Evening star., 1922-05-07

square, his chin, was up. and there
were brave fires in his eyes when he
walked boldly. out the church door
and confronted the young men OF the
congregation whose sweethearts he
had just SO bitterly denounced. There
were two ways for. Pastor Burnett to
turn-one. down the path that led
away from town, which was deserted.
and along which he hardly would
have met another man. The other
way was along the road that led to
the city, and this would lead him
directly among the young men who
had gathered to discuss his sermon
and his attack upon the young
women.
THE little minister turned along the
! road to the city. AZ II he were
courting death itself, he walked into
the midst Of the loud-talking young
men. Their leader. the son OF the
city's most prominent banker. clap
ped. his hand on the minister's shoul-
der and said to him:
well, parson, we have decided you
were right. What shall we do about
it?''
And thus was born what certainly
is one of the most interesting and.
withal, amazing societies in the en-
tire United States. With the city's
most prominent attorney as its presi:-
dent, a wealthy oil land owner al
it's secretary. and the publisher Of q
local newspaper as Its treasurer. the
Young Mems Mutual Protective Asso-
citation was that morning organized.
In the Minister'S study bylaws and
. constitution were drawn up. With
the help Of the minister pledge
was also worded. This pledge binds
its signers to not propose marriage,
to pay attention to or consider with
any sort of matrimonial purpose any
young woman who shall wear her
stockings rolled down from the top,
who shall wear her skirts any higher
than nine inches from the ground or
who shall wear gown or shirt waist
with the neck cut lower than meets
the approval OF Parson Burnett. or
who shall bob her hair. The minis
ter, himself, who until this. Sunday
had been considered the foremost
matrimonial cstch In seven counties.
was the first to attach his signature
to this remarkable document.
Every young man in the city Of
marriageable condition Joined the
Little Minister'S Society. Each one Of
them states openly that he 10 in the
market for awife. Each one admits
thatt he either had an exclusive in-
terest in one Of the young ladies of
the town or was a rival for the favor
Of some one of them.
In most cities, of course, this inter-
esting situation would not have much
more meaning than its threat of q
letting up Of business in the ONCE Of
the marriage license clerk. In a city
Of: New Mexico. however. such q situ-
alton il fraught with more poignant
possibilities, There are several other
cities not many miles away.
*+**
A1ovDLIsTS have built many roe
~ mances around the keen and dra-
matic rivalries Of western cities In
the matter OF civic accomplishments
Alfred Henry Lewis. Bret Harte and
even Mark Twain have entertained
themselves and their. public with
thrilling stories of how the cowboys
OF one section, backing the claims OF
their own village. frequently rode at
night time into the village favored
by the boys of a neighboring ranch.
there to shoot up the heels Of the
local Chinese. to kidnap the pretty
postmistress and to shave one side Of
the facs Of the rival afevflia9e's mayor.
Certainly. however. no weaver OF
Ac4ion ever lIas haAs bettsr material
for his imaadnation 70 dwell upon
xh.. Anu AAs 6ns1yaA In Ma afkrxa ff0v