The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-02-06
The Black Sheep
CHAPT. XVI.
The Other Side.

The Other Side.
That evening for the first time in
the eighteen years of her existence
Olive Anderson listened to the Rev.
Mr.. Goodman's sermon with critical
ears; she was actually interested in
what he had to say. She desired to
learn and not merely to sit in church
for custom sake. She wanted to know
if what that boy had said were
really truth or fancy. But from the
parsons lip escaped no hint of the
mechanism of mans social relation.
His sermon consisted of the usual
platitudes, "be good, do good icon.
tribute for the conversion of the
heather and God will bless you"
She listened intently being con.
scious of growing resentment to
the things the preacher said. She asked
herself the question, els that man
saying, all these things simply be-
cause we pay him to say thems Does
he dare to ask Gods blessing on Of
ficers whom he knows to be crooked
simply because we elected themf Does
this man really sell his soul for bread
or is that boy lying: At that thought
jacks face would appear before hei
a picture of calm power She fell
intuitively that the truth was with
him and not with the preacher.
From the preacher her thought turn
ed to her father; he cared little fol
the church; he was man Of the
world. Her father had come to Da
kota in the early days when the ter
ritory contained nothing of Importance
but Indians, mosquitoes and alkali
He had worked hard in this youth
selling whisky to Indians, stealing
cattle from ranchers and later sci
ling real estate. That was the busines,
in which he was still engaged. II
furnished him the money that made
him respectable lie furnished the mo
ney with which his wife and daughter
nelp to defray the expenses of tn,
church. He had farms, but did MOI
work them; they were rented. Thu.
Anderson was man of business. HI
was expert in but two things, money
and the way to get it. His renters
called. him wolf and other choic,
names. His wife called him Gus whel
| she spoke to him, and that was no
often. Mrs. Anderson was religious
fanatic who could not tolerate he
husbands materialistic attitude O
mind. But to his daughter, he wa
papa. These two loved each other sin
cerely and 6evotedly. His daughter wa
his idol whom he tried to keep il
ignorance Of the business affairs O
fwnrw0fYd.
AT home that evening she sa
moodily at the piano and to playe,
furtively, odd strains of songs an,
hymns, stopping from time to time
She pillowed her chin in the palms o
her hands and sat motionless, as
= gazing at something far out in space
Her father, enthroned in his oil
Morris chair noticed her restlessnes
. and wondered. He knew that she wa
deeply stirred by something, but wba
I: that something was he could no
s define. 1t hurt him to see her tror
: bled, but he did not speak of it; in
+ stead he let his paper slip from hi
Q hands, and entwined his clumsy fiji
e gers upon his capacious abdomen. Thu
L he sat and watched her. He incline
his head at such an angle that hi
j. steel trimmed spectacles slid half wa
h down the bridge Of his nose, causin
Q his large blue eyes to fall unscreene
|, on the slender form of this daughte
e There was look Of sincere love an
devotion in his eyes.
n Usually he would sit for hours an
y enjoy her playing, but this night sh
had about her an atmosphere that &C
I, on his nerves and made them tens
/ and restless. Her mood even SCENE
2, to affect the piano, or so it seemed |
y him; the instrument did not play,
wept, And then there would be tim,
d that it rang with defiance.
it He filled his pipe and emptied it il
ID to his cuspidor after one or two puff
N then he filled 1t again; his tremblir
a. fingers scattering fine spray
n. tobacco over his grease stained yes
1t The girl played few bars
to "Lead kindly light" and then wake
over to the window and stood peeriu
out into the darkness. Out side. Il
wind was blowing gale driving Il
snow in clouds over the ground or
wailing dolefully about the caves
r. the house.
o. care You not we'll olivei'' h,
father asked kindly.
IN "No," she answered." and there
o. good reason for me feeling blue al
# down hearted. I have been down
r. visit the Jail today. They have
young boy who ought not TO- be
ht such a place. He told us some awf
mt things about our selves, and 1 q
1t really afraid that they are true.