Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-02-15
WHEN
OLD DON
PRAYED
FEssst'ss's17as'ss0ssNae'ss7as'l
10 by d. J. walsh.l


~ LID DON threw another slice
Of bacon into the frying-pan,
~ and cried. He was alone in
the cabin now, so It didn't
matter. Johnny was gone; Big Red
was gone. Only a blood splotch on the
floor near the little stove, where 1t
had dried, showed signs of terrible
struggle. But now 1t was over. John
ny was in jail awaiting trial, while his
victim lay fighting death in Lorene.
AS Old Don emptied the frying-pan
into tin dish and sat at the rough
table, the terrible scene repeated itself
before his eyes.
He saw Big Red, snow-covered, eyes
bloodshot, appear in the doorway. Big
Red was not himself, and he had come
to tease Old Don. Everybody teased
Old Don-that Is, everybody from
Prigly's lumber camp, for Don's cabin
was situated just below Prlgly's hill,
four miles from the camp and five
miles from Lorene. Returning from
town on a Sunday night, the men
would stop at Old Don's cabin and
laugh at him through the suffered
windows. Old Don was the only one
that prayed; that's why everybody
laughed at him. They laughed those
sturdy men Of the North, laughed at
the old pictures he had hanging about
the wall. They didn't mean II, but It
made Old Don angry. because they
thought he was crazy. But Johnny
looked a little surprised as he caught
Old Don once crying before broken
cruciflx. He didn't understand, but
he always removed his cap when he
entered the cabin after the discovery.
Old Don didn't like to be laughed
at, so he asked Big Red to go out. Red
laughed-his condition, Of course-and
said he wanted to listen to Old Don
pray. That was the climax. Old Don
pushed Red toward the door, and the
brute struck him. And then Johnny
entered and stood motionless by the
door, with the soft, white snow fall.
ing about him. He didn't say word.
He watched, until Red made another
clubbing swing at Old Don. Quick as
a flash his left arm shot out and
caught the brute above the eye. Old
Don didn't remember any more until
he saw the sheriff clamping handouts
on Johnny. On the floor against the
wall lay Big Red In stream Of blood
That was all. They freed Old Don
after questioning, but Johnny was
taken to Jail to face a murder charge
II Big Red should die without recov.
ering consciousness. OF course, Don
had told them that Johnny struck the
brute who had fallen with his head
against the stove, but they wouldn't
believe him. Johnny had used club
Old Don didn't know what he said he
was a fanatic-a little Gloomy"
Old Don raised his grizzled head to
the crucinx above the table and whis
pered as a tear SKINNED down his
cheekbone and dropped, flavorlng his
untouched meal. He had given up
physical hope; and this was his means
of saving the boy from death.
He knew they would hang Johnny
IL Red died. That was their code.
And the sheriff had come In only a
few moments before to tell Old Don
that Red wouldn't live. Red would
die unless an operation was performed
Immediately. And Doctor BrOmey
Lorene's only surgeon, could not oper
ate. as he had broken an arm under
crashing pine week ago.
Johnny, the smiling youth from the
big city, would hang, because the
PrigIy crew said Old Don was crazy
No man could knock out Big Red
with his fist, they testified. Johnny
would feel the twang Of the moose, be
cause Old Don was crazy and couldn'r
help
And then, as II In answer to his
prayer, sudden thought flashed
through Don's mind. Big Red dying
johnny to hang-an operation! The
jumbled phrases burned sharply
against his brain.
Seven miles from PrIgly camp lived
Deacon Lone. He had been doctor
Once-a famous surgeon. He had In
vested heavily In oil and lost, and
then had come North to forget II
Don could only make 1t through tho
snow.
Five frozen miles along the gorge,
across Lake Mullet--five frozen miles
Of snow and Ice, the shortest way
And Old Don was past sixty. Yet he
did not hesitate. He tied the snow
shoes to his feet--they seemed heavy
without the snow. One look at eht
figure on the cross and he plunged In
to the white sharpness.
It took his breath away. He reeIed
and hesltated, then dlagonally cut
across Prlgly hill. There was no wind
but the sharpness cut his lungs and
made him gasp for breath. He
plugged along. Halfway down the
gorge he abored. putting heavily
Suddenly II drew darker. A wind
rose above him and the crisp snow
cut his nose and cheeks.
Straight ahead, across Lake Mulle,
the timber line grew DINNER and
spotted with red and FURNISHED gold
The snowshoes we're getting heavy
unbearabIy heavy. Old Don wanted
to rest. But always to his mind were
the jumbled phrases--Blg Red dying
Johnny to haDg-an operation He
swerved to the right and onto tn,
frozen lake with the wind to his back
In the monentary relief he could dis
a.. t~I.s ~ H. a.