Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-06-09

5ebhardt. This citizen, despite the
pleadings and persuasions of the little
parson and different members of the
church, refused to close his saloon on
Sunday, for upon this day he usually
realized his biggest profits.
Many laborers from the surrounding
ranches, farms and mines spent their
Sabbaths and weeks wages at Geb-
hardt's tavern, and the passing traveller
was sure to rest there over night if he
arrived ON Sunday, and this was, of
course, another source of revenue for
the proprietor. This morning Jan was
standing at the door, placidly smoking
his pipe and looking away toward the
mountains with self-satisfied express
sion. The beauty of the landscape be-
fore him might have awakened the soul
of q poet or an artist, but Jan was not
of sensitive, emotional disposition.
The scene presented to his phlegmatic
mind simply earth, vegetation and air,
while in the clear, propitious weather
he discerned alone the promise of ex-
tended patronage.
AS he stood thus, wrapped in pleas
ant anticipations, he heard faint, low,
steady rumbling as if of distant thun-
der. He looked up quickly. There
were no clouds in the sky What
could it mean? 1t was gradually be-
coming louder and more distinct, and
seemed to issue from large gulch or
pass to the west. Jan took the pipe
from his mouth and listened. Suddenly
o shout, accompanied by the report of
number of revolvers, startled the
echoes far and near, and there issued
from the gulch black mass which
shortly resolved itself into body of
horsemen bearing down toward the
town. Jan watched them lazily,
thinking of the money he would be able
to realize from them.
Nearer and nearer sounded the clat-
tering of the horses hoofs, until Jan
could almost hear each separate foot
fall, and presently they slowed and
stopped outside his door. Smiling and
ducking his head, he wished the visi-
tors good morning and invited them in.
They accepted his invitation, and were
soon standing and sitting about the bar
room, while the obsequious Jan served
them with drink. One of them, burly
fellow, asked him for a certain kind of
liquor, and after the keeper of the tav-
ern had taken iv from the shelf and
turned about, his smile was suddenly
transformed to a look of horror, for he
found several revolvers levelled at him.
''Mein chenelmens, that you goin' to
do?" cried the affrighted man.
''Dutchy," said the burly fellow,
"don't you know you're desecratin' the
best day in the week by keepin' yer sa-
loon open?"
''vell, how can I helps it, chenel-
mems? It's the pest day for peesi-
ness"
Business or no business, old man,
you've got to reform. We're the Sal
walton Army, we are, and don't you for
get it,
''Chenelmens, chenelmens, don't do
holdings to me- cried Jan, wringing
his hands in anguish, as he looked down
the bright barrels of half dozen re-
volvers.
'tFetch down them bottles from that
shelf, shouted the cowboy.
The trembling Jan obeyed. ''Now,
then," said this strange avenging angel,
''set 'em up across tn room; every
ones bulls eye."
Jan hesitated, but the revolvers COM
PEELED obedience. Before the caval-
cade moved on he had been obliged to
see the destruction of large part of
his wares, and the unfortunate man was
left standing amid confusion of broken
kegs, neckless bottles and pools of
wines and liquors, wringing his hands
and calling down maledictions upon his
prosecutors, who were now continuing
their mad career, down the street.
The cowboys soon came in sight of
the little church, standing in lot snr-
rounded by rough picket fence, while
a few small poplar trees seemed endea-
Voring to cast little shade abort the
building. The sweet melody of ons of
the old hymns foated out to them, and
they unconsciously pausedand listened,