praying for, and the day may come when she’ll be glad to have some religion to flaunt, even if it is old-fashioned. Don’t worry, Kathie, I’ll see to it.”
Father Graeme came in very soon, ate his breakfast, and then took the car and went down to the village.
“The boys won’t be down for a while,” he said as he went out. “Let them sleep as long as they want to. They’ve had to do a lot of getting up early over there in the war. I’ll be back by the time they want to use the car.”
Kathie flashed a twinkle of a smile at her father. She knew what he was going out for, although she couldn’t imagine how he was going to work it. Sometimes there were things that only Dad could accomplish. Things that were difficult, yet Dad could always manage to get them done without definitely offending anyone.
As he drove down the street into the glory of the morning, he began to think over the night before, and it gave him great comfort that a girl like Beryl Sanderson had come to their home and seemed to be so glad to be there and to like his boys and his girl so much. He thought it all over, recalled the lovely smile she wore, the sweet unspoiled look of her, the happy way in which she entered into the conversation, the reverent way she bowed her head during the blessing at the table, with not a trace of sneer on her lovely face afterward. She had stayed for the evening and entered into the family life as if she had been one of them, as if she had real sympathy for the things they liked and did and said. And Mother liked her, too. He always knew when Mother liked a girl. Yes, she was the right kind. How was it that her boys hadn’t found Beryl before? He recalled also that he had met her father a few years ago and liked his attitude on certain questions in the presbytery. He was a right-minded man. On the whole Beryl Sanderson had made a good impression on Father Graeme, and he hoped in his soul they would see more of her. She was like a breath of fresh air in a stifling atmosphere, after that other girl with the bleached hair that Rod used to go with. He prayed in his heart that they would not have to see more of her. Well, of course they said she was married now, but that didn’t seem to mean a thing in these days when there were almost as many divorces as marriages. He hoped with all his heart that his two sons had not come to feel lightly about marriage.
Thinking these thoughts, he soon arrived at his destination, a place to which he did not often go, the hotel where Louella Chatterton was staying for the present.
He parked his car and went to the desk, asked if Mrs. Chatterton was in, and being told that she was, sent up his name. He was informed that she would presently come down, as she was planning a trip to the city that morning, so he sat himself down to wait, well knowing that he must have patience, for he had had experience in waiting for Louella before and knew that she would not hasten.
When she arrived he made haste to come toward the elevator to meet her. “Good morning, Louella. I hope I didn’t interrupt you seriously, but I shall not keep you long. I came to ask you for my house key, which I loaned you over a year ago, you remember. And now the time has come when I need it, so I thought I would stop by and get it.”
Now Louella made her mind up that he had come to invite her to dinner perhaps, and she had come down all smiles. The dinners at the Graemes’ were always good and cost her nothing. So the little matter of a latchkey did not interest her. The interest when out of her eyes.
“A key?” she said meditatively. “Oh yes, a key. I believe you did give me a key. I thought of course you meant me to keep it. Let me see, what did I do with that key? I think I may have brought it east with me. I’m not sure. I’ll have to look through my things and see.” Louella gave an obvious glance toward the clock as if she had no time now to look it up.
“Oh, yes, you brought it with you,”
Father Graeme came in very soon, ate his breakfast, and then took the car and went down to the village.
“The boys won’t be down for a while,” he said as he went out. “Let them sleep as long as they want to. They’ve had to do a lot of getting up early over there in the war. I’ll be back by the time they want to use the car.”
Kathie flashed a twinkle of a smile at her father. She knew what he was going out for, although she couldn’t imagine how he was going to work it. Sometimes there were things that only Dad could accomplish. Things that were difficult, yet Dad could always manage to get them done without definitely offending anyone.
As he drove down the street into the glory of the morning, he began to think over the night before, and it gave him great comfort that a girl like Beryl Sanderson had come to their home and seemed to be so glad to be there and to like his boys and his girl so much. He thought it all over, recalled the lovely smile she wore, the sweet unspoiled look of her, the happy way in which she entered into the conversation, the reverent way she bowed her head during the blessing at the table, with not a trace of sneer on her lovely face afterward. She had stayed for the evening and entered into the family life as if she had been one of them, as if she had real sympathy for the things they liked and did and said. And Mother liked her, too. He always knew when Mother liked a girl. Yes, she was the right kind. How was it that her boys hadn’t found Beryl before? He recalled also that he had met her father a few years ago and liked his attitude on certain questions in the presbytery. He was a right-minded man. On the whole Beryl Sanderson had made a good impression on Father Graeme, and he hoped in his soul they would see more of her. She was like a breath of fresh air in a stifling atmosphere, after that other girl with the bleached hair that Rod used to go with. He prayed in his heart that they would not have to see more of her. Well, of course they said she was married now, but that didn’t seem to mean a thing in these days when there were almost as many divorces as marriages. He hoped with all his heart that his two sons had not come to feel lightly about marriage.
Thinking these thoughts, he soon arrived at his destination, a place to which he did not often go, the hotel where Louella Chatterton was staying for the present.
He parked his car and went to the desk, asked if Mrs. Chatterton was in, and being told that she was, sent up his name. He was informed that she would presently come down, as she was planning a trip to the city that morning, so he sat himself down to wait, well knowing that he must have patience, for he had had experience in waiting for Louella before and knew that she would not hasten.
When she arrived he made haste to come toward the elevator to meet her. “Good morning, Louella. I hope I didn’t interrupt you seriously, but I shall not keep you long. I came to ask you for my house key, which I loaned you over a year ago, you remember. And now the time has come when I need it, so I thought I would stop by and get it.”
Now Louella made her mind up that he had come to invite her to dinner perhaps, and she had come down all smiles. The dinners at the Graemes’ were always good and cost her nothing. So the little matter of a latchkey did not interest her. The interest when out of her eyes.
“A key?” she said meditatively. “Oh yes, a key. I believe you did give me a key. I thought of course you meant me to keep it. Let me see, what did I do with that key? I think I may have brought it east with me. I’m not sure. I’ll have to look through my things and see.” Louella gave an obvious glance toward the clock as if she had no time now to look it up.
“Oh, yes, you brought it with you,”
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