Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-21
CHAPTER III.
A Service at Lou Pugh'B.

A Service at Lou Pugh'B.
| That isn't my horse" said Vaughan,
when Henley introduced him to his mount
| the morning Of their start for Lewis
mo. yours fell apart. opened the barn
door too suddenly" said Henley dryiy
TN find you another. You can use this
| one till then"
You find me too many things" said
| Vaughan impetuously. Frank, you're the
most generous man 1 ever saw"
It's PRIDE" said Frank cooily You
don't suppose I'm going to take you over
to Lewis and have everybody ask What's
| Henley got there7 In this country It
| makes a heap of difference what you ride:
ana tnst reminds me. you got of the wrong
SIDE or the horse the night you came. 1t
was ell right with that ~bag-o bones but
II II h'td been an animal that knew any
| thing you'd have been kicked into the
mlao,e or next week thought I'd tell
you. ne added by way of apology.
i want you to tell me everything you
can, returned Vaughan quickly. Il know
| how green l am. What sort of place is
! this we're going tor
Lewis? Very much like all the places
around here. One street: first saloon,
then Chinese restaurant then q saloon
then boarding house. then a dance hall
ana chinese laundry, then another sa-
| Loom
| rs 1t as bad as that?'
Pretty bad. Clement. This isn't ex-
| actly Arcadia you've come to-"
They talked of other thlngs-of the big
output at Esmeralda, of the failure at
! Galena to make good" and what was
| doing at Ruby Hill.
| Frank told of his struggles. of his ambi-
lions for the little girls. This Is no life for
1 Them, he said abruptly, "or for their
| mother; don't you suppose / know that %
silence fell between them, broken only
when Clement asked about the strange
| a b.
was amazed, overwhelmed, by the piled-up
chaos of the rocks. the dizzying distances.
1T Is titanic" he exclaimed. Merely to
De IN such place stretches a mani"
Aye 1t stretches him. returned Frank
grimly But it doesn't I'LL him. That's
! just the trouble with the poor devils you're
| going to preach to. They're great wide
| open mouths and stomachs-with nothing
Dig enough and strong enough to satisfy
| them
Again they rode in silence, and again
| Clement broke forth. The grotesqueness
| of 1t air.
Not half SO grotesque as some of the
humans you'll see before you're DONE" was
| the answer.
| 1T seems to me-" said the young preacher,
| whose tendency 1t was to analyze each new
| impression. "as II nature had started in to
| make something of this country, and find
| ing 1t too hard for her. had abandoned ii in
! despair. Nothing but ruins-look at THAR
| Il know better than to look said Frank
philosophically. I've known men who COM
| mitted suicide and women who went insane
| from looking. Come, come. we shan't reach
Lewis today" He whipped up his horse
| and rode along at such a rate that his COM
| panion had all he could do to keep up with
| him.
| They fell in with Judge Weaver on the
| outskirts of the town. riding toward home
| on a big black horse. The two looked like
| an equestrian statue set in motion.
! Il think" he said. after greetings had
been EXCHANGED. that Wen hold the service
| at Lou Pugh's'
Where is his residence?" inquired
| Vaughan politely
He doesn't reside" said Frank He
! hunks over the saloon"
| OH said Vaughan.
| You see." said the Judge confidentially,
| turning to Vaughan. he has quite hall
there. It's the only place in town of any
| size
| began Vaughan.
| Twelve by fourteen" returned the judge
| Couldn't swing cat there. I've seen
| Lou, and he's agreed to let us have the
| won't be any drinks sold over the bar, and
| business will be practically at a standstill."
| Lewis was a typical mining camp like
! Galena. but newer and even more informal
| In its ARRANGEMENT. The same rough
| wooden houses apparently thrown helter-
| SHELTER in among the rocks. bore the same
appearance of don't care and cant help
| it," In the building which furnished bach
| eior quarters to the Judge they We're served
| a generous meal. and then the three walked
| over to Lou Pugh's.
| AS far as indications went there was no
| anticipation Of their visit or desire for it.
| in q religious capacity, although If they had
| como to drink. bet dance there would
! have been plenty to welcome them. Only
| one befuddled cowboy, attempting to do
| the honors sided up to Vaughan and clap
ped him on the shoulder. exclaiming, Hello,
strangerl Howdy? Name your booze!'
| Judge Weaver promptly fastened to the
Nnn how, I
| his confusion he reeled toward the bar
| by calling loudly. "Gi me Kentucky Extra
I-somethin' to go down like a buzz-saw;"
| Vaughan threw a hasty glance about
| the hall. In one part of 1t men and wo-
| men were dancing to the music of a fd-
| die. IN another a man was calling off
| numbers to crowd about table. AT an
!. other table men were throwing dice, and at
| still another card players were seated.
| Small red, blue and white discs lay in piles
| before them They did not look up, but kept
| their eyes resolutely the bits of paste
| board in their hands. The dancers looked,
| the girls with hooking smiles, over their
| shoulders The men drinking at the bar
| looked, and finally Lou Pugh. attracted by
| the focusing of glances the Judge and
his companions. turned and saw the visi-
| tors. He hurried forward his roand,
| good humored face wreathed In smiles.
| Glad to see ye, gentlemen" he cried,
| selling q hand of each and worrying 1t.
when dye come in? Just now? Well,
1
| that's a fact. I'll have things all right,
| here, in minute What's that you say
Want the organ up in front? Any way you
| like.
| He beckoned to four stalwart miners, and
| the fine, large instrument, his pride, was
| lightly lifted and as lightly placed in front
| of the bar. By this time the attention of all
! in the room had been attracted to the spot
| where the judge stood, pleasantly excited.
| and Henley, watchful, interested beside the
| young preacher alert as racehorse before
| the first heat. Whatever experiences he had
| in the past went for nothing here. he knew
! But he also knew that somewhere In the
| bottom of every human heart is place
| where it resembles every other human
| heart He meant to find it. Under the
| rouge, the tawdry finery of the women
| under the bravado of the men, hidden in
| the ashes, he would find the divine spark
| and blow it into life.
Lou Pugh had climbed upon a chair ano
\ was stamping the bar. Boys" he
called. I've got surprise party for you
| This camp amt much on religion. We've
| never had parson here before But Judge
| Weaver's brought parson friend o. hisr
| and I've given him full swing for an hour
| Treat him white. boys, treat him whitei'
l oIf,,n lal lnxx,