Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-29
: CHAPTER xI.


Among other DEVICES for running the ma
chine" vaughan's predecessor had had
number of small cards printed and tackeo
on the front of each pew stating. This
Church Depends for It's Support Upon Vol
untary Contributions"
Whenever the present incumbent saw TINS
statement he was reminded OF dog he once
owned which used to nudge him and then
sit up and beg. The trick awaited with the
dog. 1t had not been worth much to the
church. Apart from Jacks coliection the
night he served as .deaking and the money
Bill had gathered In his hat the day OF
Charley Dayenports funeral. the gross re-
ceipts had been small The young preacneT
lost no sleep over this condition of anairs.
The expense Of running the church was
slight; for his own living he demanded very
little. Until winter should bring the aooeo
cost of fuel and lights, they would worry
along. So he reasoned.
Not so Jack Perry and Mat Kyle. Tney
conferred, long and earn sstly, one evening
at the saloon.
'.He atn't goin' to be able TO pun IL OH
alone" said Jack.
That's So" said Mat
You and me- said Jack, will have 20
come into the game
They formulated a plan. ana Wnlie ~
was still fresh and attractive carried II
down to the parsons study.
"Parson," drawied Jack as soon as they
were seated, me and Mat have decided
IDaU We WanteF tdhe d CiidilCe IA SoNA
hanky-panky business. here.
The church," asked Vaughan, who was
not SO slow in "tumbling to it, as before
the occurrences of the past few weeks.
81 I'm very glad to hear you express an III
terest." He awaited further explanation
I'VE wanter ketch hold" pursued Jack.
while Mats round, good-humored face as
sumed expression of genial sympathy.
There amt much dom at present, that
we can hgger on Jack continued. but
sociable always hits EN- fust-rate. what
dye think of havin' a soeiabte, parson.
1T might be very good idea" said the
parson-
What we propose is this concluded
the speaker. Wen have sociable- You
and your hanky-panky crowd take is and
run it till, say, nine-thirty;. then you and
that's Mat and me. Next morning We'll
stand for two hundred apiece. Amt that
right. Mat?'
but why should / retire with my
shift? inquired the parson. Would you
-dance?"
why, yes" said Jack.
And drink?
well, there'd have to be lemonade with
a stick in it, You couldn't ask the boys
in and not give EN- something Tor their
money.
Dancing and drinking" delibera ted
Vaughan. ITO help me run my church,
when my church is here to oppose dancing
and drinking! No, gentlemen, thank you
for your good intentions, but l can't ae-
cept. See here, how much respect would
you have for me if | did such thing as
that? / can't afford to lose your respees
foT four hundred dollars.
We'll now, who'd a thought of putting
ii that wayi" exclaimed Mat.
Hes got u.s." cried Jack, slapping his
knee. But look a-here. l don't like to tail
off the dock this way. I'd made up my
mind TO come into the game. What We
say, Mat, suppose we ante, anyhow? lie
drew a ten-dollar gold-piece from his pocket
and laid it on the desk. I'm good for that
once month" he said.
I'm with ye," said Mat, producing
saltbag and from It laboriously extracting
five silver dollars and five-dolar gold
piece. He spread them in row beside
Jacks offering, then looked inquiringly at
Jack.
I'm not goin' yet" said Jack. "Pve got
a little fault to find with last Sundays ser
mon I've noticed that the first thing you
do when you start in TO be pillar of the
church Is to begin to kick! There
was a humorous twinkle in Jacks steel
gray eyes which endured until Mat had left
the room; but it entirely disappeared when
he found himself alone with the parson.
Cool and clear to their depths and full of
the purpose of man in the habit of see
ing things through" were those strange,
quiet eyes. When he spoke, however. 1t
was in his customary draw
''Parson.' he began, I've follered you
pretty close since you've come to this camp
I've watched ye, in an out, an up an
II,
pretty level headed. But sometimes Pm in
clined to think you fool yourself"
Possibly" granted Vaughan, wondering
what was coming next. Probably. Most
of us do fool ourselves"
Il DON'T said Jack quickly Il can't
l ain't educated, l amt got religion. But
one thing was given me at the start, to see
clear. / can't tell what 1 see, always, not
the whole of it.
I'VE can't any of us do that" returned
Vaughan.
ssyyNt,o
few questions" said Jack. you probly
don't tell the whole of what you saw. and
wanter hear the rest of it. Do YOU re-
member what you preached about? ''
Special Providences,' returned the
preacher to whom every sermon was dis
tfnct. definite, extraordinary product.
That's it,, said Jack. Special Inter
ference on the part of The Old Gentleman
Above" The respectful tone in which he
bestowed upon tile Deity this title and the
deprecating upward movement of his hands
took from il any SAVIOR OF irreverence. 1t
recalled to the nearer old engravings he had
seen representing the First Person of the
Godhead sitting on n cloudy throne-an an
cient, patriarchal figure with a flowing.
grizzled beard and a general expression of
beneyolence and wisdom. He therefore
made no attempt to correct the impression
or change the phraseology Indeed. Jacks
was not a nature to invite correction in a
matter of this sort.
You made out that the Old Gentleman
had his favorites, continued Jack land /
that preaching boss being saved in the ear
wreck-do you recolect? You told some
other pretty tail yarns about this one and
that who was. perfected. But l could match
EN-
Il could give just as many arguments on
the other side. For instance there was
that caye-fn up there at Virginia City in
one of the mines Some of the miners were
killed, some wasn't. Among them that
wasn't was religious cuss named Luke
He and all the rest of the church mem
bers had a regular rejoicin', whooped her
up good because special providence took
care of Luke.
But, damn 1t, when there was another
cave-in and another church member come
up dead. the same gang had to go and howl
and wonder at the awful dispensation.
Take another case. Three times this
towns been swept by fire. The wind has
blown the flames down the canyon and
cleaned out everything except my saloon.
and that's the oldest rattlety-bang of the
lot. All your hanlxy -panky establish
ments, put up specially for the worship
of the old gentleman. were Quilted Does
that prove I'm a fayorite, because I'VE
tried to run decent kind of a place?
How about your gospel mills? What
lr4ff<a ri aar ont