Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-17

tue SileuCe ny saying Wltn snort
laugh:
you won't find him here. won't
say he hasn't been here. He knows a
good thing when he sees it. Won't
you step up and take a glass of iced
beer this morning? We keep the best
in the town on tap for preachers"
There was laugh from one or two
of the men nearest the speaker, but
Malcom simply looked him in the face
without word. He then laid his
hand on Carver's shoulder and said
softly:
I'm sorry to see you here, Carver.
You promised me you would quit it."
The man writhed in his seat, but did
not say word. Kirk looked at him
sorrowfully.
Come, Carver: come out of this. I'll
give Won something to do. Don't lose
your soul in this place.
Say" said the barkeeper, who had
been leaning with his elbows on the
bar listening, as had also every other
man In the saloon. "You leave my Gus
toners alone. will you, and mind your
own business?"
"That's just what I am doing" re-
piled Kirk earnestly, and. as he spoke,
his pale blue eyes filed with high,
white light. at 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! 1t is
exactly what intend to do, until every
hell like this is wiped out of this
town.
He spoke very quietly, almost softly;
his voice did not deciaim, but. the I'M
| usual quality OF 1t thrilled everybody
there, He looked into their faces a
moment and with last appealing look
at Carver he turned and went out.
"Whew!" said the barkeeper. First
sermon ever delivered here. Score one
for Parson Kirkg'
! The other men did not respond with
much enthusiasm. Carver had risen
from the table.
Better have one 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 sun. Down the street he
could see Kirk just entering Valmer' s
place.
I'm half 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 Malcolm 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 man 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 Malcolm in
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 ere
ated a distinct embarrassment through
the company. The majority of custom.
ers, however, seemed, from their dress
and talk, to be composed of farmers,
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 thefarm wagon: "And YET
we Christian people license these enc.
mics of the race and allow them to
continue their devilish work, although
we know well enough how devilish II
is. May God help us as 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 was not even he was
able to predict.
1t was nearly noon when he finished
his tour of the saloons. and as he came
out near the lower end of the main
street there was 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
i the town, and off as far as men could
see there was column of smoke
4 spreading out with great rapidly.
'The prairie fires have started early
Kirk thought, but it was only wher
one of the ranchmen in the street spoke
that he realized what the fires might
mean.
'.If this wind keeps up, this town viii
have its 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 .aThe Forks.