Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-02-19
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: Rock
= By RALPH Common ::
By RALPH Common
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Slavin groaned and shuddered

"Repent of your sin and add not an
other
Slavin turned his eyes upon the mo-
upon the priest.
Father Goulet took one step toward
him and stretching out his hand and
pointing with his finger, said:
"Gow
And Slavin slowly backed away and
went into his house. 1t was an ex-
traordinary scene, and it is often with
me now-the dark figure on the ground
the slight. erect form of the priest with
outstretchsd arm and finger, and Sla-
vim backing away, fear and fury strug-
Cling in his face.
1t was near thing for the DOCTOR
however, and two minutes more of
that grip would have done for him.
AS it was, we had the greatest difficult
ty in reviving him.
What the priest did with Slavin aft
er getting him inside know not-that
has always been mystery to me-but
when we We're passing the saloon that
night after taking Mrs. Mavor home
we saw light and heard strange
sounds within. Entering, we found
another whisky raid in progress, Sla-
vim himself being the raider. We stood
some moments watching him knocking
in the heads of casks and emptying
bottles | thought he had gone mad
and approached him cautiously.
"Hello, Slavin!' called out. "What
does this mean?
He paused in his strange work, and l
saw that his face, though resolute.
was quiet enough.
st means Pm done with the bust
ness, am" he said in a determined
voice. "I'll help no more to kill any
man, Or" in lower tone, ''any mans
baby"
The priests words had struck home.
"Thank God, Slavinw said Craig, of
fering his hand. you are much too
good man for the business"
"Good or bad, I'm done with it." he
replied, going on with his work.
you are throwing away good mon
ey, Slavin," l said as the head of a
cask crashed in.
"Its myself that knows it, for the
price Of whisky has gone up in town
this week." he answered, giving me a
look out of the corner of his eye. BE
dad, it was a rare clever job," refer
ring to our Black Rock hotel affair.
"But won't you be sorry for this?"
| asked Craig
"Belike will, and that's why I'm
doing it before I'm sorry for it." he re-
piled, with delightful bull.
''Look here, Slavin," said Craig ear
nestly, "if can be of use to you in any
way, count on me-"
"It's good to me the both of you
have been, and I'll not forget it to
you," he replied, with like earnestness
AS we told Mrs. Mavor that night
for Craig thought 1t too good to keep,
her eyes seemed to grow deeper and
the light in them to glow more intense
as she listened to Craig pouring out
| bis tale. Then she gave him her hand
and said:
you have your man at last"
"What man?"
"The man you have been waiting
| for"
| "Slavin?'
"Why not?"
II never thought Of it,
mo more did he or any Of u.s." Then,
after a pause, she added gently, HE
has been sent to u.s."
do you know, 1 believe you are
right" Craig said slowly and then add
ed. "But you always are"
II fear not" she answered, but l
thought she liked to hear his words.
The whole town was astounded next
morning when Slavin went to work in
the mines, and It's establishment only
deepened as the days went on and he
stuck to his work. Before three weeks
had gone the league had bought and
remodeled the saloon and had secured
Slavin as resident manager.
The evening of the reopening of Sla.
wins saloon. as it was still called, was
long remembered in Black Rock. 1t
was the occasion Of the first appear
ance of the League Minstrel and ORA
matte troupe in what was described as
a hair lifting tragedy, with appropri
| dlC luSlCul SeleCllOuS. luell There
was grand supper, with speeches and
great enthusiasm, which reached its
climax when Nixon rose to propose the
toast of the evening, "Our saloon" His
speech was simply quiet, manly &c
count of his long struggle with the
deadly enemy. When he came to speak
of his recent defeat, he said:
And, while l am blamin' no one
but myself, | am glad tonight this sa
loon is on our side, for my own sake
and for the sake of those who have
been waitin' long to see me. But be
fore | sit down l want to say that
while | live shall not forget that
owe my life to the man that took me
that night to his own shack and pu
me in his own bed and met me mex
mornin' with an open hand, for tel
you had sworn to God that mornin
would be my last"
Geordie's speech was characteristic
After a brief reference to the "myste
rious ways O Providence" which he