The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1907-03-17

permitted to ntrude, Bender still stood in the hall
behind which the secopd-foor taking his
last had started on his climb. he stopped at the
second floor. rear door and came as near TO
savesdropping his conscience would permit him.
Whatever he heard discovered, after vigil of,
perhaps. two minutes. Bender direfully shook his
head and continued to the top floor.
During his three months in the Army Bender
had carefully absorbed and praetised the dogmas
small daily tasks were performed by him without
holding communion" And SO. as soon as his
cubby-hoe was reached. he again resorted to com
uunion in this travail of his soul"
These 'communions" not perfunctory mat
First he went to the sink in the hall to cleanse
his hands: then he brushed his hair and spread
mise en- scene had been arranged. he again went
TO the sink and once more washed his hands.
Back in the room, he locked the door and sank to
his knees on the newspaper beside the bed. With
folded hands and unified eyes he remained SO for
moment before communng with Him. his God.
the God of Bender
please excuse me, God. for coming to You again
with my troubles. but, honest, can't help it. And
it ain't only my troubles want to talk to You
about, but to thank You, too for what You
done for me about getting that Job at the restanr-
ant. It's no use o. talking. needed it, and You
can bet it came m ina in awful s,,a hanaF ,a But don't
the second floor. They're my neishbors and got
but I don't know how what, and got to put it
mp to You and hope You'll help me. If You
speak to that fellow about coming over to the
Army some night with me. think it would be all
Aggie Haskins says YOU can read q whole lot in
faces and his face don't look right to at all
/ hope You'll send me some inspiration SOS
rescue that fellow from his wickedness. And now
/ thank You for Your goodness to and ask Your
blessing and strength SOS won't fall by the way
side And-and. long Father. Amen"
And truly. that prayer was heard.
They were celebrating Hot Time Evening at
the Salvation Army that night and Bender. OF
sadly disturbed by the strange couple on the
bon, Cbca nd 1ob
that they poorly situated
Had he known all about them he might have
surrounding them and the odd appearance of the
had strange fascination for Bender He had
and the Hot Time he found application to
them II every song. every speech every testimony
uttered
it vas after the song We're All Going Home
to Heaven" sung to the air of we Won't Go Home
Till Morning" that Benders psychological moment
him.
Throughout the evening a pale. ascetic in
officers uniform had sat At broodng on on the PLATFORM form
to Heaven" the commanding officer of the post
stepped to the edge Of the platform to make the
following announcement:
Comrades and friends. AS you all know, we
have with us tonight Colonel Harvey Timberall
Colonel TimberaH has been fighting glorious bat
Colorado and Montana. and he is going to tell you
how to fight the battle on to victory. And now
let give three cheers for Colonel Harvey Tim
beralI."
The cheers given and much noise
made while the Colonel made his way to the CEN
How his speech ranked according to Salvation
Army criterions cannot be stated but to the aver
age listener it was weird compound of twisted
theological doctrines and bombastic rhetoric But
Greedily they swallowed the sentences and often
interrupted the orator by tumutuous applause
after some particularly appealing sentiment.
Bender's attention rapt that almost the
entire speech memorized by him. And when
M he @ Of
could go out into the world and do as much for
and felt that the sermon had been preached solely
for his benefit.
&C.. And there behold, there He stood upon the
mountain, facing the multitude, proving beyond
peradventure that He the saviour of the low1y.
What did He say The foxes 1 have 4 holss les and IN & the
hath not where to lay his head And what did he
He went right down among them and gave them
the message of the Master. And these are the
forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby
have entertained angels unawares And He also
lay down his life for his friends, -
That the whole thing in nutshell. those
the commands of the Great White Lord, a1i
Bender heeded them.
Devotional hysteria high tha: evening and
it was midnight before Bender crept up the stoop.
on which the man from the second floor rear. was
taking his siesta Ordinarily Bender's nerve would
have failed hi him. but the III influence of the he Hot
his mission at once.
eve had poorly good time over at the Army
tonight"
The looked up without speaking.
Yes, Iyou see. 1 belong to the Salvation
an answer, asked: you don't belong to the Army?s
No. scarcely was the harsh reply.
II think you ought to- declared Bender fer
vently 1T made man O. me all right and you
ought , to join pin them the too for- fe. e-.i.,noa 49,.
grily.
"Oh. nothing. only 1t makes much hap
pier and-well, it does a lot o things
1T can't make mine happy and I'm
in getting food than happiness growled
the stranger.
.eThe Army'Il give you food.
ITO be they will and then will take mort
gage my manhood There's such thing
self-esteem; it's the only possession l have and
will not beg have reached the limit of misery.
forsaken by every living soul. even she-but
won't beg
But when man Is in your fix Bender spoke
didacticaly, ''only the Great White Lord can help