El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-13

evidently Tree TO go his way now, OUT
he stood there. making no movement
You can go ON, You needn't stay
any longer on our account. - The man
who had acted as spokesman turned and
sat down on a stone, The other man
stood viciously digging his stake into
the ground
/ t'That's just what I'm staying for. -
replied the bishop. He sat down on a
board that projected from the broken
fence.
''You must like our company. 1t is
hard sometimes for people to tear them
selves away from us, the man stand
ing up said. laughing coarsely.
'sShut upl' exclaimed the other.
"We're on the road to hell. though:
that's sure enough. We need better
company than ourselves and the devil. -
elf you would only allow me to be
of any help The bishop spoke gen.
tly, even lovingly. The man on the
stone stared at the bishop through the
darkness. After a moment of silence he
| spoke slowly. like one who had finally
decided upon a course he had at first
rejected.
''Do you remember ever seeing me
before2''
''No.' said the bishop. 1.-The light is
not very good, and l have really not
had good look at you
''Do you know me nowF' The man
suddenly took off his hat and, getting
| up from the stone, walked over to the
bishop until they were near enough to
| touch each other.
The mans hair was coal black, ex-
cept one spot on the top of his head
about as large as the palm of the hand,
which was white
The minute the bishop saw that he
| started. The memory of Is years ago
began to stir in him. The man helped
him.
Don't you remember one day back
in 81 or 'e2 man came to your house
and told a story about his wife and
child having been burned to death in a
| tenement fire in New York;
Eyes; 1 begin to recall now" muir,
INJURED the bishop. The other man
seemed to be interested. He ceased dig
giEg his stake in the ground and stood
still, listening.
"Do you remember how you took me
into your own house that night and
spent all the next day trying to find me
a job and how, when you succeeded in
getting me a place in a warehouse as
foreman. 1 promised to quit drinking
because you asked me tor
81 remember it now" the bishop re-
piled gently. 81 hope you have kept
your promise.
The man laughed savagely. Then he
struck his hand against the fence with
such sudden passion that he drew blood.
Kept it'll I was drunk inside of a
week. I've been drinking ever since
but I've never forgotten you or your
prayer. Do you remember, the morning
after l came to your house and after
breakfast, you had prayers and asked
me to come in and sit with the rest ?
That got me. But my mother used to
pray. L can see her now kneeling down
by my bed when 1 was a lad Father
came in one night drunk and kicked
her while she was kneeling there by
me. but l never forgot that prayer, of
yours that morning You prayed for
the just as mother used to, and you did
not seem to take count of the fact that
l was ragged and tough looking and
more than half drunk when l rung your
doorbel1. My God, what life I've
ivedl The saloon has housed me and
homed me and made hell on earth for
me- But that prayer stuck to me all the
broken in a thousand pieces inside of
two Sundays. and L lost the job you
found for me and landed in police sta
ton two days afterward but l never
forgot you or your prayer. l don't |
know what good it's done me, but l |
never forgot it, and 1 won't do any
harm to you nor let any one else. So |
you're free to go That's why.
The bishop did not stir. Somewhere |
church clock struck 1. The man had |
put on his hat and gone back to his seat
on the stone. The bishop was thinking
hard
'How long is it since you had work.
he asked. and the man standing up
answered for the other.
''Moren six months since either of
us did anything to tell of. unless you
count holding up work. 1 call it pretty
wearing kind of a job myself, especially
when we put in a night like this one
and don't make nothing"
Suppose found good jobs for both
of you Would you quit this and begin
all over2''
whats the user The man on the
stone spoke sullenly. GIVE reformed
hundred times Every time go down
deeper. The devils begun to forcelose
on me already. It's too late.
''NoP' said the bishop, and never be-
fore the most entranced audience had
he felt the desire for souls burn up in
him so strongly. All the time he sat
there during the remarkable scene he
prayed: 80 Lord Jesus. give me the
souls of these two for theel 1 am hun
cry for the1nl Give them to mer'
''Nor' the bishop repeated what
does God want of you two menu It