Connecticut western news., 1899-02-09

There, sitting on his trunk, !" re- piled the man, with grin on his face.
 All eyes turned toward a young, slen- der looking man, who, with eyes twin- kling with amusement, was watching his new congregation. Seeing that some thing was expected of him, he came for ward and held out his hand.
 'Men of South City," he began, in a clear, musical voice, "I have been sent up here to act, if you will have me, as your new parson. Something tells me we are going to be good friends, and it won't be my fault if we aren't. There's lots for me to learn from you and per haps can do little for you too"
 His face was so boyish, his hair SO curly and such an air of sincerity and truth seemed to surround him that the miners, although deeply disappointed, felt their hearts go out to him. 
 South City was sitting in his room, a prey to the deepest depression. With all the eagerness that youth and zeal could supply he had done his best to raise his people, and he had failed and he knew it. He saw his miners, at first shame lessly and then openly, stay away from hisaittle church. and his heart was sick within him. He was wondering if it were worth while staying on when his door was suddenly opened and a woman, disheveled and wild eyed, rushed in.
 "Oh, parson, save my boyp' she gasped, and sank on to & chair, breath less with her haste.
 "Why, Mrs. Mace, what on earth is the matter? Is your son ill?' he asked eagerly. .. "No, sir. he ain't i'll, but he's worse nor that-the men are going to hang him."
 What for? Surely he hasn't been tried. What has he done?a'
 Well, sir" walled the woman, "he's got into bad company lately and 8 man accused him of horse stealing, and-and"- looking fearfully around, tits true, sir."
 Young and inexperienced as he was in the ways of frontier camp the par son knew that horse stealing was one of the deadly sins, and his face grew pale as death.
 "I'm afraid, Mrs. Mace, that if the men have decided to hang your son no word of mine would stay them"
 "And you, a minister, to say that to me. motheri Why, it's none the less murder. and you know itl Oh, sir," she pleaded, there's yet time to catch them upi For Gods sake, whose word you preach, try and save my boyi Will Iol, bitterly, while the parson in imagina- ton felt himself defying the mob, and also in imagination saw the gbastly tragedy that would ensue on his inter ference. --= .
 "Come, Mrs. Mace, let us go and hurry, and perhaps we may do some good" Seizing his hat, he ran from the room and followed the crowd of miners whom he saw were making for some trees about half mile out of town. When he finally caught up to them. all the grim preparations were made for the execution. The rope was around the shivering youths neck. Six stalwart men held the loose end, ready at signal to launch the criminal into eternity. With his boyi face flushed with excitement, the parson pressed to the front and stood side by side with the man about to die. A silence fell on the throng, broken by Texas Joe, who said: "Now, parson, this ain't no place for you. Judge Lynch has had his say, and Jim Mace is going to be hanged, md that's so.
 "And who are you to take upon your self to judge and to execute? Don't scowl at me and finger your gun, for Pm an unarmed man, and you know it. Have not you enough blood on your hands already without killing this boy who has broken your laws? Give him one more chance, and you may be glad yourself of it one day."
 The fury that occasionally comes over men of quite meek dispositions was on tie little man who stood defying the whole mob. His look seemed to daunt even the men who held the rope, and it hung loose about Mace's neck.
 Joe saw his authority trembling in the balance, and with pistol raised said, "Clear him out of the way, boys. or I'll shoot him where he stands"
 "No. you won't, Joe," said the par sen undauntedly. A'You know that would be murder, and they don't love you too much, even here. to stand that. n
 No one spoke for a moment; then the Cornishman, Treleavan. shouted out: "A life for life! If the parson wants Mace to live, let him be hanged in stead" '"
 The mob shrank from this cold blood. ed proposal, and, seizing the psycholog- ical moment, the parson slipped the hal ter from Mace's neck, placed it round his own and said: "Go, my lad, turn over new leaf and leave this town Go, and God bless your"
 The crowd opened, and Mace stumbled away, looking neither to the right nor left, leaving his rescuer standing with moving lips in his place.
 Then Texas Joe said, with an odd break in his voice for which ha could not account: Say, boys-there ain't going to be no funeral today, you betl Take off tkat necktie. parsoD, and cal culate South City will have to do with out you in the future. We wrote to Frisco for strong parson, and may the Almighty strike me dead if you ain't bit too strong for Us. Give us yer fist, parson. and" significantly ''good- by. St. Paul's.
 When MascsEnI Compo.eS-