Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-13

His gaze fell upon the latest con-
vert, the half-dlunken fellow near
est him, q man with unkempt gray
hair, bushy brows and prominent
as tears dribbled down the fellows
sunken cheeks. The evangelist seized
this wastrel by the hand.
You. Snuffy!" cried he--his voice
coming duiled and faint to Vinton.
II am glad to seeg you down on your
pins again tonight! This makes four
timcs I've saved you this winter.
Never too late for grace! I see. you
got bum lamp. You wouldn't new
er "a got such a sinner, II you'd had
salvation In your heart. 1t was sin
an'--Satanl an'--third- rail whisky as
give you that binnacle! Gin-mills
.an'-the devil! But you're saved
saved!"
Vinton heard groans and cries of
Amen! Glory! Amen!' The girl
had ceased her singing now, and had
see her face. The missionary, how
ever. was redoubling the power of
his haranghe.
Down on your pins, men!" he
roared. "Tie up with salvation!
With that you can square off against
sin. an'-wallop it to a fragile. You
can beat up against the stiffest gale
Of temptation, men, an'--drop anch-
or in the port of New Jerusalem.
Come up. walk up. crawl up. hobble
up, any way TO get up! Sail up,
stagger up. men! Come with skim
full. II you can't come sober, but
come, come, comet
Sickened, Vinton drew back. He
had returned only to get another
glimpse of the girl not to listen to
this ranting. Once more he retired
down the alley; but at the corner he
paused again, still unable to take
himself away. The determination to
have speech with her was growing
in his mind.
He decided to wait-to wait, IL II
took all night. Now that they had
come to the saving part of the per-
formance, 1t couldn't last much long
er. He waited, therefore, bordering
uneasily as he stood there wrapped
in his soft, fur-lined coat, leaning
against an electric light pole, with
his breath floating out in ghostly va :
por on the geld air.
After while he lighted a cigar;
that helped, a little. IA belated news
boy, wan and shivering. thrust up q
paper at him, but he shook his head
and gestured the boy away. "A flint
eyed woman cast an appraising
glance at him, and smiled enticingly
He did not even see her. Sunk In
wondering reveries, he waited.
Still the girl did not appear. The
idea required to him that he should
be on his homeward way. back to
the warmth and luxury Of Marlbor-
ough street. What folly was this
that kept him dangling at slum
corner to seek speech with an un-
known mission worker? The young
man felt angry with himself: but
still he did not go. A powerful long
ing chained him to the spot He
q pawn shop hard by
Him! Ten thirty five" said -he,
blowing smoke on the keen air.
All at once he heard footsteps COM
Ing down the alley. He knew that
they were hers. Such quick, bust
nesslike. brisk footsteps could be
those Of nobody else.
Turning, with rather queer SEN
satton round his heart, he beheld
her: and, for the first time in his
well poised and even-tenored life he
felt. . real embarrassment.
In hts eagerness to question the girl
he had given no thought to the inn
'portant matter Of how to accost her.
He had laid no plan OF campaign.
And now here she was, trim and
competent in her little toque with a
pink silk japonica on one side, her
brown corduroy coat buttoned up to
her chin, metal mesh bag in her
gloved hand; and vinton found no
greeting word to say to her.
Il can't do it; I'll let her! pass!" he
thought.
But this idea flicked away and
vanished in an instant. Brad ford
Vinton was no gutter He blunder-
ed sometimes, but never ran away.
Now. PIT all hazards. he was going
thru With this, AS she drew near the
corner hey threw away his cigar,
raised his hat, and plunged in with:
Miss Alden. may I ask you some
thing?
The girl stopped. puzzled. She
looked up at him with steady eyes
he saw by the light Of the arc above
that they were an honest gray2and
answered.:
Me? Ask me something's"
Yes, if you don't mind answer
ing. Subconsciously he sensed the
pleasing quality of her voice, ( the
calm self-reliance of her gaze. TELL
me, why on earth do you come down
to IA place like this. and-and-Y
Why do your" she countered.
smiling little. What is there in a
North End mission to interest a man
like you?" ~
You saw me there?" he asked. -.
of course! What did you come
for?" II, , 1.
"oh. curiosity,5I suppose" he, an
swered, puzzled at being thus cat
echized. She seemed to have become
the questioner. not he. curiosity,
partly. It's all so new to me-quite
foreign world. I've been studying
ABOUT these things he continued,
his embarrassment swiftly melting
under her frank and open interest
1T occurred to me that / should like