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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1938
Pride of the Carringtons A Story By ELISE FRASER
T HE Carringtons were proud. This tradition of the family had been passed from generation to generation until it had become almost a fetish. There were three words that a Carrington had never been known to say. These were the simple words, “ I am sorry.” Luella, the last of the Carringtons, who had married Hugh Arnold, was thinking of the Carrington pride as she climbed the narrow staircase that led to her room on the third floor of the Lancaster Apartments. “ After all,” she reasoned miserably with herself, “ it was his fault as much as mine, and if he won’t take the first step— well, then matters can simply take their course.” It was dark in the nàrrow hallway on the third floor, and Luella fumbled with her key as she tried to fit it in the lock. Glancing up the hall,, she saw a light under the door of the front room apartment. “ They are in,” she thought, and felt a strange comfort from this fact. She did not know the occupants of the front room, but she had met them briefly two or three times in the few days she had been in thé house. She thought she had never seen such bright happy faces. “ If I weren’t so miserable, I’d like to know that couple,” she told herself. As Luella shut herself into her lonely room, a wave of despondency swept over her. Dropping wearily into a rocker, she stared out at the deepening winter dusk. How dark and dreary the world had be come! The tears that she had fought, suc cessfully theée last few days filled her eyes. She threw herself on the couch and was about to give herself up to her misery when a knock sounded at the door. “ Hugh!” she thought, her heart pound ing. “ Oh! if only it were Hugh!” It was the girl from the front apartment. Her husband had to stay late at the office, ând she wondered whether Luella would come and have dinner with her. Her sim plicity and friendliness warmed Luella’s heart,, and she soon found herself sitting down to the table in Bertha’s cheerful apartment. Bertha bowed her head. ; “ Shall we have the blessing?” she asked. A startled look crossed Luella’s face, but she bowed her head obediently and listened intently to words that were strange to her ears. “ Our gracious heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Thy loving-kindness toward us, Thy children. W e know that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and we lift our grate ful hearts to Thee in acknowledgment of Th y many gifts to us. But most of all we thank Thee for the gift of Thy Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. W e ask
that Thou wilt bless this food to our use and help us to live our lives for Thy glory. This we ask in Jesus’ name.” ' There was a moment of silence after their heads were lifted. Luella felt shy and a little awkward, too,:,and cast about in her mind for something to say. "A worn Bible on the table .caught her eye. “ Is your hus band a minister ?” she asked. “ No, indeed. What made you ask that?” Luella looked confused. “Well, the Bible on the table. It looks sort of used,” she finished lamely. Bertha nodded. “ It is used! Carl and I read it and study it and consult it about all the questions that come up about this life— and the life to come QaS Luella was frankly amazed. “ I didn’t know any oiie read the Bible any more. Wasn’t it written a long, long time ago? How could it have any help for you today?” “ 'Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, and today, and for ever,’ ” responded Bertha, smiling. “ God tells us in His Word that ‘the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ ” “ S om etim e you
face grew crimson at the' thought of it. But the Book could not be right. Surely a proud look was not to be ranked with “hands that shed innocent blood.” That was a terrible crime. But pride! What could be sinful about pride? With a desperate gesture she turned to Bertha. “ I’ve never told my troubles to a stranger before, and I don’t know why I should want to burden you— ” “ Oh, but we are not strangers, Luella. W e are friends! And I want to help you if I can. I felt that you were troubled about something— ” “ Oh, I am, I am ! A week ago today, Bertha, I had a quarrel with my husband and I left him !” Luella hesitated and then plunged on. “ It was about a job. My chum’s husband has a good job with a stock and bond company, and he offered to get Hugh in. It was a wonderful opportunity with twice the salary that he was getting, and he wouldn’t take it.” “Why not?” “ He—he said that it was not honest.” “And then ?” Bertha waited. “And then, I told
must tell me about it,” said Luella wist fully. “ I w ill,” promised Bertha. “ Perhaps we had better tackle our steaks now.” T h e d in n e r w as d e lic io u s and w as served in an appeal ing manner. Luella soon found herself talking to Bertha ' as if they had been col le g e ch um s. She never before had met any one with whom she felt so well, ac quainted in so short a time. After the dishes were cleared away and w a sh e d , the g ir ls m ade th em selves comfortable in easy chairs and pre
him that if he cared anything at all for me, he would take that job.” “ What did he say then ?” “ He said that he ca re d f o r me but th a t he ca re d fo r Jesus Christ, too.”'^' Bertha caught her breath. “Why, how wonderful! And you le ft a man lik e that?” Luella lifted miser able eyes. “ I said, ‘Very well, then, if that is the stand that you are g o in g to take, then we had better separate.’ His face was perfectly white. He went and got his coat and hat and went to the door.
"I'm going to 'phone this very instant."
pared for a cozy chat before the fireplace. The Bible with its frayed edges lay on a table close to Luella. It seemed to hold a fascination for her, and picking it up, she opened it at random. Her eyes fell on verses 16 and 17 of Proverbs 6: “ These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood— ” She shut the Book hastily. She remembered the proud look she had given Hugh, the haughty, arrogant look; and her
‘This has nothing to do with my love for you, Luella, but I could not take that job under any conditions whatsoever.’ And I let him go out.” “What did you do then?” “ I packed a suitcase of clothes and came away. I left a note telling him that I was going to San Francisco and that mail would reach me there General Delivery. And he hasn’t written. I’ve gone every day, and nothing has come!” [Continued on page 83]
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