CHAPTER XVII

THE LITTLE SLIPPER

They sat stunned and stared at the slip of a girl in pink who was
speaking in so matter-of-fact a fashion.

And then Seth Curtis laughed; but he laughed kindly.

"Why," he shouted, "she can't only sing; she can preach too--woman
suffrage and prohibition."

The laugh grew and smiles went round and the whole trying situation
eased up. Jocelyn laughed too and turned to say good night to her
host. And from somewhere in the crowd Frank Burton strode up and
carried Jim out and drove him home.

Everybody began to get ready to go, glad that the evening so nearly
tragic had been happily saved. And all Green Valley mentally promised
to repay the girl who had had the wit and the sweetness to serve in an
hour of need.

But while the young people and the married ones with children were
crowding out through the front door, Grandma Wentworth was still in the
library, staring up into the laughing eyes of the dearest friend life
had given her and taken away.

"Cynthia, dear," whispered Grandma brokenly, "it is still here, the
thing that hurt you so--that made a widow of me at twenty-eight. We
have grown no wiser in spite of the pain."

Sitting in the armchair that Jocelyn had pulled out for Jim Tumley was
Roger Allan. His face was a-quiver with pain. And he too was staring
hungrily at the pictured face.

"Oh, Roger," wept Grandma, "if only we could have her back, her and
Richard."

"Yes," hoarsely whispered he, "if only the years would come back and we
could have another chance to live them."

Over in one corner of the room Green Valley's three good little men
were discussing something hotly. That is, the fiery little barber was
discussing something. The other two just listened.

"I tell you that preacher boy is right. This town needs a home, a
place where it can all get together for a good time. No one home, not
even this one, is big enough. That's why part of the town hangs out in
the hotel, another part in the blacksmith shop, the kids in Joe's shoe
shop or a poolroom. We need a big assembly room with smaller rooms off
of it for all kinds of honest fun--pool, billiards, bowling, dancing,
swimming. I tell you I ain't crazy and no more is the preacher. And
Joshua Stillman's library that he pretty near gave all his life and
money to needs to be moved out into the sunlight and stretched to its
full, grand size. I tell you it would be a great thing for this town.
This town