e was not a reformer. He hated the reformer type. But
he preferred to see her interested in the work of Grant Adams--even
though he considered Grant mildly cracked and felt that his growing
power in the valley was dangerous--rather than to see her under the
black pall that enveloped her.

It was early in the evening as the Doctor went up the hill. He passed
Judge Van Dorn, striding along and saw him turn into Congress Street to
visit his lady love. The Judge carried a large roll of architect's plans
under his arm. The Doctor nodded to the Judge, and the Judge rather
proud that he was free and did not have to slink to his lady's bower,
returned a gracious good evening, and his tall, straight figure went
prancing down the street. When the Doctor entered his home, he found
Laura and Lila sitting by the open fire. The child was in her night gown
and they were discussing Santa Claus. Lila was saying:

"Kenyon told me Santa Claus was your father?"

Before the mother could reply the little voice went on:

"I wonder if my Santa Claus will come this year--will he, mother?--Why
doesn't father ever come to us, mother--why doesn't he play with me when
I see him?"

Now there is the story of the absent one that parents tell--the legend
about God and Heaven and the angels--a beautiful and comforting legend
it is for small minds, and being merciful, God may in His own way bring
us to realize it, in deed and in truth. When the lonely father or the
broken hearted mother tells the desolate child that legend, childhood
finds surcease there for its sorrow. But when there is no God, no
Heaven, no angels to whom the absent one has gone, what then do deserted
mothers say?--or dishonored fathers answer? What surcease for its sorrow
has the little lonely, aching heart in that sad case? What then, "ye
merry gentlemen that nothing may dismay"?

CHAPTER XXV

IN WHICH WE SEE TWO TEMPLES AND THE CONTENTS THEREOF

It was an old complaint in Harvey that the Harvey _Tribune_ was too
much of a bulletin of the doings of the Adams family and their friends.
But when a man sets all the type on a paper, writes all the editorials
and gets all the news he may be pardoned if he takes first such news as
is near his hand. Thus in the May that followed events set down in the
last chapter we find in the _Tribune_ a few items of interest to
the readers of this narrative. We learn for instance that Captain Ezra
Morton who is introducing the Nonesuch S