Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-11-07

I saw how she looked when she began
to realize that she had lost all her
papers and didn't have cent to show
for EN-. saw how white she got, and
how she stared at Bill like he'd run
knife through her body; l saw how
she got up and looked around at the
laughing men, like a lamb cornered by
a pack of wolves; l saw her try hard
to keep down the tears, and then she
says: Men, l will pray to God to lead
you all into better lives And her
voice was so choked up she couldn't
say any more. Then she walked out
slowly and cried all the way up the
street
The big man paused, for his own
voice had become unaccountably thick
and had lost much of its rich, deep
swing and resonance, But he soon
regained his self-possession, and then
proceeded
Montana Bill was a hard case for
sure, but he had a small streak Of man
hood somewhere under his thick skin.
The bovs in the ioint all thought it
was a great Joke on the little girl, and
they laughed and shouted till they
almost cracked the roof. But Bill
didn't laugh. He stood silent and
glum, with his hands in his pockets,
looking out through the door Then
he went out, saying he had a game
awaiting for him at Ikes saloon, and
he went slouching up the street. The
further he got away from the joint the
faster he walked, and then he done a
sneaking thing-he looked back to see
if any of the boys was following him.
They wasn't, though, and then he let
out them long legs OF hi. for the lveli-
est walk he ever took in his life.
"He soon caught sight of her, and
then he slowed up and foIlered She
was still crying, and people would stop
and wonder what was the matter, and
some of 'em laughed Bill got on to
that, and it riled him through and
through. He slapped one fellow clean
into the middle of the street, and went
right on without word. | heard at-
terward that several people that he
knowed spoke to him, but he didn't
see none of EN-, and kept right on.
"The girl went straight to the head
quarters of the Salvation Army, and
| Bill follered her in. She went into a
little office, where there didn't happen
to be anybody else, and sat down and
put her head on the table, and cried
like her heart was broke. For the
first time in his life Montana Bills
nerve broke down She looked so
small and forlorn and miserable that
if he hadn't been the man that done
her up he'd gone out and whipped
the fellow that did. And when he
knowed that he was that identical
scoundrel, and that there wasn't any
body big enough and man enough to
whip him, he feltjust like thorough
bred dog that had been caught sucking
eggs.
Il want to say this for Bill. Bad
as he was, he never meant to rob the
girl. He was only having fun with
her in the saloon, and he meant to give
her back the papers, but it was the
wav she acted in the saloon that made
him forget 1t was the pity that she
showed for him and the little prayer
that made him lose his head. And
that was the first time in his life that
Montana Bill ever lost his head.
"And so, when he saw her crying
out heart in the little Office, she not
knowing that anybody was about, he
didn't have the nerve to own up like
a man. He Just sneaked a $50 gold
piece on to the table and tried to steal
out like a thief But she heard him,
and saw the money and looked at him
like he was ghost, and sprung ahead
of him and stopped him and stood
there looking at him with look he d
never seen in no mortal face in his
life.
alt was God who put it into your
heart TO follow me and bring that
money, she said to him, and as He
has done that much, He has done more,
and will keep on doing more, until
that big manly heart in your body
beats altogether for mankind and iti
Redeemer.
The giant paused. His narrative
had been 50 simple and earnest thai
there there were tears in many eyes
Perhaps it was these that sent bis self
mastery astray, for when he essaye(
speechagain he failed. Then he looked
so foolish and helpless that sup