Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-18

l.
wrinkled clay-faced crone, long of
nose and protruding of under lip,
who had been at the mission on that
bitter January night when Bradford
| had first laid eyes on Sylvia. A
dirty shirt waist now replaced the
| heavy mackinaw the woman had
worn then, but her drabbled black
skirt and her felt hat were still the
same as seven months before.
Bradford recognized both these
birds of ill-omen at a glance, and in
Wardly cursed the evil luck which
had not permitted him to escape
their visit.
But now Crawley, sensing nothing
/ of Bradford's antlpathy, was bearing
down on him with outstretched
hand, an ingratiating smile on his
thin, crafty face. The old crone,
lingering in the background, folded
her unclean hands: and. toothless
tho she was essayed an engaging
smile.
Good day, brother in the Lords
vineyard" exclaimed Crawley, TAX
ing Bradford's unwilling hand in a
| pnlpy, cold-sweaty clasp-a clasp
that somehow made Bradford think
81 a devil fish's tentacles and caused
a shudder to run thru his flesh
| "Promisin' vineyard you have here,
praise to heaven. Mrs. Wolper, here
an myself come in specially to con-
! graduate you. Very busy with tbs
Lords work we are, but we had to
come. Web done, thou good and
! faithful servant"
/ Thanks" returned Bradford
] grimly. Look around, make your
selves ut home. and stay as long as
you like. was up all last night with
sick man, and I'm very tired. So
| II you'll just excuse me for now" =
Up all night was son?" inter-
rupted Crawley. "Doin' the Masters
! biddin', ] see. We are hidden to
clothe the hungry. feed the sick an
needy in afflietion, an visit the
naked--no. nd mean just the re-
versc--sou know. An so forth
| Yes, know. You needn't bother
| to rcpeat it,
"Asmilable, my dear MIR. vinton.
Admirable,"
| MY name is Brown: exclaimed
| Bradford. .and don't YOU forget it,"
| MY dear Mr.. Brown chartered
| Crawley, absolutely unjarred. Now,
| my idea in comm here. this beautiful
summer day. when al nature re-
minds us of the Creators hounteous
| beneficence. and in bringin' my CO.
worker, Mrs. Wolper-worthy Mrs.
+, Wolper. best of wonankind--' the
crone chuckled Acknowledgement of
this eulogy-'.is a most laudable one,
an
Excuse me, but if you'll come in
tomorrow"
! NO need to disturb you again,
brother" And Crawley rubbed his
pale clammy hands together. Just
five minutes will arrange matters
now, ii you
| Hey. youse, cut it.'' put in Joe,
| his face beginning ito work with
anger. Cant yuh see Mr.. Browns
all in?"
| There, there, Joe, thatll do"
Bradford suppressed him, while
| Crawley and Mrs. Woiper, frowning
at the interruption, turned hostile
eyes on the newsie. Crawley. how
ever. instantly recovered himself so
far as to pat Joe's head and flash
bad-toothed smile on him. Joe re-
| coiled, vigorously brushing his head
with his hand, as IL to remove Craw-
ley's patronage.
Suffer little children to come un-
to me-" mlirmured the gospel grinder
piously. II see, Mr.. Brown, you're
savin' even the least o. these. Noble
| understandable! Now as l was
sayin'. my object in comm here, this
beautiful summer day when all ma
ture-hn.-in comm here, is to
make little proposition to you. /
understand your mission has been
| non sectarian, SO far; I might al
most say non-religious. A grave err
ror, my dear sir. Very grave. The
vineyard can never ripen, on bear full
| sheaves-fruit, I mean-unless IL
| lumined by the bounteous sun Of
grace. So
| But we aren't running that kind
Iof a show, You see,'' interrupted
Bradford, YEARLY. Our only motto
| here is self help and square toss.
Theology doesn't enter into it at all"
YES, but it must!'' insisted Craw-,
ley, his face lighting up as with the
fore scent of battle. ut positively
| must, or the Masters blessin' can
| never"
| ''Oh, I don't know retorted Brad
| ford with some heat. I'VE seem to
be getting along pretty well. We've
pulled two or three DRINKS out of the
gutter, already; we're curing dope
fiend upstairs; we've got an ex-
prizefighter and booze fighter and
several others on the water wagon
and the road to self-respect. We've
also started in to break up ring Of
dope sellers and succeeded admir-
ably. so far. We've got our eye on a
shyster lawyer and his satellites, also
a general all-round crook, to clean
| em up in one two-three order. Joe,
here, is going to have some treat
ment for his bum shaft as he calls
it; we hope he'll be walking without
crutches inside year We're feed
ing twenty-five to thirty men day,
and more coming all the time. We're
lodging a good number-and they all
have to take weekly bath, too
oftener, If they will. For a begin
ming, it'll do"
Crawley smiled deprecatingly, and
shook his head
"All very well, brother he COM
mented, "but if you don't have the
spirit O. grace an salvation"
Were working along the lines Of
a job for every man, decent food and
clothes, several shaves a week, a
good bed and rational amusement.
Salvation by soap and labor. Get
| me?"
Crawley shifted the air obviously,