The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-29

SuOulQ play the IO2 game llLtle
longer? AS 1 weighed these alternatives
my eyes fell on Salvation Army sign,
and the idea had secuted the day be-
| fore returned to me with renewed force.
Pointing to the windows across which
it was displayed, l said that here We're
people who might possibly tell me where
| to find the woman l sought, and, leaving
the officer outside,-he seemed quite con-
tent to stay in the fresh air,-I went in
and respectfully approached the sweet
faced woman I saw before me.
| Il am come for assistance l began
IT in search Of a woman Here the
words died in my throat. Opposite me
and quite near enough for me to catch
what they were saying, I saw two men.
One was a Salvation Army captain and
| the other was Leighton Gillespie.
The Little House in New Jersey.
The surprise was great, but doubt if
I betrayed the fact to. the unsuspicious
eye of the patient lass who attended me-
| Il wish to see one OF your captains,
| I. explained. II will gladly await his con-
yenience."
"Captain Smith will be at liberty soon,"
she answered, going back to her work.
| 1 was thus left to study the face of the
man whom at that very moment / was
I had not seen him since that touching
scene at the Inquest; and 1 found him
looking both old er and sadder. Perhaps
his health was broken: perhaps there
were other and deeper reasons for the
great change l saw in him.
1 had instinctivelg withdrawn few
steps when the lass left me and stood in
as inconspicuous a position as possible,
| with my face turned from the light. But
| I had not retreated far enough, to lose a
word Of the conversation going on so near
| me.
They were discussing an approaching
meeting; Leighton with deep interest,
the captain with an embarrassment not
often seen In one of his calling. Listen
| ing, I heard these words:
| 1T will be full one, won't it?'
| This from Leighton.
sit usually Is on day like this" was
the hesitating reply.
| DO women cOme?'
| more women then men"
II should like to speak at the meeting
| The captain. with an uncomfortable
| flush, fumbled with the ribbon on his cap,
and said nothing Leighton repeated his
| request.
The captain summoned up courage.
Il am sorry. sir he remarked, in an
apologetic tone. you have given the
| army much help, and we have listened to
received orders not to let you speak
again; that is, from the platform"
| A painful silence ensued. Then Leigh
| ton remarked, with forced composure
and some thing more than his usual melan-
choly:
Because Of the unhappy prominence
given me by the circumstances attending
my fathers DEATH"
THAT, and something else. 1 may as
| well be frank, sir. We have heard Of the
| little house, leased under your name, in
New Jersey"
"Ah!"
! A chord had been touched which vi
| brated keenly in this mysterious breast
l saw his hand go to his throat and fall
again quickly. Meantime the captain
| went on:
1--WE are not frightened by sin and we
hold out our hands to sinners; but We
| have no use for man who prays in New
York and has his pleasure on the other
side Of the North river. 1t shows n.y.
pocrisy,. sir, and hypocrisy is the enemy
| Of religion"
A smile, whose dark depths betrayed
| anything but hypocrisy at that moment
| crossed LeightOn's pale lips as he re-
marked without anger (Which l could moi
| but consider strange in a man SO openly
attacked):
THAT little house is empty now Has
|
| might be too?"
The captain, who evidently did not like
his task, seemed to experience some diff
Guilty In answering; but when he had set.
tied upon his reply, spoke both clearly
and with resolution
The house Of which you speak may
lack it's occupant just now but everythins
goes to show she is always expected o.
why are the lamps invariably Lighted
there at nightfall the rooms kept warm
and the larder replenished? Some birds
in fitting come round again to their for
saken nest. Your bird may; meanwhil.
the nest remains ready
Enough!' The tone was sharp now
the words cutting. "You do not under.
stand me, nor my interest in the poor ant
forSaken. AS for my place among you
let it be filed by whom it will / hav,
my own griefs, and they are not light
and l have anxieties such as visit few
men. A ban is upon me and upon all who
bear the name OF Gillespie. This il
known to you and possibly to every mai
and woman soon to assemble here. Per.
maps you do we'll not to- submit me tC
their curiosity. But there is something
you can do for me-something which 70,
will do for me, I am sure; somethins
which would place me under last
ing obligation to you without
doing you or anyone else the least harm
in the world. A woman may come in
here; woman, wild eyed, unkempt, but
with look-I am sure you will know Ter
There is an unearthly loneliness in he1
wan features. She has BUT what use Is
there in my attempting to describe her:
! # she answers to the name of Mile
, fleurs-some persons call her Millie-she
IS the woman I seek. Will you give hel
this?" (He had torn the edge off a news
paper lying near and was rapidly writine
; on it, a few words.) SIT will do no harm
to the cause for which YOU are working
and it may save a most unhappy woman
Of myself, make no count. yet it might
same me. too
He handed over to the captain the sill
carelessly folded. It was received Will
! reluctance. Mr.. Gillespie noting this
observed with some agitatlOn:
"You are here to do Gods work. Some
times you are called upon to do it Blind.
: and without full enlightenment" Ans
marhable dignity he went out, little real
> izing that the possible clue to his own fu
ture fate lay in the hands of one he q
that moment passed without a look. :
These are the crosses we are called
upon to bear" spoke up the Salvation
Army captain as the door closed upon thu
Il an they lad once held in deepest rev
erence. "Now, what am I to do will
this ?" he added turning over in his hands
the half-roIled-uD slip which had JUS
2 been given into his charge. =
Involuntarily my hand went out to 1t
f 1t was a perfectly unconscious action OF
3 my part, and l blushed wildly when
7 realized what I had done. I had no au
! thority here. I was not even known t.
! the good man and woman before me.