Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-21

! How did he know they were wrong!
/ 1t was his first near view of practical,
living skep.icism. Skepticism in a
| book did not disturb him; he could put
! down words against it. But here 1t
was alive, cheerful, attractive, indeed
fascinating: for these men in their
western garb and with their western
swing had captured his Imagination.
/ lie was in fierce struggle, and III
I few minutes l saw him disappear into
I the coulee.
Meantime the match went uproar-
/ iously on to finish, with the result
/ that the che nlpions Of Home had to
I stand the pain killer their, defeat be-
| ing due chiefly to the work of Hi and
/ Bronco Bill as pitcher and catcher.
The celebration was in full swing. or,
as Hi put il, 1.-The boys were takin
their pizen good an calm when In
/ walked the Pilot His face was still
| troubled and his lips were drawn and
/ blue, as If he were in pain. A silence
/ fell on the men as he walked III
through the crowd and up to the bar.
He stood moment hesitating. looking
| round upon the faces, flushed and hot,
that were now turned toward him in
curious defiance He noticed the look.
| and it pulled him together. He faced
about toward old Latour and asked
! him in high, clear voice:
as this the room you said we might
have?"
The Frenchman shrugged his shout
ders and said:
There is not any more
The lad paused for an instant, but
only for an instant. Then. lifting
pile of hymn books he had near him
on the counter, he said in q grave,
sweet voice and with the culver of
smile about his lips:
Gentlemen, Mr.. Latour has allowed
me this room for religious service.
1t will give me great pleasure If you
will all join" and Immediately he
handed book to Bronco Bill. who,
surprised, took it as If he did not know
! what to do with 1T. The others fol-
lowed Bronco's lead till he came to
Bruce, who refused, saying roughly:
"No, I don't want it; I've no use for
it,
The missionary flushed and drew
back as II be had been struck, but inn
mediately, as if unconsciously, the
Duke, who was standing near,
stretched out his hand and said. with
a courteous bow, II thank you, l
should be glad Of one"
THANK YOU" replied the Pilot SIM
ply as he handed him book. The
men seated themselves upon a bench
that ran round the room or leaned up
against the counter, and most of them
took off their hats. Just then In came
Muir, and behind him his little wife.
In an instant the Duke was on his
feet, and every hat came off.
The missionary stood up at the bar
and announced the hymn. Jesus,
Lover of My Soul" The silence that
followed was broken by the sound OF
horse galIoping. A buckskin bronco
shot past the window, and in few
moments there appeared at the door
the Old Timer lie was about to stride
in when the unusual sight OF ro"
of men sitting sOlemnly with hymn
books in their hands held him fast at
the door. He gazed In an amazed,
helpless way upon the men. then ut the
missionary. then back at the men, ana
stood speechless. Suddenly there was
high, shrill, boyish laugh, and the
men turned to see the missionary IN q
fit of laughter. 1t certainly was
shocl, to any lingering ideas Of religious
prcpriety they might have about them;
but the contrast between his frank,
laughing face and the amazed and dis
eusted face of the shaggy old man IN
the doorway was too much for them,
and one by one they gave way to roars
of laughter. The Old Timer, however,
kept his face unmoved, strobe up to
the bar and nodded to old Latour, who
served him his drink, which he took
at gulp.
"Here. old man!' called out Bill. Get
into the game; here's your deck!' otfer-
ing him his book But the missionary
was before him, and with very beauu
full grace he handed the Old Timer q
book and pointed him to seat
shall never forget that service. As
a religious affair 1t was dead fall
ure. but somehow think the Pilot, as
Hi approvingly said, 'got in his funny
work." and it was not wholly De
feat. The first hymn was sung chiefly
by the missionary and Mrs. Muir
whose voice was very high, with one
or two of the men softly whistiing an
accompaniment. The second hymn
was better, and then came the lesson
the story of the feeding of the nve
thousand. AS the missionary finished
the story, Bill, who had been listening
with great interest, said:
81 say, pard, think I'll call you
!, Just now"
81 beg your pardon!' said the star
tied missionary.
you're givin' US quite a song ane
dance now, amt your
81 don't understand" was the puz
zled reply.
"How many men was there in thu
4 crowd?" asked Bill with judicial air
, Give thousand"