Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 116: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

298 yet he was the same age as the bridegroom standing erect here on the hearth. “There is nothing wrong with the li- cense, surely?” The question recalled the minister’s gaze. “No,” he answered, “it’s only that you have taken me so much by surprise. I was not expecting this.” He glanced at Flora. Io her pale silk with a bunch of roses lying in her lap, she made a charming picture against the back- ground of shabby books which lined the room. The brim of her hat still hid the . upper part of her face, but he could see that her lip was caught between her small white teeth and that she was twisting a diamond ring upon her finger. Nathan Swain followed his giance. “Tm used to better luck than better men,” he admitted grimly. “If I’ve pros- pered, I only wish now that I had more to give. It should all go to. make her happy.” The minister folded the paper and re- turned it without comment. ‘Tl call my wife,” he said, “ and then we'll need a second witness—Joel Benton perhaps.” : He moved reluctantly toward the door. But just as he reached the threshold a sound behind him made him pause. He had heard a sob quickly stifled. He glanced back at Flora. But Nathan Swain stepped between them and bent over the girl. He drew a leather-covered jewel- case from his pocket. ‘““Here are other things I haven’t shown you yet,” he murmured. The Rev. Arthur Grant strode down the hall reflecting on the scene he had just wit- nessed. It had startled him out. of his usual mood of easy-going contentment; im all the years of his pastorate in the village he had never been quite so uncertain as to what he ought to do, and before making up his mind, he decided to consult his wife. She was not to be found in any of the ‘ rooms at the rear of the house, although he had heard her moving about in the _kitchen. but a little while ago. The tea-ket- tle on the stove, however, was just coming to a boil, and a few dishes had been set down from the pantry-shelf in preparation for an early tea. He remembered that she ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. might have stepped out to the garden and he looked anxiously from the door in search of her. Her placid, rather stout figure in a blue gingham dress was visible at the far end of, the path by the stone wall. She was sit- ting on a kitchen chair with a bowl in her lap picking currants for supper, and at the sound of her husband’s step, a moment later she glanced over her shoulder—théen went on steadily with her work. He told her his perplexity. ‘“ But Flora’s been engaged to Will Davis for almost a year now!” Mrs. Grant pro- tested. ‘ They’ve gone everywhere to- gether and he’s given her some handsome presents. Mrs. Winslow was telling me about it only the other day. She seemed so pleased. She thought they might be married early in the fall.” Her troubled glance was lifted to her husband’s face. ‘I know they say in the village that Will’s been rather wild, but he’s | steadied down since he came into the prop- erty, he’s making money, and there’s no one better liked.” | Although Mrs. Grant kept on steadily with her work, her husband knew that she realized, as well as he did, the gravity of his predicament. Nathan Swain was. the one man of ail his congregation whom it would be rashness to .offend. Quick-tem- pered and self-willed he would brook no interference with any of his actions, and he would take pleasure in revenging himself upon those who got in his way. Although he came only occasionally to church, and concerned himself but little in the manage- ment of affairs, it was known that he paid a third of the minister’s salary out of his own pocket. | Mrs. Grant looked up anxiously at ber husband’s face. : “ You. think you ought not to marry | them?” she questioned. “ But, after all, isn’t Flora old enough to know her mind? If they can’t get the ceremony performed here, they'll go over to the north village. So it will only mean a quarrel to no pur- pose.” | In the late afternoon stillness they heard a sharp clatter of hoofs and a whirr of wheels going down the village street (COLT Goo ve oe a (CO wo