of it tool she has always been that to me dale reflected ever since I 1 was old enough tor for my father to tell me about her I 1 have wondered some times that he be object to my calling her elaine instead of mother but he never did he was the one ne who sent me to arthurs court in 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 I 1 became a disciple of old malory when I 1 was pretty small rather a rabid one as I 1 think about it now you mean yau you liked stories of knights chivalry I 1 understand that perhaps I 1 think most boys get the fever at one time or another 1 I went to extremes I 1 always had the house littered up trying to make armor out of pasteboard and tin cans I 1 was wag forever playing at being a knight it was a good thing in in one way I 1 developed a regular mania tor for physical culture dale smiled to himself 1 I know I 1 used my desire for deeds of prowess to get 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 elaine El aines s 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 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 |