The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-26

" - ElMHA .NaET H
That's just what I am doing" re-
piled Kirk earnestly, and, as he spoke.
his pale blue eyes filed with a high,
white light. cit is my business to de-
stroy your business. Man, do you
know that just outside that door is a
mothers broken heart that you have
helped to break? And hers is only
one out of thousands all over the
world. Mind my own business! It is
exactly what I intend to do. until every
hell like this Is wiped out of this
town."
He spoke very quietly, almost softly;
his voice did not declaim, but the I'M
usual qualit, of it thrilled everybody
there. He looked into their faces a
moment and with a last appealing look
at Carver he turned and went out.
"Wheww said the barkeeper. "First
sermon ever delivered here. Score one
for Parson Kirk!!" s
The other men did not respond with
much enthusiasm. Carver had risen
from the table.
Better have n before you CO." said
the saloon keeper.
II won't drink again today" Carver
retorted with an oath which was a
curse. He staggered over to the door
and went out into the glare of the hot,
whitening SUM-. Down the street he
could see Kirk just entering Yalmer's
place.
"I'm half a mind to help Mr.. Kirk
hunt for the boy" Carver muttered.
He hesitated for a moment and then
went on down the street, following the
minister.
That forenoon Maleom Kirk went
into every saloon in Conrad, but he
failed to get any trace of the missing
boy. Always behind him, unknown to
him, Carver staggered. In two or three
saloons the nan was unable to resist
the invitation to drink, but he managed
to keep just sober enough to know
where Kirk was and to follow him.
The sights that greeted Malcom il
the saloons were never forgotten by
him. He was astonished to see the
number of men and boys gathered in
the saloons. Many of the faces he
knew, and his entrance invariably Gre
ated a distinct embarrassment through
the company. The majority of custom
ers, however, seemed, from their dress
young men from the ranches outlying
Conrad. Malcolm was simply appalled,
when he thought of what such a fact
meant.
He said to himself every time he
came out and faced the dumbly appeal
ing face in the farm wagon: "And yet
we Christian people license these ene-
mics of the race and allow them to
continue their devilish work, although
we know well enough how devilish it
is. May God help us as a state to de-
clare against it by statute as well as
by prayers and sermons" He lived,
as did every temperance man in Kan
sas at that time, in the great hope that
the day was not far off when the sa-
loon would be declared outlaw, but
how near that day vas not even he wa
able to predict.
1t was nearly noon when he finished
his tour of the saloons, and as he came
out neal the lower end of the main
street there was a large group of men
looking off across the prairie and talk
ing eagerly together. The wind had
risen and was blowing almost a gale,
carrying great clouds Of dust through
the town, and off as far as men could
see there was a column of smoke
spreading out with great rapidity.
"The prairie fires have started early"
Kirk thought, but it was only when
n of the ranchmen in the street spoke
that he realized what the fires might
mean.
eff this wind keeps up, this town will
have it's hands full in about an hour"
The speaker ran to his horse, jumped
on it and was soon galloping out of the
town toward one Of the new ranches
in the direction of "The Forks"
Mrs. Barton, it is possible that your
boy has gone home since you left"
eyes, yes!!" cried the woman, snatch
ing at any hope. 81 will go back. If
the. fire should come into The Forks 1
ought to be there to see that my other
boy has help in getting the stock be-
hind the fire guards. We plowed ours
early this year on account of the dry
weather. We lost all our haystacks
n September from, fires"
She drove out Of town, after thank
ing Kirk earnestly for all that he had
done, and Malcolm promised to contin-
ue the search after dinner.
He was just starting home, after
asking several men if there was really
any immediate danger to the town