Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-09

young fellow, SIT appears TO me little
walk would perhaps be good, mebbe.'
"All right; wait till get my cap,"
was the unsuspecting reply.
II don't think perhaps you won't
need 1t, mebbe. / cherish the opinion
you'll perhaps be warm enough" Bills
voice had unconsciously passed into q
sterner tone. Hi was on his feet and
at the door.
"This here interview is private and
confidential" said Bill to his partner.
"Exactly," said Hi, opening the door.
At this the young fellow, who was
strapping six footer, but soft and
fabby, drew back and refused to go.
He was too late. Bills grip was on his
collar and out they went into the snow,
and behind them. Hi closed the door.
In vain the youh fellow struggled to
wrench himself 4. from the hands
that had him by tn. shoulder and the
back of the neck. took it all in from
the window. He might have been a
boy for all the effect his plungings had
upon the long, sinewy arms that
gripped him so tiercely. After min
ute's furious struggle the young fell
low stood quiet, when Bill suddenly
shifted his grip from the shoulder to
the seat of his buckskin trousers. Then
began series of evolutions before the
house, up and down, forward and
back, which the unfortunate victim,
with hands wildly clutching at empty
air, was quite powerless to resist till
he was brought up, painting and gasp
Ing, subdued, to a standstill.
"Tll larn you agnostics and several
other kinds of tricks,' said Bill in a
terrible voice, his drawl lengthening
perceptibly. Come round here, will
you, and shove your blanked second
handed trash down our throats?' Bill
paused to get words; then, bursting out
In rising wrath:
There amt no sootable words for
SIGH conduct. By the livin' JENNY
He suddenly swung his prisoner off his
feet, lifted him bodily and held him
over his head at arms length. eve q
notion to-
Don't! Don't! For heavens sakev,
cried the struggling wretch. "I'll stop
it! will!'
Bill at once lowered him and set him
on his feet.
"All right! shake! he said, holding
out his hand, which the other took
with caution.
1t was remarkably sudden CONVEX
sion and lasting in its effects. There
was no more agnosticism in the little
group that gathered around the Pilot
for the nightly reading.
The interest in the reading kept
growing night by night.
Seems as IL the Pilot was gittin' in
his work" said Bill to me, and looking
at the grave, eager faces agreed. He
was getting in his work with Bill, too:
though perhaps Bill did not know it.
l remember one night, when the others
had gone, the Pilot was reading to us
the parable Of the talents and Bill was
particularly interested in the servant
who failed i'll his duty.
"Ornery cuss, eh?'' he remarked.
"And gall, too, Ell? Served him blamed
well right, In my opinionw
But when the practical bearing of
the parable became clear to him, after
long silence, he said slowly:
well, that there seems to indicate
that it's about time for me to get a
rustic on" Then, after another silence,
he said hesitatingly: This here church
buildin' business now, do you think
that IL perhaps count, mebbe? / guess
not, Ell? 'Tain't much, Of course, any
way" Poor Bill, he was like child,
and the Pilot handled him with a
mothers touch.
what gre you best Mt, Bill2,'
Bronco Dustin ana cattie, SAID.
Bill wonderingly. "That's my line.n
well, Bill. my line is preaching just
now and plotting, you know The
Pilots smile was like a sunbeam on u
rainy day, for there were tears in his
eyes and voice. and we have just got
to be faithful. You see what he says:
We'll done, good and faithful servant.
Thou hast been faithful"
Bill was puzzled.
"Faithful!' he repeated. '.Does that
mean with the cattle, perhaps?',
Yes, that's just it, Bill, and with
everything else that comes your way"
And Bill never forgot that lesson, for
I heard him, with a kind of quiet en-
thusiasm, giving 1t to HI us great
find. Now, I call that a fair DEAL" he
said id to his IS friend. Gives every man
ply; distributes the trumps.n
Somehow Bill came to be regarded
as an authority upon questions of re-
ligion and morals. No one ever M.
cused him Of "gettin' religion" He
went about his work in HIS slow oniet