So Leslie told in detail of the wild ride once more. Julia Cloud watched the young man’s face as he listened, and knew that Leslie had a faithful friend and champion, knew also that here was one whose friendship was well worth cultivating, a clean, fine, strong young soul, and was glad for her little girl. Something stirred in her memory as she watched his look, and she went back to her childish days and the boy friend who had kissed her when he went away never to return. There was the same look in Howard Letchworth’s eyes when he looked at Leslie, the age-old beauty of a man’s clean devotion to a sweet, pure woman soul.
Of course Leslie was a mere child yet, and was not thinking of such things; but there need be no fear that that fine, strong young man would be unwise enough to let the child in her be frightened away prematurely. They were friends now, beautiful friends; and that would be enough for them both for a long time. She was content.
She watched them all the evening, and listened to their talk about the Christian Endeavor Society. How beautiful it was that Leslie had been able to bring the boy to a degree of interest in that! Of course it was for her sake, but he was man enough to be interested on his own account now; and from their talk she could see that he had gone heart and soul with Allison into the plans for the winter work. He had a fine voice, and was to sing a solo at the next meeting. Presently Leslie so far recovered her nerves as to smooth out her hair and go to the piano to practise with him.
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“O Jesus, Thou art standing Outside the fast-closed door,” |
rang out the rich, sweet notes; and the tender, sympathetic voice brought out each word with an appeal. The boy could not sing like that and not feel it himself sometime. Julia Cloud found herself praying; praying, as if she whispered to a dear Companion sitting close beside her at the hearthside: “Dear Christ, show this boy. Teach him what Thou art. Make him Thy true disciple.”
Suddenly the young fellow turned to Allison with a smile.
“I like the way you take your religion with you into college, Cloud. It makes it seem real. I haven’t met many fellows that had any before, or perhaps I shouldn’t have been such a heathen as I am. But I say, why don’t you try to get some of your frat brothers to come down to the meeting? They ought to be willing to do that for you, and it would be great to have them sing. You’ve got a lot of the glee club in your crowd.”
“That’s so!” said Allison. “I don’t know but I’ll try it. I’d like to have them come the night you sing. Guess I’ll have to hunt around and get a speaker. No, I won’t either. Just the meeting itself is good enough now for anybody. They’re a pretty good little bunch down there. They’ve been working like beavers. Jane Bristol gets the girls together, and coaches them for every meeting. She’s some girl, do you know it?”
Howard Letchworth agreed that she was, but he cast a side glance down at the bright head of the girl, who was playing his accompaniment as if he felt there were others. Julia Cloud was watching her darling girl, wondering, hoping, praying that she might always stay so sweet and unspoiled.