The people, too, were hushed and filled with awe. They showed by the
quiet way they reached for the hymn-books, the reverent bowing of their
heads for the final prayer, that they had all felt the power of Christ
with the speaker. They lingered, many of them, and came up, pressing
about him, just to touch his hand and make mute appeal with their
troubled eyes. Some to ask him eagerly for reassurance of what he had
been saying; others to thank him for the story. They were so humble, so
sincere, so eager, these common people, like the ones of old who crowded
around the Master and heard him gladly. Paul Courtland was filled with
humility. He stood there half embarrassed as they pressed about him. He
took their hands and smiled his brotherhood, but scarcely knew what to
say to them. He felt an awkward boy who had made a great discovery about
which he was too shy to talk.
Pat and Tennelly stood back against the wall and waited, saying not a
word. Tennelly watched the people curiously as they went out: humble,
common people, subdued, wistful, even tearful; some of them with
illumined faces as if they had seen a great light in their darkness.
When at last Courtland drifted down to the back of the church and
reached Tennelly the two met with a look straight into each other's
soul, while their hands gripped in the old brotherhood clasp. Not a
smile nor a commonplace expression crossed either face--just that
strong, steady look of recognition and understanding. It was Tennelly
looking at Courtland, the new man in Christ Jesus; Courtland looking at
Tennelly after he had heard the story.
They walked back to Courtland's apartments almost in silence, a kind of
holy embarrassment upon them all. Pat whistled "Rock of Ages" softly
under his breath most of the way.
They sat for a time, talking, stiffly, as if they hardly knew one
another, telling the news. Bill Ward had gone to California to look into
a big land deal in which his father was interested. Wittemore's mother
had died and he wasn't coming back next year for his senior year. It was
all surface talk. Pat put in a little about football. He discussed which
of last year's scrubs were most hopeful candidates for the 'varsity team
this year. Not one of the three at that moment cared a rap whether the
university had any football team or not. Their thoughts were upon deeper
things.
But the recent service was not mentioned, nor the extraordinary fact of
Courtland's having taken part in it. By common consent they shunned the
subject. It was too near the heart of each.
Finally Pat discreetly took himself off, professedly in search of
ice-water, as the cooler in the hall had for some reason run dry. He was
gone some time.
When he had left the room Tennelly sat up alertly. He had something to
say to Courtland alone. It must be said now before Pat returned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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