Part 5 (2/2)

”f.a.gin would go wild if he knew I'd go there; but I'd like ter see it once,” said Mrs. f.a.gin.

For seven nights Mrs. Cook and Jimmie went to the Mission. On the seventh night she rose to her feet and was the first one to go forward to the altar. After prayer she stood up and said she would serve G.o.d the best she knew how, and wanted every one to pray for Bill, her husband.

Every one shook hands with her and she forgot that it was getting late. She visited with all the ladies, one after the other.

Jimmie had found Morton at the platform and slipped his hand into Morton's. As their eyes met, both seemed ready to weep for joy. ”The ice is broken, Jimmie. And we must not give up until the whole Bucktown gang are in the Kingdom of G.o.d. Bill comes next, and you had better get Mrs. Cook home, as it is late. You may hurt your case with Bill if you get him angry.”

At last Jimmie got her started, and when they reached the house Bill was nearly wild with rage. He was very nervous and needed something to quiet him.

”Where in h---- have you bin?” he shrieked at the top of his voice. ”I want a drink and I want it d---- quick.”

”No doubt, sonny, yer do,” said his wife, ”and you'll want it quicker 'an that 'fore yer git it. Now shut yer mouth until I'm done,” she went on. ”I been to der Mission ter-night and I give my heart ter G.o.d, an' no more booze comes inter my house, no more, not mine. If yer tongue was hangin' out as long as a clothes line I'd tie it in knots and throw it under der bed 'fore I'd give yer a drop. All der people at der Mission are prayin' fer yer, and Jim is goin' ter der drug store fer somfin'

fer yer nerves and ter make yer sleep, and if yer able ter-morrer yer goin' ter der Mission an' git saved too. And oh, Bill! we'll git a carpet fer our front room when yer gits yer pension, and you'll git a new suit of clothes and we'll git a monument fer Freddie's grave, and oh, Bill! we'll go ter be with Jesus and Freddie some day in heaven.”

She stooped down and took Bill's bloated cheeks between her hands and kissed him again and again.

”I guess dis is where I lose out,” said Jimmie. ”I'll go ter der drug store and by that time maybe dey'll have deir love feast finished. Gee, when old Bill gits any booze ter-night, he don't!”

Jimmie spent his last five pennies for a powder for Bill, and went on tip-toe back to Cook's house.

As he opened the door he heard Mrs. Cook praying. She was kneeling by Bill's bed, and this is the prayer Jimmie heard: ”O Lord, keep Bill from wantin' booze ter-night, and if he gits gay call him down fer Jesus' sake. Amen.”

CHAPTER VII

_Floe_

Jimmie was very happy as he gave Bill and Mrs. Cook ”Good-night.”

”Don't yer worry erbout nothin',” he said to Mrs. Cook. ”Yer got Jesus ter help yer, an' he'll take care of yer all. I'll see yer in der mornin'. So long.”

He started for Dave's barn, where he ”roomed.” His nerves were all unstrung, he was much too excited to go to bed. He sat down upon the curb in front of the barn and went over the whole evening in his mind. The best he knew how, he prayed and thanked G.o.d for answering his prayer. As he sat with his head in his hands, he heard a piercing scream which came from the direction of the Dolly resort. There was nothing unusual about a scream in Bucktown any time of the day or night; but Jimmie jumped to his feet and started on a run to the direction from which it came.

”Dat sounded like Floe's voice,” he said to himself. ”I hope she ain't hurted.”

Floe had been very kind to Jimmie, many times giving him something to eat, and she had given him the pair of shoes he was wearing when Morton first saw him. She always put herself out to speak to him, and when he was ”stuck” with his evening papers she would persuade the other inmates of the house to help him out by buying them.

Let it be understood now that Jimmie's ideals of morality were based entirely upon the Bucktown standard. Floe was the best dressed woman in Bucktown; she lived in the best house in Bucktown; she was the handsomest woman in Bucktown; and these facts, to Jimmie's child mind, put Floe and the Dolly resort far in the lead of anything in Bucktown. He knew nothing of their business, and the question of their being wrong had never entered his head. Had any one asked Jimmie a question about the character of this black-eyed woman, his answer would have been, ”She's an angel, sure.”

The little girls in the neighborhood would say, ”When I git big I'm goin' ter have clothes like them girls, an' go ridin'

in hacks with white horses. Gee, won't I s.h.i.+ne!” The highest ideals of womanhood to these little girls were the women of the Dolly resort. Is it any wonder that Jimmie was interested when he heard Floe scream? When he reached the house he saw her lying at the foot of the stairs; he rushed to her side as others were trying to get her upon her feet. They put her upon a couch and sent for a doctor.

”Did yer fall downstairs?” asked Jimmie.

”Oh, Jimmie, what are you doing in this awful place?” she said.

”This is worse than h.e.l.l itself; do go out, child; I can't stand to see your pure face in a place like this.”

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