Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-20
The Gift
Supreme
BY
George Allan England
Author Of
Darkness and Dawn"
1.-THE Alibi." etc.

You bought man q drinkY' re-
peated the missionary. assuming an
expression OF outraged piety, while
Mrs. Wolper, turning her eyes to
heaven, devoutly hoped nobody at
the Haven would catch Whit of
the brandy on her breath. To that
end she privily slipped a Glove into
her gummy mouth. "a drlnk-of
beer. maybe7 Surely, only a drink Of
beer7'
mo, whisky-the best and strong
est" Bradford replied while a grin
ran among the listeners. standing all
about. HE needed 1t, too. The man
was all In, but he showed the right
stuff at heart. He was none Of your
ambitionless buns and panhandlers,
such as warm your benches down at
Boggs Court. We only give that
kind the G. B., here. They blow In,
once In while. and do a little graft
Ing and thieving: but we soon spot
them. and out they go--sometimes
on their heads
''What7 violencef Mr.. Brown,
you-you pain and grieve me be-
yond words." And the reverend
wrung his hands with pious grief.
'.How long since you've discontin-
ued that square-head bouncer, at
your gospel foundry?" asked Brad
ford. 'Sttll there, Ell? Well, then.
don't knock. Now as was saying.
! this picked person came in here last
week with the horrors; the D. It's,
{ you understand. He was in bad
shape. all round. shaking like a corn
pepper and very sick. But he wanted
to brace .lp.< There was only one
way to start him right, and that
was to give him some decent whisky
and put him to bed, after hot bath.
You understand, Of course, we
greatly stress the bath room, here.
That's why we're different from
most missions, your own included"
"Sir!"
Never mind about the .sir!' LIS
ten to my story. gave this down
8 and-outer 25 cents to get himself a
real drink Probably he'd never
4 tasted two-bit whisky In his whole
life-nothing but rot-gut, such as
they sell almost next door to your
+ place, In Dutch Pete's. He got his
drink and came back, as he promised
he would. tho some Of the boys
claimed he wouldn't--isn't that SO,
men z"
Sure. that's right" said the old
sailor. II never thought that craft
would carry the cargo home, again,
once loaded. but"
so, to make short story shorter,
got him on his feet again in a few
days. He landed job, yesterday, in
q foundry on Atlantic avenue, and
he's going to be a man once more,
+ Hes on the wagon, too, same as a
lot OF others Extraordinarily, you
understand; I don't compel it. Do
! YOU gets results like that, at Boggs
Court. with all your pulpit pound
ms? God helps those that help
themselves. here. and positively NO
others. Draw your own moral
But, my dear sir. 1t is our duty
to carry the light to dark places. an
TO get out into tho highways an
hedges"
I'VE don't do any going out, here,
interrupted Bradford, with energy
In the heat Of the discussion he
seemed to have forgotten his weari
ness. Pitted against this Crawley
person. his growing ire banished ex-
. haustton and soul sickening disap-
pointment- "Men have to come to
US: we don't pursue them. we don't
chase them up, with tract In one
hand and subscription blank--for
the well to-do-in the other. we pay
our own way, as we go, and no STALL
ing or bluffing has the ghost Of a
chance here. Sd you see,
But my dear brother in the vine
! yard. !" protested Crawley, much slim
ulated by the mention Of the fact
that the Haven was a paying propo-
. lsilion, you're runnin' things wrong
altogether. You've got CROWN
mission, here. II had cert'nly ought
70 be conducted on right l1nes!" Ear.
nestly he gesticulated, to the vast
amusement OF three newcomers who
had just entered and now were
standing at the back Of the eroup-
three tailors' models Of young men
whose touring-car had just now left
them at the corner of the Court, a
few yards away.
What do you mean, right lines PSI
demanded Bradford, holly. The three
young men in the background. huge
~ delighted, dug each other in the
flps facetiously. Here's old VIM.
sure enough!" one whispered. Ham
NOR and tongs! Who'd havesthought
its said another. my word, but this
iS q lark" the third concluded.
Right lnes?" repeated CrawIey.
Why, accordin' to right doctrines.
which OF course means my denomi- :
nation, all others bein' false an per-
nlcious heresies for the destruction of
souls. Here's my proposition. Wen
come In here three evenin's week
any three you say-Mrs. Wolper an
me. Wen furnish our own melodeon
an hymn-books, an hold divine SER
vices, Wen take up our own collec-
ton. It won't cost you a red, an
think OF the brands you'll be pluckin'
from the vineyard-the burnin', I
mean. Also, you can make a fine
shown to the State Board O. Chari-
ties an Missions. You can put in an
annual report, an get State aid
Damn State add"
Also private contributions, if you
make the proper shown OF souls
saved. An mind you. we ask nothin'
Tor our services nothfn whatever,
includin' Mrs. Wesson to play the
melodeon-nothip' except two-thirds
OF the collections, the other third
eoin' to you, an