The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-15

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 muffied wings, its energy stirred not
only by divers vagrant rumors on the
street, but also by many flowers and
foliage plants which hampered the stage.
After some preliminary religious exer-
cises conducted by the brigadier, man
with clean face, clear eye and coax
ing voice, that gentleman made the fol-
lowing 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 a spreading litter.
WELL" resumed the brigadier, "our
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 1 will ask Cadet Smith to
give you the true and full account of what
happened to her at Butte"
A faint cIapping of hands, vociferous
"God bless Cadet SMITH" here and there
and a removal of some of the restraints
which muffied the wings Of the spirit OF
expectancy greeted the ascent to the plat
form of a small 1.-the young figure arrayed
in the somber blue and quaint poke bonnet
of the army. Her face was a glowing
crimson as she faced the audience, but her
eyes were bright and her glance was firm,
and the vigor of a strong and sturdy soul
lent certain grace of freedom to her pose.
After had served several months SELL
ing War Crys in San Francisco" she be-
gan in steady voice which had acquired
that plaintive quality so common among
the hard workers in the cause, al was
sent to Butte, where there was a small
corps of workers. They had become dis
couraged, and it was thought that my ex-
perience would help them little. 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
I wish had known more about.
81 started out the first day with 200 War
Crys. They looked surprised at the corps
headquarters when 1 asked for so many,
but thought I could sell them,
''Of course I went into the hardest part
of town, and after had visited one or two
saloons and failed to sell copy, went
into another one. A good many men were
gambling. 1 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. 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 big,
fine-looking man with broad brimmed
hat came up to me, and said-and he said
he said: 'Hellol little Parson Sally,
what do you wantT He said it just like
that. He was so big-and his voice was so
deep-and-and he was So"
"Out with it, Cadetl' cried half-dozen
voices in the audience as the girl broke
down. stammering and blushing.
"Handsomel" she added desperately, as
though the saying of the word was a cross
between martyrdom and the confession of
a mortal sin. Great applause and laugh
ter followed this declaration, with an occa-
sional "God bless Cadet Annie!' This so
overwhelmed the girl that her lips trem-
bled and tears sprang to her eyes and she
cast despairing, appealing glance toward
one particular spot before her in the
audience where she had not had the cour-
age to look before. That single look was
sufficient to rive the bonds of decorum
which had held a giant in restraint, and
the uprising of towering frame sent the
brigadier's programme and discipline
tumbling into chaos. The tall man ap-
preached and mounted the platform with
the stride of grenadier. while Cadet
Annie gazed at him with a 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. Sim
ultaneously a startled hush fell upon the
audience, for though the familiar uniform
OF the Salvation Army sat upon the man s
splendid frame he was a 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 lion at
bay in defense of his lair. And an uncom-
monty handsome man he was, with
swarthy face, jet black wavy hair worn
long, and formidable black mustache and
imperial. These two made 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 brigadier's 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. l was there when it hap
pened and saw it all, and I will tell you
the story. l 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 a glance at the brigadier which
meant, Chow can help it when this big
thing shoulders me away2" she slipped