Baxter Springs news., 1917-09-20

And the half-sobered crowd which stood
around the two forms, seen in the
dim glow Of the cooks fire, had been
80 impressed with the solemnity OF the
occasion that half-involuntarily they
had uncovered and the carefully pre-
pared jeers were not uttered.
Then the priest had made the round
Of the COW camps on the lower plains
and had tried to bring about some
sort OF peace between the warning
factions. Such peace was made
compulsory by the arrival Of q troop
OF United States Cavalry the next
day. So he had travelled across the
first range and had tried to proceed
with his missionary work in the region
where he hoped some day to establish
q church. And his course finally
brought him to Pitts saloon.
Ordinarily, Welleston would have
been glad to have companiOnship as
he slowly gained strength. But the
knowledge that Father Brady had been
consorting with the sheep herders was
enough to stir up resentment in his
brain, already inflamed by indulgence
in too much alcohol. Welleston had
never worked except for the "cow
people," Not that he would have dis
dained o sheepman's money. He sim
ply had not yet had the opportunity.
So, in the pride Of being cow puncher,
who can look down on those who sub
sist by sheep, he at first resented any
advances made to him by priest who
had wasted his time upon scum such as
those in the sheep camp.
Gently and with that ineffable pa
tience which q long life Of privation
and toll had imbued him, Father Brady
slowly pressed his points upon the man
before him. He was soon to discover
the real quality OF Welleston-a treach-
erous, vindictive soul, shrinking from
open combat yet ready for murder il
his own safety was assured. He learned
his history-one item OF which included
Welleston's incarceration on the accusa-
ton Of having been lookout" for q
gang which attempted train robbery.
The verdict had been the Scotch
decision of mot proven" Yet it was
with such souls as these that the priest
felt il his mission to wrestle, and al
though many time he had arisen and
left the room when Welleston grew
blasphemous as he became drunken,
he had never yet openly rebuked him.
"You oughtn't to talk that way be-
fore him, Bill" Sam Pitt had expostu-
lated one day, nervously wiping the
bar and keeping an eye on Welleston
to see that he did not reach for any
weapon. "He's o priest, you know.
/ amt got much use for them myself.
They goes around tryin' to spoil my
business. But Jest the same"
"Aw, cut that talk and gimme q
drink" had rowled Wellston. "n
he can't stand plain talk he oughtn't
to 90 round handin' it to Others"
But the influence Of the priest had
commenced to tell in spite Of Welleston's
opposition. On several occasions, when
Father Brady had found him in q
suitable mood, he had listened with
intense interest to the priests simply
told stories Of Biblical incident and had
even been drawn into earnest argument
about their possibility.
Tales Of miracles he had disputed
fatty and had seoffed when Father
Brady had gently explained the divine
power which made such things possible.
"I'n believe it when I.see somethin'
like It." he had cried vehemently; "you
can't get me to swallow that stuff"
In the historical part Of the Bible
he had even grown keenly interested,
and so far took the part OF Peter that
he openly sympathised with him on
the occasion where the Apostle had
49, L.. .--,-1 =, Infonna of hia