Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-07
His Conversion
BY EDGAR FALES MOODY
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

ment OF society.
put up one night nj the house OF
John Murphy. sheep raiser. His
ranch house was not large. but COM
Portable. and its decorS lions showed
a woman who impressed TIE rs one
having considerable eQuipolse and
character After supper | went out
on the porch TO have smoke with
Murphy and listened with interest TO
his account OF the building up of his
region. During our conversation
stated the opinion that men were
what women made them. Then he
told me his story.
you're dead right. stranger" he
said. land I'm one OF the men that
has been made by a woman. When |
eastern city. and my education was
derived from the dime novel. ! was
a waif. with no father or mother to
instill into me the fact that however
brave the road agents and others OF
whom l read they were acting on
wrong principle. AS 1t was. adj
mired them. and almost before be-
came a man I scraped up enough mon-
ey TO bring me out here TO live the
life OF my heroes of the dime novel.
II soon got TO be a head man among
them and for eight years lived life
that l would give anything have to
forget ] have to be thankful foT only
one thing. During that frightfui pc
riod I never took life. i didn't ac-
cumuate any money. and IL l had l
should later on have got rid of II.
lone evening | stopped at a house
and Knocked Mt the door. intended
to ask for some supper. expecting once
inside to get my bearings for valua-
bles and take them away with me.
had started In with the intention or
combining my operations TO stage
coaches. army paymasters and the
like. but man is always going either
uphill or downhill. and as | was
necessarily going down I wasn't above
taking anything l could get my hands
on. even from woman.
"a womaL came 10 the door. She
was young and fairly good looking. To
my request for some supper she gave
a smiling assent. asking me 10 come
in and make myself comfortable. She
went into the kitchen. and | looked
about me. There was a chimney In
the room where I was with no FIRE. l
knew a chimney was favorite place
to hide money. and. going TO the fire.
place. l stopped and looked up. On a
projecting brick l saw small box.
which | appropriated and. lifting the
cover. saw lot of bills and loose
change. I slipped 1t all In my pocket
and put the box back In the chimney
by and by the young woman came
in and set good supper on the table
| ate my fill and when had finished
took out one of the coins had taken
from the box and handed 1t to her.
No she said there's nothing to
pay. You're quite welcome TO your
supper. hope It has done you good.
You looked 'ired and hungry when you
came in, and ] felt sorry for you. SO
/ have given you the best In the
house
That was the first lesson In kindli-
ness ever received. AT any rate. II
was the first that ever took hold OF
me. When I thought Of the contents
of the box In my pocket and my Offer
ing one Of her own coins 10 payment
for her kindness. not the least part OF
which was the way she offered II. my
despicabIe meaDness seemed to shrive'
me all up. / couldn't look her In the
face.
"'You don't need to go on she said
we have a spare bed upstairs
Nv thinking how ] would get the
money back 10 the box IN the chiri-
ney. and IL occurred 20 me that IL 1
STAYED there all night ! could slip
down In the night and do the job. SO
said: Thank you. miss III you
don't mind ! reckon I will. It'll be
great accommodation TO me-
"sNo more than 10 me. Ny brother
and bis wife have gone away for a
few days and left me alone with the
children. They say that Murphy's
gang Is operating iB the Beighbor-
hood. and ! wouldn't mind having
man in the house
an that case I said. I think IN
sleep on that lounge. and I'll guarar-
tee that no man gets upstairs unless
be goes over my dead body
81 knew two Of my men would be
along there that night. and ! reckoned
they'd take In anything BY the way
The first thing did before turning
IN was 10 put the money back In The
box. When Id done that ! felt The
first Of q Kind Of comfort ia never
experienced before 7 didn't 70 10
sieep. wanting to be awake " any one
called. In the middle - the night my
two men. Pete BaTnlckei and Colora-
Do Bnl. did call showered bullets
everywbsre about them except Just