Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-11-22

girl broke down, stammerlng aud
bluShing,
'HandSomer she added despair
ately, as though the saying of the
word was cross between marty
dom and the confession of a 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 spfhng
to her e. eS and she cast a despair
ing, appealing glance toward one
peculiar spot before her in the
audience where she had not had
the courage TO look before. That
single look was sufficient to rivet
the bonds of decOrum which had
held giant in restraint, and the
uprising of a towering frame sent
the brlgadiel'S programme and
discipline tnmbling into chaos.
The tall man approached and
mounted tue platform with the
stride Of a grenadler, while Cadet
Annie gazcd It hun with a dismay
which was still inefficient to quench
the hight Of the stars that sbOne
all the brighter in her eyes now
that her creeks had paled. Sim
ultaneOusly a startled hush fell
upon the audience, for although
the familiar uniform of the Saliva
tiOn Army sat upon the mans
splendid frame, he was q stranger
to all, and there was a command
ing air about Lin HAT Stilled all
sounds.
lie sta'ked TO the glI's side and
stood there facing the big crowd
like "a lion at bay in defence of his
lair. And an uncOmmOnIy hand
some man he was, with swartby |
face, jet black wavy hair worn
long, and formidable black mus |
tache and an imperial. These
two made a strange picture as they
stood side by side, she so small
and seemingly so lrail, he so tall
and muscular and competent; she
looking up at him, he Ignoring her
and sweeping the hall with a
glance half of defiance, half of
benignancy, and wholly Of strength
and matery. When the man spoke
his voice rolled forth IN those
rounded billOws that in "A ncb
didpason sing the my steIes Of the
deep.
My iriendS,' he said, 'wl!h Gods
help and the brlqadier's consent
which he never took the trouble to
Secure-'it seen too hard for this
poor child to tell what happened to
her in tie gambling house at Butte
that day. | was there when it hap.
pened and saw 1t all, and | will
tell you the story. 1 can't bear to
see her tortured as she has been
this night. Cadet Annie Smith,
take your seat.
lie said that still without look
ing at her. With a glance at the
brigadler which meant, 'lIow can
help 1t when this big thing
shoulders me awayP she slipped
behlnd the lose embarked parlOr
organ and the empowering foliage
plants on the stage and was lost
to view.
The brigadier sat watching the
man with a peculiar expression
which no one could have under
stOOd bad any one thought to oh.
serve il, bnt the stranger so com.
pletely filed all eyes and so i'm.
pressed his mastery personality |
on the consciousness Of all who |
could be observed. The stranger
resumed:
Il knOwol the gambler th at
played 1t los down on this brave
little Salvation Army lassie that
dsy-knOwed him we'll. He was a
big, hulkDg dog that had skinned
tenderlcet all the way between |
Puget Sound and Lake Michigan.
He didn't know what 1t was to
make an honest Lying. He inst
sailed through life laughing at
everything AMI skinning tender |
feet.
'lle was rHnnlng a ftrO game in
d Montana Joint when somebody |
lett the door open and this lItte
girl drifed in. The fellows wasn't
used to the way she went after 'em.
she JIst waded right in and tackled |
'em, and them blue eyes she carries
In her head looked straight at 'em
aud through 'em, as mnch as to
say Il think you'd be 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