The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-01-24

MT. Bill SInOOhluS NdS al ChScOu
ingly hard-featured man, Of no recog-
nizable age. Externally, he was blue
overalls and greasy tar.
Abbott grasped Bills hand, and in
quired about business.
Awful pore, sense Fran lef' the
show" was the answer, accompanied
by a grin that threatened to cut the
| weather-beaten face wide open.
Fran beamed Mr. "mookins knew
| my mother-didn't you, Bill? He Vas
awful good to me when | was a kid.
Mr.. Smookins was Human Nymph in
those days, and he smoked and talked,
he did, right down under the water
remember, Bill? That was sure-enough
water-oh, he's a sure-enough Bill. let
me tell you!"
Bill intimated, as he slowed down
the engine, that the rheumatism he
had acquired under the water. was
sure-enough rheumatism-hence his
| change Of occupation. Il was strong
enough to be Human Nymph," he
explained, but not endurable. Nobody
can't last many years as Human
| Nymph."
Abbott indicated his companion
Here's one that1l last my time"
The wheel stopped. He and Fran
were barred into a seat.
"And now" Fran exclaimed. its all
ups and downs, just Ikea moving pic
ture of life Why don't you say some
thing, Mr.. Ashton? But no. you can
keep still-rm excited to death, and
wouldn't hear you anyway. / want to
do all the talking always do, after
I've been in the cage. My brain Is
filled with air-so this is the time to
be soaring up into the sky, isn't 1t!
What is your brain filled Without
never mind. Well be just two bal
loons-my! aren't you glad we haven't
any strings on us-suppose some peo-
pie had hold!-I, for one, would be
willing never to go down again. Where
are the clouds wish we could meet
few. See how I'm trembling-al-
ways do, after the lions. Now, Abbott,
I'll leave a small opening for just one
word"
'IIl steady YOU" said Abbott. brief
Iy. and he took her hand. She did not
appear conscious of his protecting
clasp.
IL never see the moon so big" she
went on, breathlessly, without think.
ing of that night when it rolled along
the pasture as if it wanted to knock
us off the foot-bridge for being where
we oughtn't. | never could understand
why you should stay on that bridge
with a perfect stranger, when your
duty was to be usher at the camp-meet
ing! You weren't ushering me, you
know, you were holding my hand
mean, / was holding your hand, al
Miss Sapphire says | shouldn't. What
poor helpless man-as I'm holding
you now, presume! But laughed ii
meeting. People ought to go outdoor!
to smile, and keep their religion in {
house, l guess. I'm going to tell 20,
why laughed, for you've neve
guessed. and you've always beef
afraid to ask"
Afraid of you, Franz"
"Awfully, I'm going to show you
= let go, so | can show you. No, I'm II
earnest-you can have me, afterwards
: Remember that evangelist
+ There he stood. waving his hands-a
I'm doing now-moving his arms wit
his eyes fastened upon the congrega
= tion-this way-look, Abbott"
Fran! AS if l were not alread
} looking"
'Look-just so; not saying word
only waving this way and that
And it made me thing Of our hypnc
a tizer-the man that waves people int
u our biggest tent-he seems to pick 'er
q up bodily and carry them in his arms
Well! And IL the people are to b
n waved into a church, 1t won't TAX
much OF a breeze to blow them out
/. | don't believe in soulwaving. Blu
:. that doesn't mean that | don't believ
In the church-does it?-do 20
t, Think"
You believe in convictions, Frar
l.. And since you've come into the church
s you don't have to say that you believ
in it,
e "Yes-there's nothing on the GU
|, side, and oh, sometimes there's s
p. little, so little under the roof-whs
\. do you think of me, Abbott?"
d Fran, think you are the most
But do you'll" she interposed, sti