The Republican., 1899-04-13

you can stand around and see the show.
Now, parson. fire away. If you've got
any gospel that'u reach this crowd, it'll
hev to be like my whisky, hot and
strong
"The preacher sprang upon a table
and began to sing a Gospel song. His
voice was full and powerful and the air
was popular war ballad. The chorus
was simple and all were urged to join in
singing it. In less than five minutes
half the crowd were singing as Justify
as class-leaders and pounding time
with their fists upon the card tables.
After the hymn was sung, a short
prayer was offered and the sermon be-
! gan. 1t was plain, fervent, manly
talk, straight from an earnest heart.
| The preachers face was sympathetic,
his voice was tender at times and then
it rose in ringing tone like the blast of
a trumpet. The words were simple,
bold and true. He plainly told them of
the danger of sin. the certainty of pen
atty for the sinner, and ended with an
! eXhortation to regain the innocence
| and purity of their childhood days. He
was in the midst of a pathetic picture
of the far-away home, where loved ones
were thinking, weeping and praying
for the wicked wanderer, and the crowd
was hanging in breathless silence upon
his words. An angry alteration was
begun at the feet of the preacher. 1t
was fierce and brief.
"An old man with the face of demon
and the form of a giant was playing
cards with a young lad with long curly
hair and the sweet innocent face of a
girl. The giant was called Slippery
Dick He was the terror of the town.
He was such a consummate trickster
with cards that every game was delib-
crate robbery upon his part, The lad
was called The Baby because of his
face and curls. When the two sat down
to play, every one in the saloon had said
to his neighbor:
"'What a fool THE Baby" is to try
to play cards with slippery Dick"'
'"The death-like silence which was
stirred only by the low, gentle voice of
the preacher was broken in upon by
The Baby's' clear boyish treble:
YOU'RE a cheat!'
"'Slippery Dick roased with the
! fury of mad bull:
"'You're a liar!'
Both sprang to their feet. The old
man snatched his revolver from his
belt. The hammer caught in the fold
of his flannel shirt, and before he could
loosen it, the young man was upon him
with the spring of a tiger. The little
hand, as strong as steel, grasped the
giant by the throat, huge bowie knife
flashed in the light, and the next sec
ond was buried in the old mans heart
He sank back in his chair, killed in
stantly. Before man could stir, Jack
had pressed a revolver against The
Baby's' breast and shouted:
Move and you're a dead mani
"The young man coolly folded his
arms and said in ringing, defiant
voice:
"He cheated me and I've killed him.
Do what you please!
Jack gave orders to search the body
Of the dead man. When a whole pack of
Scil Us NCIC IOuHu NOuCCdlSd dDOuC Ills
person, all accepted this as certain evil
dence of fraud. Jack roared out:
"'This court decides that slippery
Dick" was caught cheatin' and THE
Baby" is guilty of justifable homicide
and goes free. All in favor of the mo-
tion say "Aye!"'
ga thunder of Ayes responded.
"'All opposed say mo- said Jack
as he cooked his revolver and glared
about the room. A moments death
like silence followed. Jack in a lower
tone said:
"'This court is unanimous and 1.-THE
Baby is acquitted. The parson will
now say prayer for SLIPPERY Dick"
and we'll take him out and plant him
"The great bell rang out as Jack
shouted:
"'All up. gents; hats Off Every one
stood and uncovered the head.
81 have heard many prayers in my
life, but never one like the parsons over
Slippery Dick The preacher lowered
above the sea of heads, and, with eyes
closed, talked with God. He pleaded for
mercy for the mob of sinners before
him who were on the road to eternal
ruin. He uncovered the hard and cruel
hearts about him with the fearless and
steady hand of master surgeon. You
could hear the quick gasp of suppressed
breathing as each one of the pack of
reprobates felt the unspa1ing hand re-
veal his own guilty secret.
"The prayer for Jack, the ringleader
in sin, was like a blast from furnace,
Jack covered his face with his slouch
hat and trembled like leaf. The pc
tition for Slippery Dick was picture
VI awful sin receiving its awful penalty
in accordance with Divine law. 1t
brought a sob of terror from a score of
hearts. When the prayer reached The
Baby the hard voice trembled and
broke into a wall and ended in heart
breaking sob. The strong man plead
in the name of the mother, who through
her burning tears prayed day and night
for the loved boys return. have seen
trees swayed by cyclone until felt as
if they must be torn from their roots by
the next fierce blast. Sc that mass of
heads swayed and bowed while the