The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-25

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visited one or two saloons and failed
to sell copy, | went into another
one. A good many men were gamb,
ling.
had never seen anything but
card PLAYING in San Francisco, but
they had wheels of fortune and great
many other things to gamble with.
Several men were drinking at the bar
4 went among them all and asked
them to buy the paper. but they sim
ply stared at me in wonder. The games
began to stop, and then big, fine
hat came up to me and said and he
said he said: Hello. little Parson
Sally, what do you want?' He said it
Just like that lie was so big and his
voice was so deep and-and he was SO
Out with it, Cadetr' cried half
girl broke down, stammering and
blushing.
Handsome" she added desperately.
as though the saying of the word was
a cross between martyrdom and the
confession of mortal sin. Great APP
plause and laughter followed this dec
|
Cadet Annie !" This so overwhelmed
tears sprang to her eyes and she cast "A
despairing, appealing glance toward
one peculiar spot before her in the
courage to look before. That single
look was sufficient to rivet the bonds
of decorum which had held a giant in
| 81 ,,,, 81,
ing frame sent the brigadier's pro
gramme and discipline tumbling into
chaos. The tall man approached and
mounted the platform with the stride
of grenadier, while Cadet Annie
gazed at him with dlsmay which
was still inefficient to quench the light
of the stars that shone all the brighter
in her eyes now that her cheeks had
| paled. simultaneously startled hush
| fell upon the audience, for although
the familiar uniform of the Salvation
Army sat upon the mans splendid
frame, he was stranger to all, and
there was a commanding air about him
that stilled all sounds.
He stalked to the girls side and
stood there facing the big crowd like a
lion at bay in defence of his lair And
with swarthy face, jet black wavy hair
worn long, and formidable black mus
tache and imperial. These two made
strange picture as they stood side by
side, she so small and seemingly so
fral, he so tall and muscular and com
petent; she looking up at him. he ig
noring her and sweeping the hall with
glance half of defiance, half of be-
Nd urh af or
mastery. When the man spoke his
voice rolled forth in tones rounded
pillows that in rich diapson sing the
mysteries of the deep.
My friends, " he said with God's
help and the brigadier's CONSENT
which he never took the trouble to Sc
cure-'' ii seems too hard for this poor
child to tell what happened to her in
the gambling house at Butte that day.
| was there when it happened and saw
it all, and | will tell you the story.
can't bear to see her tortured as she
has been this night. Cadet Annie
Smith, take your seat. ="
He said that still without looking at
her. With glance at the brigadier
which meant, How can help il
when this big thing shoulders me
away she slipped behind the rose
embarked parior organ and the en-
towering foliage plants ON the stage
and was lost to view.
The brigadier sat watching them
and with peculiar expression which
no one could have understood had any
one thought to observe it, but the
stranger so completely filled all eyes
and so impressed his mastery personal
itv on the consciousness Of all who
could see and hear that nothing else
could be observed. The stranger re-
sumed;
~ knowed the gambler that PLAYED
if low down on this brave little Saliva
tion Army lassic that day. knowed
him well. He was big, hulking dog
that skinned tender feet all the way be-
tween Puget Sound and Lake Michi-
gan. II didn't know what it was to
make an honest living. He just sailed
through life laughing at everything
and skinning tenderfeet.
He was running IA faro game in a
Montana Joint when somebody left the
door open and this little girl drlfted
in. The fellows wasn't used to the
way she went after 'em. She just
waded right in and tackled 'em, and
them blue eyes she carried in her head
looked straight at 'em and through |
'em, as much as to say | think you'd
be a real decent fellow if you'd read
the War Cry, quit gambling, quit |
drinking gin and have respect for good
women. That's what the fellows told
me her eyes SAID to EN-. i
Then the big gambler she started
to tell you about comes up and says TO