The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-11-10
THE DBNTVILLB AWAKENING.
BY EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.
lcegrtsG 1904. ~ E4os Eai,asA an RsA4 Eaessdl
'Tales o Ten Travelers" serIes.

Just inside the doorway, was hat
less, buIlet.headed, withered being.
whose voice OF mingled snothered
snufflings aud groWls proceeded. when
be spoke, from the huge folds Of WOOL
en- comforter, as through ragged sieve.
His beady eyes furtiyOly followed the
horid figures Of the ingrain carpet aud
his two cracked and horny hands rested
on the knob OF 0 savage club. This was
"Old Gabe Dents handy man, as he
was called 10 tho village, the Dentyille
constable, Reuben Screws.
The latter had just entered the room
aud Aunt Martha had raised the cor.
ner OF her apron 70 her eyes as il from
long habit 10 check the gathering tears.
Enactment served. RubeT demand
ed the old squire roughly from his
man.
"All sarved, slick and span;" was the
mutfled answer.
"Has tayern.keeper Gibbs got every.
thing locked up tight from that pack o
trampsT
"Everything's cleaned out often 'em;
thought didn't pear T. me as how Gibbs
Jess liked 1t. Said twas pity Z be too
tarnal rough on EN-"
"Did, did her"
THAT'S about it, squire"
"When did he shut of their supplies,
Rube?"
Last night, when they got back t til
tavern, after tn show"
"Not given 'em q mouthtul since,
Ruha?"
Mary bit save TIL head un, who's
down with suth'n. Gin him some chick
en- broth t'day noon. Wouldn'ta done
that, Gibbs wouldn't, arter TIL word you
sent him, 'cepsin' he's afraid the head
un's goner."
"Oh, fatherl" exclaimed Aunt Martha
in tears behind her huttering apron.
remember the words we've been a
listenin' to, all along through these re-
vival meetin's, tn last four weeks. Don't
be too hard on the poor creeturs. Oh.
Gabriel. don'tI Msbby, somewhere in
the wide. wide world, our Letty's in
sorrow an tribulation. this very min
ute, borne down to the earth with need
an want an grief. Remember"
Remember! Amt remembering?
Eye for eye; tooth for toothl That's
scrIptnr, an mighty good scriptur'.
too! Didn't them cursed play actors
steal our Lefty from us2 Didn't them
cursed play actors ruin our home?
Didn't I swear the girl should never
come back, and I'd red Dentville Of the
vermin forever? Martha, you best re-
member this town has had q great
awakeningW
"a great awakenin'," wheezed Rsu-
ben Screws.
1.-THE sword and the spirit have de-
scended."
"Has descended" echoed the blink
ing constable.
"Root and branch, the devil must be
driven from among us!
"Root and branch" snutilel Reuben
Screws.
"And as long as I run this town it's
got to be a religious town. Numbered
the excited squire.
"ReIigious town." came the voice
from tho wooden comforter.
"Oh. husband" aobbed Aunt Martha,
"Pd rather have the touch OF poor Let
TVS hand. dead or alive, than oil tho
hard, cold things that can be twisted
and turned in religions holy natnel
What Il that very woman you'ro helpin'
starve at tho tavern, was our own Lefty?
It's her name. Oh, it's our own Letty's
name"
"Then I'd drive her into the storm
for an uurepentant child Of Satan.
I'd
But his vile, with sobs aud stilled
screams had fed from the room aghast
at tho dire threats she knew were well
ling from his implacable aud angry
heart.
"Rube, what's that?"
The constable wriggled quickly to the
old aquire's side, and the two gazed
With something akin to fascinated as
constituent at a tall, commanding fig
ure, well clad against tho furious storm,
that had moved slowly down the village
street, entered the possoffice, attached
beneath the Grand Star Combinations
poster q gorgeous placard, aud. rcturn-
ing from his errand, had given a hasty
glance attho tavern window, from which
the white and hopeless face had instant
ly disappeared.
Three EXPLANATIONS followed the mp.
parently triting incident
"That woman-hearted parsons med
ding, Rube," was the impatient out
burst in tho window OF the mansion.
"Oh, how like him Is that noble fear
lessness in duty! But tits too latel- too
late!" came from the lips OF the white
face In the tavern window.
at is right" said tho man in the
street; ''and whoever questions or cavils
over it, has not the love Of tho merciful
Christ in his heart"
The little incident had its origin In tho
village parsonage, in ts cosy sitting
room, dining.room, parlor and pastors
study combined.
Here, before CHEEKY blaze Of maple
knots. had sat all the stormy afternoon
Mother Marden."
"a Martha with a Mary's sanity eyes"
and mother true to all the sore hearts Of
Dontville village, with Ruth Marden,
sweet and loving daughter, now wo-
man grown, busted at their needle
work; while Phillip Marden, son,
brother and village pastor, had sat de-
jectedly before his desk, pacing the
glowing room uneasily rs mother and
Ruth now and then looked up with
kindly and loving smiles, or stood At the
latticed window, gazing with sad and
thoughtful face at tho windows OF the
Red Lion in the street below.
"What Is worrying you, Philip2 ut
last aHectionately inquired Mother Mar
den.
1.-TWO things" he answered without
turning from the window, "One is tho
almost hopelessncss OF reaching and
melting few stony hearts hero in
Dentville."
MRnk thu rnviunl mnhLinra hnNn won