The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-11-05
CHAPTER VII.
The Mine for the Golden Altar.

Nedupr tGufl WAS very GruhhnTu
among tenement groups, Its decrepi;
old wooden buildings as II weak,
kneed from dissipation and senile de
cay, leaned against each other crook
eddy for support, and lesrsd down at
the soddeu swarms beneath. out or
broken PANIED windows which gave
somehow a lndicrous effect Of bleared
eyes. There had once been a narrow
strip OF curbed soil In the center OF
the street, where three long s,ncede
parted trees had given the quarter Its
name of court" but THIS space was
now as bare and dry as the asphalt
surrounding II, and. 40 It was TOO
small even for the purpose Of children
at play. a wooden bench. upon which
no one had ever sat, as, indeed. why
should they had long ago been placed
on II. TO become loose jointed and
splintered and rotted. like all
the rest OF the neigh Sorhood.
As for It's tenants: they were exactly
the sort OF birds ons might expect 10
ind In such foul nests. They were OF
many nations. but Of just two main va.
ristles stupid and saualid, or thin and
turtiye, but they were all dirty, and
they bore. In their com plexions. the
poison OF crowded breathing spacea.
and bad sewerage, and unwhoiesome
or insuf Client food
Into this mire there drove an utterly
out-of place little electric coupe At
the wheel was the fresh checked Gail
Sargent and with her was the twin
kllngeyed Rufus Manning. whose
white beard rippled down to his see.
ond waistcoat button. They drove
slowly the length OF the court and
back again. the girl studying every de-
tail with acute interest. They stopped
In front OF Temple Mission. which.
with its ugly red and blue lettering
nearly erased by years OF monthly
scrubhings, occupied an old store room
once used as saloon.
SO this Is the chrysalis from which
the butterfly cathedral Is 10 emerge. e
commented Gail. as Manning held the
door open for her, and before she rose
( she peered again around the uninsit,
/ INK court" which not even the bright
winter sunshine could relieve OF its
/ dinginess, rather, the sun made It
only the more dismal by presenting
| the ugiiness more In detail.
This Is the mine which produces
/ the gold which IL to Gid the altar" as
serted Manning, studying tia side
walk. Il don't think you'd better come
In here yeu'll spoil your shoes"
i Il want to see Il all this time be-
I cause I'm never coming back" insist
ed Gail. and placed one dainttly shod
foot on the step
Then Ill have to shame Sir Walter
Raleigh" laughed the sllvery bearded
Manning, and. 70 her saspinE rurprise,
he caught her around the wais, and
! lifted her across to the door. whereat
several soiled urchins laughed. and
one vinexary faced old woman grinned,
In horrible appreciation. and dropped
Manning = familiarity respectful curtsy
A. he passed.
There Was no one In the mission ex.
cept q broad shoaldered man with .
roughly he~n face, Who dlcked his
head at Manning and touched his fore
finger to the side OF hIs bead He vas
/ placing huge soup kettles In their
holes in the counter at the rear OF the
room, and Manning called attention TO
4 this
| "A practical mission he explained
We start la by saving the bodies"
DO you get any turthert" Inquired
I Gail. Elancing from the empty benches
and the a,rociously colored religious"
| pictures on the walls TO the windows,
( past which eddlst mass OF humanity
/ all but submerged In hopelessness.
Sometimes replied Manning
sraveiy, \ have seen q soul or two
1 even here. II Is because OF these two
or three possibilities that the mission
is kert UP. II might interest you 70
know that Market Square church
spends ffteen thousand dollars q year
IN charity relief in vedder court
alone"
Calls eyelsds closed. her iashes
curved on her cheeks to7 m instant,
I and TIE ccrrers OF her nps iwtsched.