The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-08-03

Sill tnN ~aFgunlpnt went on.
Seems rs IL lie ought to take some
m" said Bill In n voice suspiciousiy
Al!d, What would YOU suggest?"
"a walk, meDbc!" said III In delight.
ed expectation.
Il ho!d Tie opinion that you have
mentioned ~ uncommonly valuable
ramody-bcttcr N pain killer almost"
Bill rose %lungu.dly.
II say he drawled, tapping the
young fellow, 1T appears to me q little
walk would perhaps be good, nebbe."
Nh right; wait til | get my cap"
WIGS Ii unsuspcctiug reply.
II don't think perhaps you won't
need 1t, mobcc. l cherish the opinion
you'll perhaps be warm enough" BilT's
voice had unconsciously passed into O
sterner tone. III WAS ON his feet and
at the door.
"This here interview Is private ana
contidcntial," said Bill TO his partner.
Exactly" said HI, opening the door.
AT this the young fellow, who was q
strapping six ~footer, but soft md
tlabby, drew back and refused to go.
lie was too late. Billts grip was OH his
collar and out they went Into the snow,
and behind them Iii closed tho door.
In vain the young fellow struggled to
wrench himself free from the hands
that had him by the shoulder and the
back of the neck. l took 1t all In from
the window. He might have been q
boy for oil the effect his plungings had
upon Ii long, sinewy nrms that
gripped him 80 fierccly. After a 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 II series OF evoiutions 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, subducd, to II standstill.
"Tn larn you aSnostics and several
other kinds of tricks said Bill in O
terrible voice, his drawl lengthening
pcrccptibly. "Comc round here, will
YOU, and shove your blanked second
handed trash dow our throatsT' Bill
paused TO get words; then, bursting out
III rising wrath:
"T.,cro amt no sootable words for
SIGH conduct. BY tho Twin Jeminy"-
lie suddenly swung his prisoner off his
feet, lifted him bodily and held him
over hi; head at arms length. 1--WE q
action To-
Don't! Don't! For heavens sake.'
cried the struggling wretch. I'll stop
It. | Will
Bill ut 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 II remarkably sudden CONVEX
sion ard lasting in Its effects. There
was no more ugnosticIsm in the little
group that gathered around the Pilot
for the nightly reading.
The Interest in the reading kept
growing night by night.
"Scems as IL The Pilot was glttn' in
his work" said Bill to me, and looking
at the grave, eager faces / agreed. lie
was getting in his work with Bill, too;
though perhaps Bill did not know 1t.
l remember one night, when the others
had gone, the Pilot was reading to lis
the parable of the talents and Bill was
particularly Interested In the servant
who failed in his duty.
"Ornery cuss, ch?" he remarked.
"And gall, too, eh? Served him blamed
we'll right, in my oplnion!"
But when the practical bearing Of
the parable became clear to him, after
long silence, he said slowly:
"Wcll. that there seems to indicate
that It's about time for me to get a
rustic on" Then, after another silence,
he said h~esitatingly: This here church
buiidin business now, do you think
that III perhaps count, mebbc? / guess
not, II 'Tain't much, of course, any
way" Poor Bill, he was like q child,
and the Pilot handled him with q
mothers touch.
What are you best at, Bill2"
Bronco Dustin and CATTLE" said
BIZ wonderingly. That's my line"
"Well, Bill, my line is preaching just
now and plotting, you know" The
lie smile was like q sunbeam on a
rainy day, for there were tears in his
eyes II voice. "And we have Just got
to be faithful. You see what he says:
Well done, good and faithful servant.
Thou hast been faithful"
Bill was puzzled.
"Faithful!' he repeated. Does that
mean with the cattle, perhaps?"
Eyes, that's just 1t, Bill, and with
everything else that comes your way"
And Bill never forgot that lesson, for
/ heard him, with n kind of quiet en-
thuslasm, giving 1T to Iii as a great
find. Nov, l call that n fair deal" he
said to his friend. "Gives every man
a show. No cards up the sleeve"
'"That's So" was HIS thoughtful re-
ply; distributes the trumps."
Somehow Bill came to be regarded
as an authority upon questions OF re-
ngion and morals. No one ever ac-
cused him of "gcttin' religion" He
went about his work in his slow, quiet
way, but lie was always sharing his
discoveries with "thc boys" And If
any one puzzled him with subtleties he
never rested till lie had him face to
face with tie Pilot. And so 1t came
that these two drew to each other Will,
more than brotherly affection. Whea
Bill got into difficulty with problems
that have veXcd tEc souls of men far
wiser than lie, the Pilot would either
discntangle TIE knots or would turn his
mind TO the v~critles that stood out
sure and clear, and ELL would be con-
tent.
THAT'S good enough for me-" he
NynNtIl ans n,AI Il. IL--. .---I