But he knew God’s voice when he heard it, even though it spoke through the voice of a woman—the woman he loved.
Suddenly, he knew that too. He loved her. He had loved her all along. That was why he was going after her. She was lost and he was finding her. And somehow it was beginning to dawn upon his soul that he would not find her until he had found the God she loved, and set this thing right which was wrong with himself, if there was any such thing as setting it right in this crooked world.
And then, if Darcy Sherwood had not been bound to find Joyce Radway and bring her safely home, he might have felt that life was not any longer worth living; for all the laws by which he had lived, and all the principles by which he had stood, were crumbling beneath him like the sands of the sea, and he felt himself stumbling in the darkness.
CHAPTER XXII
About this time the School Board in Silverton were sitting in solemn conclave, deciding who should take the vacant position in the Primary Department of the Public School, left vacant by the sudden death of the woman who had taught that department for the last twenty-five years.
The position had been open since spring, and filled temporarily by pupils from the Normal School, most of whom had not proved satisfactory to some one on the Board, although three who had made formal application for the position were now under consideration.
“Well, I have a new name I’d like to present,” said Mr. Powers, who had just entered late, and had not heard the wrangling over the three names by their various advocates. “She’s a pippin, too, and I think you’d better take her.”
“Oh, now, Powers, don’t get in any more names. We’re having trouble enough as it is,” laughed a member who was in a hurry to get home. “Let’s put these three to a vote and be done with it. I make that as a motion—”
“I object,” said Mr. Powers. “This young woman has fine recommendations. I took the trouble to look them up. She’s teaching over in Lyman’s church at that summer Bible School he’s so crazy about, and he says she’s the best teacher he ever had. Gets the kids and all that! Don’t have a bit of trouble with discipline, and has ’em right with her from the word go!”
“Where does she come from?” growled one of the men, who was trying to get his candidate voted on.