Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-09-04

u nave bccn uccpiy mOsC0s 1t ctOo0
looking out through the open door in
the direction the vigilantes had taken
and listening. Presently he said:
II reckon I'd better git out of here
while | have a chance. They'll over
take my horse and. SEEM no rider on
him, will know that they've passed
They'll come Jack fos me-
He took the girls hand aud looked
earnestly into her eyes.
Say, little gal, if it hadn't been for
you I'd be swingin' now. You own
the rest of my life. For you I'll stop
gambIin' and shootin' and the other
things. Goodby.'
He pen down, kissed her, then struck
out for the timber on that side of the
clearing from which he had come.
IL.
In a gambling house a man was deal
ing faro to a motley crowd, few OF
whom possessed some claims to re-
s~pectability, while the most of them
were roughs. A young clergyman.
whose calling was denoted solely by a
white necktie, entered and announced
that services would be held that even
ing in the building commonly used for
a dance hall and he hoped that all in
the room would make 1t a point to- at
tend. No one paid any attention to
him. Presently his attention was ar
rested by a girl of twenty who entered
the room, walked up to an elderly man
who sat at one of the tables whereNa
game of poker was being played anda
placing her hand on his shoulder, said
persuasively:
"Come away, father"
The clergyman watched her, looking
into her face inquiringly. When she
spoke he started. Memory seemed to
be working within him. Then sudden
ly something was recalled. and his face
lighted up.
you go home with your daughter"
he said to the man the girl was trying
to get away, land I'll play your hand
for you"
Every one at the table looked at the
speaker wonderingly, for a clergyman
to gamble, even for another, vas re-
markable. The man he addressed look
ed up at him curiously and saw some
thing in the resolute face that led him
to obey. He rose from the table and
gave the clergyman his seat. The girl.
too, looked at the latter curiously, then
took her father by the arm and was
leading him away when the clergyman
asked:
"How much have Won Iost?'
"All | had-$1,2 200"
The father and daughter passed out,
and the game went on. There were
three men at the table besides the one
In the white necktie, and every one of
the three was a card sharp. There
were old tricks and new tricks prac-
ticed. by the sharpers. The clergyman
seemed a bit unfamiliar with the new,
but thoroughly versed In the old. How
eFeH.he-haasnot u = ef0ge
schemes were afxe familiar TO
The game was simply one of wits
against wits. When a player was de-
tected in cheating he returned his win
nings. He was not abashed, nj no
one objected. AS the game went on a
number of persons stood about the
table watching it.. especially Interested
in the clcrgyman's sleight of hand.
Slowly. but surely. the pile of bank
bills and gold pieces before him in
creased. 1t was not only his skill in
card manipulating that attracted at
tention. but that one of his calling
should be so versed In the ways OF
card sharps. At last he called a halt
and counted his winnings. They fig
ured 1920. Showing the $50 over to
the others, he scooped the rest into his
handkerchief and. rising from the ia
BILE, said:
Gentlemen, 1 trust you will all be at
the services this evening"
What FIVE years before had been a
clearing had now grown into a town.
True. there was but one street in it.
but the clergyman. leaving the gam
bling den, pursued that street. stopped
before a house and knocked ut the
door. 1t was opened by the girl who
had led her father from the game.
.I have brought YOU said the latter.
.sthe sum you told me you had lost to
those card sharps."
And he emptied his handkerchief of
its contents on the table.
Both father and daughter looked at
him with the same continued astonish-
ment.
"Do you remember some years ago."
said the clergyman to the girl. Saving
a mans life from a vigilance commit
teeT'
II do"
HE was to repay you by abjuring
his evil ways and trying to be Of some
use In the world"
"You are that man?'
81 am"
"You are no older looking than then,
but you are different looking. else I
would have known you"