Nancy Parton was one of his varied interests and had been for the last several years. He was enamored by her attractive presence, her quick wit, her willingness to please him as a congenial companion should. His intimate interest, in accord with her own for him, would be frowned upon, if they knew of it, by the Reverend Wilcox and his congregation. He was a God-fearing man and wanted to please the Lord, to honor Him and do His will—but it had been Mildred, and not him, who had ended the closeness of a loving relationship. If anyone should bear the trauma of guilt, Mildred should be the one, for forcing him into the arms of another. He did not want to leave her, he was not that kind of man and, besides, the parishioners, all longtime friends, would heap the greatest of the fault and scorn u
