The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-09
IA CHARACTER
= PARADOX.
Jack BoWdoin's Conversion
and How It Came About.
BY CLAY M. GREENE.
CHAPTER I.

He was a gambler and rumseller, who
knew all the tricks Of both trades, and
employed them whenever and wherever
occasion seemed to demand. He was an
.outcast and desperate, who was the one
because his social preferences were
those far removed from the customs OF
polite society, and the other because the
value Of human life was measured al
together by the weight Of provocat:on
that existed when he felt himself called
upon to take one, and he had taken
several.
If, in game OF draw, his opponents
long continued to hold stronger hands
than he, the dexterous and complacent
way in which he would stock the cards"
and turn the apparent tide OF chance,
would have done credit to the most ac-
'complished skin gambler" Of the West.
f-as was often the case-an elec-
ition, or holiday, or a vigilance com
mittee meeting had caused depletion
in his stock Of whisky, he would brew 8
vile decoction of alcohol, water, dried
peaches and burnt sugar, and sell it as
isPure Old Bourbon, warranted ten years
old
Sometimes o better Judge Of spirits
than were his usual run OF customers
would swallow this compound with q
painful grimace, and criticise it in
language grotesquely impolite. Where
lupon our hero would launch forth an
avalanche of profane pyrotechnics, and
jhurl it at the wholesale liquor-dealers
lin Denver. He would declare between
the periods Of invective that If there
was one thing above another which oc-
cupied o large percentage CT his spare
time it was the study Of the welfare OF
his customers appetites; that he paid
more money for one gallon Of whisky
than any other dealer in Aspen paid for
ten, and it was blickety- -blanked shame
to be stood up and robbed by the man
for whom he was always too ready and
willing to tap his bundle, as he meta
phorically termed the payment OF out
standing Indebtedness.
! And yet this unconscionable rogue,
this bare-faced swindler, who would as
willingly tell O lie as the truth, whose
dealings were oftener crooked than
square, =" who was never invited to break
bread at the family boards even Of men
who called him friend, had heart in
his breast as soft as a woman's and
hidden nature as gentle as a child's.
A large percentage Of his yearly earn
.ings were divided every New Years
Day among the charities OF his State,
and the families Of three unfortunates,
who had been driven to suicide by losses
at his faro table, were cared for as Law
ishly as though they had been his own.
When they built the little brown
church in Aspen he sent thousand dol
lars in gold to the committee, accom-.
panied by the message that they could
have as much more if they wanted it.
But the hands Of these devout Chris
,tians were uplifted in holy horror at the
thought that some Of the foundation
stones OF the house OF God should be
paid for out Of the wages OF sin. So the
sum was returned with daintily word
ed letter OF regret, to the effect that,
much as the enterprise needed money.
It could not possibly receive assistance
from such source.
But Jack was never wanting in alter
native when faced by dilemma. and,
although the reply Of the committee
wounded him, he kept his counsel, and
sent to Chicago for an organ costing
twice as much as his original subscrip-
ton. This was shipped direct to the
church people, labeled:
"To the First - Church Of Aspen,
from devout friend"
The pretty little edifice was duly fin
ished, the mysteriously begotten organ
crowded into the tiny loft, and on con-
secration day the good minister twice
referred to it in his sermon, under the
text of The Lord will provide"
Jack was there, standing alone in a
remote corner of the church, as though
conscious that he must not contaminate
the good Christians by coming into
closer contact with them. The day be-
fcre the conservation he accosted
worthy member Of the congregation on
the street, and the following brief COL
loquy ensued:
blow up if Is to go TO the openin' to-
morrow"
THAT Is strange question to ask
replied the worthy man. "Why?"
We'll, yer see, they sent back the tit
tie bag O twenties subscribed, and as
that showed there wus feelin' agin
me, thought I'd ask fur an invitation,
fur I wouldn't like to go there and get
fred out"
~'The sinner and wayfarer are always
welcome in the house OF prayer. Mr..
Bowdoin."
We'll, if any man in Colorado knows
any more about sinnin' and wayfarin
than me, fetch him along and I'll make
him rich. I'll be there, dead sure"
Il hope So" And the good parishioner,
with q nervous glance at corner saloon
where crowd Of idlers stood smiling
~ 80 l.
nodded coldly and went away.
On the following morning Jack en-
tered the church and braved the scorn-
full glances Of the devout who had al.
ready assembled. He was indeed
Samaritan was there to lend him
friendly hand, and indicate that he
might have seat il he wished it. So
he took his position in the remote corner
above referred to, and with hat in hand
waited for service to begin. Before
many moments sound Swelled through
the church that rooted him 10 his feet in
Q kind Of stupor Of wondermcnt and de-
light. IL was the organ, his own mys-
terious gift, pealing forth the majestic
harmonies Of Haydn's Offertory.
Never before in all Of his misspent
life had such melody smote his ears.
He was passionately fond Of music, and
had taught himself to strum the popular
melodies Of the day on the tin -panny"
little piano in his gambling hall; but
these sounds that swelled forth in re-
sponse to the touch of the unseen organ
st held him spell-bound. He was en-
shralied beyond the power Of human pen
10 describe, and had any one of that
Christian throng kneeling before him