The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-08-06

but for the sake Of Louie. ! can
get Mr.. Falmouth to come down. i am
80 sorry for you, Mrs. Caylor. God
help you. Louie was a good boy" G.
The woman, suddenly threw her
apron over her head and burst into a
torrent Of weeping SO violent that ut
first Gordon was alarmed. He brought
her a chair and made her sit down.
I The other women in the corridor came
up, and one Of them said: "She'll be all
right now. When you can't cry, that's
the time your heart bleeds inside"
whats all this racketT' cried q
voice. from the room. Gordon wheeled
about and faced the man. Tommy Ran
dali With the instructive forewarning
of a peculiarly sensitive and delicate
moral consciousness Gordon knew that
between this, man and himself there
could be nothing but war from the
start. But what form it would take,
what forces the man had to draw on,
how much Cf hold he had on the
wretched lives that furnished his field
Of action, John Gordon did not know.
Perhaps it was as well that he did not
know much about it. A full knowledge
Of even one aspect of Tommy Randalrs
political influence might have appalled,
more courageous and hopeful man
than John Gordon.
The boss was a man Of about forty
five. Outwardly he was short thick
set man, with n forid face and a reso-
lutte manner. He did not show any
signs of Incorporate living, and indeed
it was his boast that he had no vices.
The most noticeable characteristic of
the man was his absolute confidence in
his own influence. 1t was not egotisln
so much as thorough faith in the po-
ltical security of his position.
There was one quality that John
Gordon possessed, however, that made
him formidable. He was fifteen years
younger than this man, and he had
practically no experience in that world
which was the only world in existence
for Tommy Randall. But he had a
faith in God that was as profound ms
the other mans political creed, and In
his love for the people he was pre-
pared in acting on that creed to 20 any
lengths that were within human possi-
bility. If Gordon was ignorant of Tom
my Randall's strength, the boss was no
less ignorant Of this young mans inner
sources of persistent and tireless
strength that would inevitably come to
his assistance in the struggle that was
beginning in that wretched tenement,
with q child's death as witness to the
grim contest.
II have been asking Mrs. Caylor
what arrangements have been made
for funeral service" Gordon spoke
quietly. III no other minister has
been engaged, l think can get Mr..
Falmouth Of Nazareth church to come
down" ..t, .. ..
Tommy Randall walked up to John
Gordon and deliberately looked him
over. Gordon stood perfectly still and
never moved muscle as his eyes
looked straight into the older mans.
"The service has all been arranged
young man." Randall said finally. A
sound Of shufliing steps was heard on
the Broken stairs and along the cor
ridor. and two men appeared with Q
coffin. . ..-Ii a.s.. "
"AKi There von nra Abrams, !That,,s
more IKE Il Don't try to palm on
another one Of your rotten boxes or
me or you'll hear from me, ehi Pu,
1t on the table" Then, as two chill
dren came into the room at the heel.
Of the two men who brought the cof
fn, Gordon was astonished to see Ran
dali pat them on the head kindly ant
, say: "Now. then, lads, out Of the road
l can't stop now"
The children went out Of the room
: and Randall hustled In and out order
! ing chairs and helping place the body
Of Louie in the coffin. Gordon came
up to the table to look ut the littl.
face, for Louie had been partly de
formed, and his face was like baby's
He looked down ut the figure anC
noticed that one hand was clinchet
tight. STOPPING little lower, by tn,
dim light Gordon recognized his Owl
little gift when he had gone In will
Mr.. Marsh. 1t was a sample bottle o.
perfumery. and the child had clung I,
1t in the darkness, dying In the horribl,
filth Of his surroundings, and, as Cor
don learned some time afterward, lii
orally covered with vermin.
John Gordon's tears fell on the fac
as he fek that here was ono Of God
little ones against whom somebod.
had sinned Better for a milestone I,
be hanged around his neck"-he SCENE,
to hear the words Of the Son OF Man
''than that one Of theee little one
should perish" Who was to blame
Was 1t the social system? Was It tn
selfish wealth. Was II political dis
honesty? Was It definite individual
This childNweak, deformed. helpless
did It not need the strength and beaut
Of whole universe thrown about 1t Il
loving protection? Instead Of that
6ung like some vile thing among tn
rotting. loathsome. crawling things o
the lowest physical world. IL had Ron