Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-10-31
Ul0u7aAa BILL.

~ Was eVlucnt tnut eolnetuluy VI uuCOIu-
mon interest had been arranged for the
meeting that evening at the headquarters
OF the Salvation Army in San Francisco.
Throughout the large attending crowd the
spirit Of expectancy moved uneasily, but
with muffled wings; its energy stirred not
only by divers vagrant rumors on the
street, but also by many flowers and foil
age plants which hampered the stage.
After some preliminary religious exer-
cises conducted by the brigadier, a man
with clean face, clear eye and coax
ing voice, that gentleman made the follow
ing speech
"You doubtless all read at the time Of
its publication a telegram from Butte,
Mont, announcing the distressing expert
ence of our brave little sister, Cadet Annie
Smith, who was so great favorite with
us here before she was assigned to duty at
Butte"
There was an amused twinkle in the
brigadier's eyes, but in the audience there
was spreading litter.
"Well." resumed the brigader, sour
noble little sister, with the help OF God,
passed safely through the ordeal, as most
of you are aware, but as it is part of our
plan to confess publicly our errors and
shortcomings will ask Cadet Smith to
give you the true and full account of what
happened to her at Butte"
A faint clapping of hands, vociferous
s'God bless Cadet Smith" here and there
and a removal of some of the re-
strants which mufiied the wings of the
spirit of expectancy greeted the ascent to
the platform of small, 1.-THE young figure
arrayed in the sombre blue and quaint
poke bonnet of the army. Her face was
a glowing crimson as she faced the audi
ence, but her eyes were bright and her
glance was firm, and the vigor of a strong
and sturdy sonl lent certain grace of
freedom to her pose.
''After had served several months sell
ing War Crys in San Francisco" she be-
gan with a steady voice which had ac-
quired that plaintive quality so common
the hard workers in the cause, II was
sent TO Butte, where there was a small
corps Of workers. They had become dis
couraged, and it was thought that my ex-
perielce would help them little. i
didn't know that Butte was so different
from San Francisco, and the members of
the corps there didn't know it either,
because they had never worked anywhere
else. That is why they didn't tell me
some things that wish had known more
about.
II started out the first day with about
eco War Crys. They looked surprised at
the corps headquarters when | asked for
so many, but l thought could sell them.
''Of course, went into the hardest
part of the town, and after had visited one
or two saloons and failed to sell copy, /
went into another one. A good many
men were gambling. / had never seen
anything but card playing in San Fran
cisco, but they had wheels of fortune and
a great many other thin IS to gamble with.
Several men were drinking at the bar |
went among them all and asked them to
buy the paper, but they simply stared at
me in wonder. The games began to stop,
and then a big, fine looking man with
broad-brimmed hat came up to me and
said-and he sad-he said: Hello, little
Parson Sally, what do you want? He
said it just like that. He was so big and
his voice was so deep-and and he was
30"
''Out with it, Cadet" cried half
dozen voices in the audience as the girl
broke down, stammering and blushing.
''Handsome." she added desperately,
as though the saying of the word was a
cross between martyrdom and the confess
sion of mortal sin. Great applause and
laughter followed this declaration with an
occasional "God bless Cadet Annie!"
This so overwhelmed the girl that her lips
trembled and tears sprang to her eyes and
she cast despairing, appealing glance to-
ward one peculiar spot before her in the
audience where she had not had the cour-
age to look before. That single look was
sufficient to rivet the bonds of decorum
which had held giant in restraint and
the uprising OF towering frame sent the
brigadier's programme and discipline tum-
bling into chaos. The tall man ap-
preached and mounted the platform with
the stride of grenadier, while Cadet
Annie gaZed at him with dismay 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 a
stranger to ALL and there was command
ing air about him that stilled all sounds.
He stalked to the girls side and stood
there facing the big crowd like lion at
bay in defence Of his lair. And an un-
commonly handsome man lie was, with
swarthy face, jet black wavy hair worn
long, and formidable black mustache and
imperial. These two made q strange pic
ture as they stood side by side, She so
small and seemingly so frail, he so tall and
muscular and competent; she looking up
at him, he ignoring her and sweeping the
hall with glance half of defiance, half of
benignancy, and wholly Of strength and
mastery. When the man spoke his voice
rolled forth in those rounded pillows that
in a rich diapason sing the mysteries of the
deep.
"My friends" he said, with Gods
help and the brigadiers consent"-which
he never took the trouble to secure-''it
seems too hard for this poor child to tell
what happened to her in the gambling
house at Butte that day. | was there
when 1t 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 bic
thing shoulders me away?" she slipped
behind the rose-embanked parlor organ and
the empowering foliage plants on the stage
4 =.