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

ME gazed at him with a dlsmay which
was still inefficient TO quench the light
of the stars that shone all the bright
er 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 stranger to all, and
there wasa 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 defence of his lair.
And an uncommonly handsome man
he was, with swarthy face, jet black
wavy hair worn long, and formidable
black mu.tache and imperial. These
two made strange picture as they
stood side by side, she so small and
seemingly so frail, he so tall and mus
cular 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 mastery. When the man
spoke his voice rolled forth in those
rounded pillows that in a rich diapa-
son 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 Sc
cure-"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 happened and saw
it all, and l 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 a glance at the brigadier
which meant, How can help it when
this big thing shoulders me away p
she slipped behind the rose-embanked
parlor organ and the empowering foll-
age plants on the stage and was lost
to view.
The brigadier sat watching the man
with a peculiar expression which no
one could have understood had any
one thought to observe it, but the
stranger SO completely filled all eyes
and so impressed his mastery person
ality on the consciousness Of all who
could see and hear that nothing else
could be observed. The stranger re-
sumed:
q knowed the gambler that played
it low down on this brave little Saliva
ton Army lassie that day-knowed
him well. He was a big, hulking dog
that had skinned tenderfeet all the
way between Puget Sound and Lake
Michigan. He didn't know what 1t
was to make an honest living. lie
Just sailed through life laughing at
everything and skinning tenderteet.
He was running faro game In a
Montana Joint when somebody left the
door open and this little girl drifted
in. The fellows wasn't used to the
way she went after EN-. She just wad-
ed right in and tackled EN-, and them
blue eyes she carries in her head looked
straight at EN- and through EN-, as
much as to say / think you'd be a
real decent fellow if you'd read the
War Cry, quit gambling, quit drink
ing gin and have respect for good wo-
men. That's what the fellows told
me her eyes said to EN-.
"Then the big gambler she started
to tell you about comes up and says
to her: Hello, little Parson Sallie,
what do you want?' 1 want to sell
you a War Cry she says. "A what
saws he. "A War Cry, says she ; and
her calm blue eyes looked him through
and through. "A War Cry says he;
What's that? ? ard he knowed as well
as she did what it was.
After badgering her that way and
not making her lose an inch of ground
he told her he'd make a proposition
by which she might sell him all the
War Crys she had. The poor little
thing listened to him, and her eyes
got bright, and she asked him what
the proposition was. He had her SIT
down at a card table, and he took
three cards-a king and two spot
cards-and 8huffled EN- on the table
so that she could see the king while
he was shutting 'em, and then asked
her if she could pick out the king as
the three cards lay face down, along
side one another on the table. She
said of course she could. He says te
her. Try it. She done so, and oi
course she picked out the king
n .TLo sroart and I didn'