Sunny Slopes

by Ethel Hueston

  SUNNY SLOPES

  by

  ETHEL HUESTON

  Author ofPrudence of the Parsonage, Prudence Says So, Etc.

  Illustrated by Arthur William Brown

  [Frontispiece: "A minister's wife! You look more like a little girl'sbaby doll."]

  Grosset & DunlapPublishers -------- New YorkCopyright 1917The Bobbs-Merrill Company

  This Book Is Written in Memory of My Husband Eager in Service, Patient in Illness Unfaltering in Death, and Is Dedicated to The St. Louis Presbytery To Which I Owe a Debt of Interest Of Sympathy and of Unfailing Friendship I Can Ever Hope to Pay

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I THE BEGINNING II MANSERS III A BABY IN BUSINESS IV A WOMAN IN THE CHURCH V A MINISTER'S SON VI THE HEAVY YOKE VII THE FIRST STEP VIII REACTION IX UPHEAVAL X WHERE HEALTH BEGINS XI THE OLD TEACHER XII THE LAND O' LUNGERS XIII OLD HOPES AND NEW XIV NEPTUNE'S SECOND DAUGHTER XV THE SECOND STEP XVI DEPARTED SPIRITS XVII RUBBING ELBOWS XVIII QUIESCENT XIX RE-CREATION XX LITERARY MATERIAL XXI ADVENTURING XXII HARBORAGE XXIII THE SUNNY SLOPE XXIV THE END

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  "A minister's wife! You look more like a little girl's baby doll." . . . . . _Frontispiece_

  "Silly old goose," she murmured.

  Carol, with an inarticulate sob, gathered her baby in her arms.

  "I beg your pardon," she said, sweetly, unsmilingly, "I did not mean to be rude."

  SUNNY SLOPES

  CHAPTER I

  THE BEGINNING

  Back and forth, back and forth, over the net, spun the little whiteball, driven by the quick, sure strokes of the players. There was nosound save the bounding of the ball against the racquets, and the thudof rubber soles on the hard ground. Then--a sudden twirl of a supplewrist, and--

  "Deuce!" cried the girl, triumphantly brandishing her racquet in theair.

  The man on the other side of the net laughed as he gathered up theballs for a new serve.

  Back and forth, back and forth, once more,--close to the net, away backto the line, now to the right, now to the left,--and then--

  "Ad out, I am beating you, David," warned the girl, leaping lightlyinto the air to catch the ball he tossed her.

  "Here is a beauty," she said, as the ball spun away from her racquet.

  The two, white-clad, nimble figures flashed from side to side of thecourt. He sprang into the air to meet her ball, and drove it into thefarthest corner, but she caught it with a backward gesture. Still hewas ready for it, cutting it low across the net,--yes, she was there,she got it,--but the stroke was hard,--and the ball was light.

  "Was it good?" she gasped, clasping the racquet in both hands andtilting dangerously forward on tiptoe to look.

  "Good enough,--and your game."

  With one accord they ran forward to the net, pausing a second to glanceabout enquiringly, and then, one impulse guiding, kissed each otherecstatically.

  "The very first time I have beaten you, David," exulted the girl."Isn't everything glorious?" she demanded, with all of youth'senthusiasm.

  "Just glorious," came the ready answer, with all of mature manhood'sresponse to girlish youth. Clasping the slender hands more tightly, headded, laughing, "And I kiss the fingers that defeated me."

  "Oh, David," the buoyant voice dropped to a reverent whisper. "I loveyou,--I love you,--I--I am just crazy about you."

  "Careful, Carol, remember the manse," he cautioned gaily.

  "But this is honeymooning, and the manse hasn't gloomed on my horizonyet. I'll be careful when I get installed. I am really a Methodistyet, and Methodists are expected to shout and be enthusiastic. When wemove into our manse, and the honeymoon is ended, I'll just say, 'I amvery fond of you, Mr. Duke.'" The voice lengthened into prim and prosysolemnity.

  "But our honeymoon isn't to end. Didn't we promise that it should lastforever?"

  "Of course it will." She dimpled up at him, snuggling herself in thearm that still encircled her shoulders. "Of course it will." Shebalanced her racquet on the top of his head as he bent adoringly overher. "Of course it will,--unless your grim old Presbyterians manse allthe life out of me."

  "If it ever begins, tell me," he begged, "and we'll join the SalvationArmy. There's life enough even for you."

  "I beat you," she teased, irrelevantly. "I am surprised,--a great bigman like you."

  "And to-morrow we'll be in St. Louis."

  "Yes," she assented, weakening swiftly. "And the mansers will have mein their deadly clutch."

  "The only manser who will clutch you is myself." He drew her closer inhis arm as he spoke. "And you like it."

  "Yes, I love it. And I like the mansers already. I hope they like me.I am improving, you know. I am getting more dignified every day.Maybe they will think I am a born Presbyterian if you don't give meaway. Have you noticed how serious I am getting?" She pinchedthoughtfully at his chin. "David Duke, we have been married two wholeweeks, and it is the most delicious, and breathless, and amazing thingin the world. It is life--real life--all there is to life, really,isn't it?"

  "Yes, life is love, they say, so this is life. All the future must belike this."

  "I never particularly yearned to be dead," she said, wrinkling herbrows thoughtfully, "but I never even dreamed that I could be so happy.I am awfully glad I didn't die before I found it out."

  "You are happy, aren't you, sweetheart?"

  She turned herself slowly in his arm and lifted puckering lips to his.

  "Hey, wake up, are you playing tennis, or staging Shakespeare? We wantthe court if you don't need it."

  Mr. and Mrs. Duke, honeymooners, gazed speechlessly at the group ofyoung men standing motionless forty feet away, then Carol wheeled aboutand ran swiftly across the velvety grass, over the hill and out ofsight, her husband in close pursuit.

  Once she paused.

  "If the mansers could have seen us then!" she ejaculated, with awe inher voice.