The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-24

house or God. not 20 mention the uncalled-
for drain on the church treasury.
Elisha would have crowded past these
fantastic soldiers, but the little army, from
bone payer, drummer and all, were sweep
Ing down the narrow stairway In solid
phalanx. They were bent on invading the
innermost recesses of Satan'S citadel.
Elisha retreated- The singing OF the army
confined space of the basement a din that
drowned the hoarse chorus OF the tramps.
The women in blue began 10 depioy around
the outcasts fling along the walls in two
lines, Elisha, finding himself tianked from
retreat by the trombone player and the
the foot or the stairs. Ashamed 10 be seen
In such surroundings, even by strangers, he
drew back into the shadow of the bass drum
TO abide the time when he might slip out:
Though some Of the motley. greasy crowd
whose uproarious amusement had been IN
terrupted by the entrance or the army
were disposed TO give the soldiers respect
full hearing, il was plain that most OF the
wretches huddled around the redhot stove,
content TO be entertained by any demon
stration that might be made, were in better
mood TO jeer than TO listen.
The lasSies began making personal APP
peals. One demure little woman sank on
her knees in front of a nondeseript who
had been presiding as master OF ceremonies
for him and prayed at him. He dug his
hands in his trousers pockets and assumed
e:i air of ridiculous martyrdom. Pray wild
err came n squeaky voice from corner,
where a diminutive bohemian had been
penned by the sudden movement Of
the larger trampS When the army entered
The small tramp's words evoked little ap-
probation, and he did not venture further
suggestions while the girl prayed.
Elisha felt less fear of being observed as
he saw the manner OF applying religion TO
the outcast men, and 1t was with some
curiosity that he elbowed his way closer to
the young woman on her knees. Chicago
Bill was the name of the picturesque char
acter with whom the young woman was
laboring. 1t would have taken a power far
greater than the pleading Of this gentle
creature TO make Chicago BIZ feel other
wise than this world was but a huge
stamping ground" on which every man le-
ultimately searches for prey. Emotion had
been crushed from his breast when he was
boy, and even then such thing as emo
ton was an exotic. For a moment, after
the prayer was ended, no one seemed in a
mood TO speak or move sufficiently TO make
a noise. The young woman arose, end as
she regained her feet, Chicago Bill deliber-
ately chucked her under the chin. This act
made Elisha weak at heart. The meek
woman did not utter an indignant word,
suited her. Chicago Bill, holder, now that
this went unnoticed, turned to another or
the young women and attempted to put his
about quickly, with less forbearance than
her sister. Elisha saw her face He felt
his knees giving way under nim Inc WON
an who turned from the loathsoine tramp
was Eliza.
The face was too real to seem dream;
IL was vivid to Elisha. His Indignation
brooked no wondering thought of how she
had been brought to such a place, for he
was desperately wrought up at the insult
to his old sweetheart, who had reappeared
to him in so strange manner. With a
bound he crashed past several who stood
in front of him, and, swinging his right
arm wildly brought his fist down on the
face OF Chicago Bill, and in the change of
second there was great uproar, a confu-
sion of garments and arms of tramps.
Eliza did not see the face of the man who
struck the first blow. She rushed TO the
stairway, for which several Of the timid
sisters were making, all scrambiing to fol-
lNxxy ha frOV
drummer, who were the first to see the re-
suit of the unexpected tide in the battle
against sin. In an almost incredibly short
time the invaders had abandoned the cita-
del. which was left TO the house divided
against itself. Elisha had no desire to con-
tinue the fight He dashed up the steps TO
the street and breathed freer. Where had
the army gone?
There were men in blue coming-not the
army blue, but the blue that makes a back
ground for official stars. The knowledge
that he in way responsible for the
brawl prompted Elisha to quickly leave the
cross street. Fortunately, this was the
street into which the army wheeled in its
disorderly flight. a block. away was the
bass drum, wabbling as the fat drummer
wabbled, while the trombone player was too
far in the van TO be seen; the women in
blue were struggling along behind the in
strumentalists. Under a gas light on the
second corner away the army halted.
small crowd had followed them. Not
abashed, apparently, the enthusiasts set
crowd as the object of attack. The from
bone player fell back alongside the drum
mer and the two valliantly asSailed an
other tune for the sisters. elisha stood in
the shadow Of a telegraph pole, for he did
not wish to come face to face with his
sweetheart while the crowd was about. He
resolved to follow her to the headquarters
Of the army and there make his presence
known The crowd soon melted away ana
the soldiers prepared TO move TO headquar
ters for the night Close behind them fol-
lowed Elisha.
Headquarters were in a cheap tenement.
ramshackie outside stairs AS the work
ers filed upstairs, Eliza stopped for a mo-
r@bbed 20 pfff a ep hn sha
only few yards behind her, and the fond
ling of the cat gave him an opportunity to
loved
Liza" and he caught her shoulder She
'"Lish!"
What more could they say then?
II is too long a story to tell all they said,
he had put his arm about her waist and
climbed with her 10 the top of the stairs.
What can better lift aside the weight of
misery than the sweet consciousness of
loving and being loved! That night two
hearts sang a Christmas carol. Eliza and
Elisha vowed to live one to the other until
eternity. Then he went home with the
The next day was Christmas. In the
morning there was an unpretentious mar
riage at headquarters And when Eliza
said she wanted to go >home, and when
Elisha said he wanted to go home, and
both were suddenly confronted with the
fact that they were porpeTs, as Abb
SALON. would say. the fat drummer fished
out a greasy bill from old pocketboolk
and begged the bridegroom to borrow it
till, say, next month. He would have done
more than this for EliZa-yes. he would
have given her the whole, wide world had
he owned It, for it must be confessed that
the seif-Sa crificing fellow had a wounded
spot in his heart. balm for which Eliza
could have given had she chosen.
The greasy bill took the bridal couple
away from the CRIME of town, away from
its heartburnings, away from its poverty
haunts. and back in a few hours to the
farm. where the breath of heaven free
and sweet again, even though 1t was chilled
by the winter.
Absalom Baker lay in his bed, i'll Of a
complaint so difficult to diagnose that the
village doctor fell back on the ever-usefuI
explanation Of malaria" The neighbors
received this explanation with supreme dis
gust.
Malaria nothing" said the postrnaster's
wife. hes jist sick over the way he run
off that boy of his a year or so ago."
II low that's so.' assented her listener
a Misunderstanding woman who had come
in to trade a basket of eggs for sugar and
tea What a difference they is in people.
l bet il didn't hurt OF Alb half so much as
1t did the Wilder Perry when Liza struck
out town If she could get a
Twin there. But. then, the wilder has to
keep a-workin' or starve, and old Alb don't
/ wonder what's become of Liza ?''
.'WUznt that scandalous of her? Coin
round the streets with lot of owdacious
women singtn' and prayin'? An to think
that the Wilder Perry folded her hands
and cfpnv,l cnf fha - lin