When they reached the church they saw a figure standing with a lifted
hand. The janitor, ordered by Harricutt to keep a watch.
The car stopped at once.
"Mark, they're wantin' ye in there," he said with a flirt of his thumb
over his shoulder and a furtive glance behind, "Keep yer eyes peeled,
fer old Cutter-up is bossin' the job, an' you know him!"
Billy sat up and took notice.
Mark got out with a grave old look upon his face, and started up the
walk. Billy made a move to follow, hesitated, drew back, held himself
in readiness and watched, all his boy instincts and prejudices keen on
the trail again.
And so to the old sad song of his mistakes and sins Mark entered the
door of the sessions room where once he and Marilyn had gone one happy
summer morning to meet the session and confess their faith in Christ.
As he had passed the window by the organ loft he gave one look up where
Lynn's face was framed in the ivy of the window under the light. He
drank in the sight hungrily. But the next instant he caught the vision
of the young stranger standing with admiring eyes, saw Marilyn turn and
look up and answer him, but could not see how far away and sad her
eyes.
And with this shadow upon his heart he passed in to that waiting group
of hard critical men, with the white faced minister in their midst, and
stood to meet their challenge.