Evening star., 1925-06-04

are, to be thar. He's goin' to pack
the church with them that amt got
| any better sense than to side with
him. Hes goin' to ask the preach
! er's resignation-get somebody else TO
! do it. Then he's goin' TO take the
vote
Great Jehosaphat" Bill yells at
me. An you stand here an take up
my time with that long winded yarn?
Look at that sun, man. He an you's
got to hustle. Move quick. Help me
hitch up this critter. Get hustle on
| you. I'm goin' to town. I'm Goin' to
make a speech like of which ] never
| made before. I'm goin' to mop UP the
streets with or Man -Withers, an
| string him to a pole,'
An what sood'll that dog I asks
him. They're again the preacher
because he's a friend of yours. They
say you're roughneck. That's
| what's the matter now
! 'Well, he told me to wait, and went
back to the house. Thar him and his
wife talked. excited. She looked
skeered, like she Used to look in the
old days when Bill was a wild one an
| the revenue man a.snoopin' round
Then that snaggled-tooth boy of hisn
| come runnin' out to the lot an begun
hitching up the wagin like a house
was afire, an Bill come in a hurry
| toward me.
up the road. he says to me,
| you'll find Cal French and Frank
Stedman. They're members of Mr..
| Hopkins church. Tell 'em 1 say to
be thar tonight. Keep on to Frank
Inns store. Ef you see any members
in reg'lar standin', tell 'em the same.
Don't tell the crowd-take the reg lar
members aside. Hustle, Move, Don't
set thar lookin'r'
! So jeff prodded up his mule, while
McCorkle hurried back to the house.
Cit on yo' Sunday clothes. Molly"
he commanded. You're a member,
an these here is women suffrage days.
Git the chillun ready, ev'ry single one
of 'em. They're goin' to see a fight
At first Molly protested, saying she
didn't like to mix up in things like
that. but Bill turned on her.
| Remember the night he knelt by
that-ar bed, woman?" he cried.
There was some delay. for she
would have him put on his blue clothes
and a clean shirt. She even took a
few ships with the scissors at his
beard, leaving the copper wires to
scintillate on the floor.
1t was o'clock when a wagonload
of red.headed McCorkles ratified into
town, followed by two setter dogs, one
of them red also. Old Bill had not
noticed them when he left home. He
was hardly conscious that they were
following him when, leaving Molly, he
| hurried up Main street.
1t looked to him at first as If the
street were deserted. Usually a group
of young people loitered in Thomp-
sons store. but now there was only
| Jack Crump, son of Deacon Crump, a
| xrri1l ~ ie
father was pious, but who had re.
Gently been studying law n Capt. Dun
cans office. At the curb was Jack IS
! high-powered roadster.
'Whar's the rest of the crowd,
young MANI" demanded Bill
'Oh, they've gone to Sunday
school supper at Whites Pond"
What! This time of year? Who
got 1t up?"
'Hulsizer Who else. Pulled some
, kind of bunk about the preachers not
minding their taking one night from
prayer meeting-as if they ever go
: anyway Said tonight was full moon
and the weather mild for Winter It's
for every member under 80. They all
went in cars, of course. . Why
didn't I go? Well. you know. old man,
| I don't take much stock in Withers
and his crowd. My names on the
roll, but l don't go preachin' very
often, and 1 wouldn't go at all il it
wasn't for Preacher Hopkins. He's a
real fellow"
You're the man / want TO talk to-"
said Bill.
And while Bill was talking earn
estly, in lowered tones. Hulsizer him
self passed. Hulsizer had not at
tended his own party!
Perhaps Jack Crump went to take
his place there, for when little later
his car roared out of town it was
headed in the direction of Whites
Pond, out over the rough mountain
| roads.
Up Main street Bill hurried, and
turned into Capt. Duncan's yard. The
captain was, next to Withers, the
prominent man financially in the
church, but, unlike Withers, took no
active interest in it's affairs. He was
a man who could be depended on to
stand for what was fair. 1t was he
whom Bill counted on to lead the fight.
| Mrs. Duncan herself answered the
door bell. The captain was away, she