The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-07-19

| Nio7oi' "~S Tall, llSnt-cOmpleX
ioncd and athletic, with kindly blue
eyes, sils manner, however, was self.
assertive and resolute. He was q
| rollegc graduate and had but recently
entered the ministry. There was a
rumor that &c was a fine oarsman.
HIS first sermon in the old chapel
lasted only twenty-five minutes. Some,
| indeed. thought it too short; but in
| the course OF week he had called at
every house in the vicinity. 1t was
| limited that he had also been fishing.
While preaching his second sermon
ne paused suddenly and seemed to lis
ten for moment, but went on without
comment.
On the third Sunday, also. he stop
pea, and with an air of annoyance and
Sharp glance around, remarked that
II disturbed him greatly to hear low.
lh"hiplcd conversation while address
ing an audience.
40 not know just where this is
or who 1T is he added. "but it dis.
turbs me. and | must request that it
shall cease"
"A great nush fell. The old meeting
mousse was crowded on that Sabbath.
Bu.: no one but Mr. Gibson himself
, mad heard anything and many did not
know what he meant.
It was Mahlon Batchelder, Ben
Frost and Orin Sylvester, down in the
Calaboo, who had been mumbling to-
gether in low tones; but Mr.. Gibson S
ears were keener than Elder Creecy' S
He went on with his sermon. but he
had perceived the innocent astOnish-
ment of the congregation. 1t set him
to thinking. and the next day he inves-
| tigated. He discovered the Calaboo
and all it contained.
Being comparatively a stranger, it
is likely that he regarded the matter
as a trick on the part Of young row.
dies to make disturbance and i'm
pose on him personally, and he was
not the kind Of man to bear imposi-
tion meekly. He kept quiet concern
ing his discovery, but planned and
executed decisive counter-stroke.
| have already mentioned the little
gap in the underpinning through
which we crept into the cuddy. 1t was
directly beneath the pulpit desk, and
by boring a hole in the floor Mr.. Glib
son arranged bit Of plank beneath,
attached to which was rod extending
up through the hole, in a corner of
the pulpit desk, where he could reach
it. By giving single downward push
on this rod he could completely close
that little gap. He also drew the nails
from two of the broad boards of the
pulpit floor, so that they could be
taken up quickly.
Quite unsuspicious of this trap, five
Of us crawled into the Calaboo on the
following Sunday, to have little jol-
LITIGATION and plan Maybasket frol-
ic. Mahlon Batchelder and Ben Frost
had mistrusted something the previ.
GUS Sunday, and did not 60 in. But
Orin Sylvester, Newman Damley, Ned
Wilbur and two more Of us slipped in
just as the service began and the peo-
pie were going to their pews.
Two Of us, at least, had not been to
the Calaboo before for six months,
and, in fact, had never frequented it,
as Alfred and Ben had done, but we
paid the penalty just the same. 1t
is usually the young and inexperi-
enced mice that fall into the trap.
We kept pretty quiet down there
during the prayer and hymns, but
shortly after Mr. Gibson began his
sermon, Ned and Orin got to playing
and the former snickered aloud
Immediately we noted that Mr.. Glib
son stopped speaking. Then we heard
him say:
Il must ask the audience to excuse
me moment and to sit quietly in
their places. A part of the congre-
cation appears to be under the meet
ing house instead of properly in it,"
At that we made dive for the hole,
but before the first one of us reached
it we heard something drop so to
speak. Mr.. Gibson's plank gate had
closed! The next moment the two
floor boards were raised and we heard
the minister's voice saying, Come up
every one of you!"
Trembling and terribly frightened
we SUNK into the darkest corners of
the cuddy.
Come up, or l shall come after
you." exclaimed Mr.. Gibson, in tones
that made us think it might be bet
ter to comply.
Then-but oh, with what woful re-
luctance!-first Orin, then Newman,
and then the rest of us put our heads
and arms up through the aperture,
and were helped out by the young
minister's vigorous hand. Ned had
made wild effort to pull the plank
from the gap that led to liberty, but
it was useless.
When satisfied that the last boy was
out, Mr.. Gibson looked up over with
a grim smile.
You shall be honored with a seat
in the pulpit" he said. "Sit down."
and he pointed to the settee, or long
bench, having a cushion covered with
red baize, that extended along the
wall behind the pulpit desk.
But wait; you have forgotten
something!" he suddenly exclaimed.
Go back, you," pointing to Orin,