The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-07-08


ly His extra exhlaration cooled but lake was
stieker. and hesinsistent notices strur along has
route were as so many pin pricks to has resolution
A preacher was preacher: :. you could go To hear
him Il you liked. or stay away if you chose But 1t
would take years OF tempering sun and rain to ehace
the work of this single day. Even. the naked rock,
where wheel passage had been blasted out OF the
wall. bled denunciation OF the ungodly And.
the more the rider pondered, the more he felt the
Inscriptions, to be an insult to his kind, Then his
Jaw set he thought of the gipsy-faccd girls reco
He owed her black brother one on that account, too
He had no business to have meddled. but his motives
had been OF the best. &t4
He logged into Mtown at dusk and stabing his
horse in accustomed redwood ring made straight
way for the "Sawyer's Roost,' ramshackle, two
story bachelors boarding house, within whose rough
walls he well knew he should find allies-rolckng
lads from the mill yards. and freeborn men OF the
mountains, who bitterly resented the companys rule,
and regarded the genial dispenser at Watson's as
their best friend His zest for the attack mounted
high with the Joyous hubbub evoked by his simple
plan hoot the ofhcious stranger out OF town But
he made mention here. either of the fence deco
rators fair compagnon de voyage.
He woke late for Sabbath stiffness held Athe
screaming Milltown saws, and tumbling intoihis
clothes guessed knowingly at the attraction dra|ng
group of both sexes about wide circle OF young
evergreens. Outside its sawdust enshrouded heart
the sporadic little town was rife with circular red
wood coverts. dividing the dwellings one from an
other, and pushing the highways into unceremonous
curves And Polhemus knew the miniature grove
before him to have once numbered FIVE towering
monarchs--by their marks. These had passed; and
their had been cut. But the up-springng
tertiary growth had woven itself into quinette Of
round chambers. large enough to house comfortably
van horse. and travellers; and the whole hanked
by an odd pulpit stump of alien fir. sawed half and
half, with four foot split between the cuts. Above
this permanent furnishing, set ready for a Romany
divine hung the rallying call Of the curious neatly
painted square board bearing this legend
THE CHURCH OF THE WILDERNESS
Jeremiah T Micah.
Pastor
Service 1890 A. M.
Under this sign.
The intending mischef-rnaker experienced dis
tinct loss Of exaltaton. He had expected the exer-
cses TO take place in the big hall the company
store, or the struggling quadrangle surrounded by
the company official buildings and the post-ofice; !;
under the very wheels of the caravan the gir
haunting eyes.
Oddly enough he had been regarding the proposed
preaohment wholly mans function; now the adj
mixture Of Miiltown feminnity in gay Sunday prints
gave him light. But he told himself grmly that the
coming rumpus might show the fair stranger that he
was not the only one scouting the bgoted brush,
wieder's lead might even give her grit to demand
proper consideration of herself. He pecrcd among
the branches for plimpse of her But suddenly
fierce anger smote him that many gaping cods
should besiege her privacy, and, glowering, he
strobe off to marshal his
"Iet him getint full swing. boys; an when give
~ signal catter." He laid his commands on his
seeful hencbmen as the perambulsnt preacher rose
tall and menacng. Dispensing tferr left and right.
he wormed himself almost to the front OF the press
He had mind 10 be recognized Sevcn-eignths OF
Mltown's mixed citizenry offered him shield and
he wanted 20 catch every word and choose his own
time to interfere,
Then before the speaker opened his lips. the sen-
der Ab;gails face swan in front hnl--not sullen,
nor alarmed, as he had seen it but ehastened and
unified And the notes of voice rich as her own
vibrant coloring reached into hymn familiar to
all:
I'm but stranger here, Heaven is my home:
Earth is desert drear Heaven is my home
A blowsy sattern at the umbermans side gasped;
such singing had been heard in the Santa Cruz
Sierra since il lifted from its ocean-bed Aworn lit
~ SONS caught breath
sob But unconscious of the stir the singer threw
the passion of storm and food mountain and DESERT
into her liquid tones:
Dangers and sorrows stand round me on every
hand
Earth is the borderland, Heaven is my home"
1t was over. and the text-writer prayed that they
who did but tarry in the land might turn mems
hearts to God. But Jake Polhemus heard only the
human hunger of that cry. To-day she had exor-
cised rebellion and fearfulness. She would satisfy
herself with the hope Of Heaven. But his spirit
answered 10 her spirit and he knew; she oleo lor :
home on earth, womanly kingdom, the dear nheri-
tance Of the flesh, Her soul was surfeited with the
two years Of wandering; the worse years OF wander
ing to come loomed before her nightmare OF noma-
die unrest And he ground his teeth IN revolt n ne
would have claimed her before the town but tor the
memory Of frightened stare.
The initiated stamped and catcaled Tor the prom
sed sign for the peregrinaed revivalis after man
ner of his kind struck straight for the weaknesses OF
the flesh; and certain of his listeners having laid
aside the precepts of well-taughi youth. WINGED
under his downright blows. What in hells the
matter Of yui' growled an aggressive n voee &C. he,
done, an IN gdiS gohh lh1 sung iNs - ffsc&t.
er stopped abruptly meeting his leaders gaze oh
Geminil lakes got convicton" he gurged to the
rousiabout at his shoulder.
But the logger gripped him in a yiselike grasp
Shut up It's herr he commanded and the otner'
who was not unchivarous believed that ne under,
stood "She shore lilts like a brdl he allowed
peaceably And sheepishly barred his head as her
creed SCARED skyward.
In the fair green fields of Eden, On the other side
Of Jordan,
10 On