| Show Ii I 1 I A A QUESTION of f RELIGION I I fr I d BY G GK K TURNER N the centre of or The Hoi Hol Holler HoI t ler crouched along alon the I road lies the Old Mill a u EJ decrepit old monster of oft t blue and grayish native stone I It If you ou go So down into the black hole which faces on the road roa in Sn the basement of the th mill you will wui reach first a narrow passageway then them tL to the right of f this you wl will come to the joint boiler boUer and engine room where you will discover Pat Foley Fote Ho He H will appear sitting cron l ged on his ts shoe thoe box by the engine a little grimy streaked man with a dirty old stub tub of ot a clay pipe fixed bowl downward in his bis teeth Beside him you OU will find Torn Tom Donelan the fireman If he is propitious Pat Fat will give you the greasy armchair Intended for his own consumption but never used by him You iou must then ask him for the story of his succession to the thc throne it is I worth hearing He told it Jt to me some come time last spring Tom Donelan put me on the track when Pat had stepped out of the room Ask dAsk the old man m n about him and he le sail said Hunter I asked Oh hos hes the man before Pat Then Pat Fat came back again Well Wehl Pat I asked how is she to day She according to the lan Ian guage of o her operator is the antique engine Just fust ru t look at her h r now non said Pat the old creature calm and iwate and as an unhatched egg behave what a low dirty contrary old baste she sli is and me inc after havin splat me whole bussed mornin her to her duty dut He settled down on his shoe box and his dirty fist at her They tell teU me youve had some lively times with her I continued angling How about that Correct I have nave said Pat putting away n ay to light his pipe again Cursed be bo the that her and the hand that laid her down She niver flyer yet vet was waa set et to rights some lit tle tie dry goods clerk that made her and no true machinist Were you ever afraid of ot her I asked No uNo I was not said Pat with ye e was interrupted Tom Will thin I was and only onlAnd And so we had bad him hooked j Ye see Jim did ye for sor No Xo Thin you ou missed the seem of or a most peculiar r man A most un unusual unusual unusual usual man he was w s was he not Tom He was said Tom with great solemnity A 4 most unusual man Big BI as us an he was Not but bristlin all ull over oer his with bones He had a chist on him bike loike thim boilers Six feet three he stud and his big white beard tra n down downto to his waist a tome old figger of or a amon amono mono mon for all ull the world bike loike the Die tures turea of a Moses lloses and the bUssed patri patriarchs archs A lad he must mut mu t have been any woman might be proud of but niver a woman w man had he looked at They fright me Pat says he A t klu mon he was Me only is this old machine says ho he to the Old Girl which was right he was the greatest frind she Iver lyer had the ungrateful old baste basteA UA A good feller was old Jim and a u good rind frind Thirteen year ear him and me lived together in that would put mony a bridal couple on their honeymoon to shame Thin come the into int Paradise in the form of or a woman Fi years ars ago she tome come and I learned it first I Iwas Iwas Iwas was near paralyzed I found Jim gone to town at and after a n I asks him whore where had hod been Its Us called into town Ive been says sas he ho for social discourse Its a woman oman says T L TA TA LA A woman says he nather more nor hiss lise JiSSi but there are other as will willOh willOh Oh you old rascal says I A noice time this tIis is to break down the of or a Thin a R little after she come In from town town to visit him A dirty mis formed unwomanly thing she was bike loike a bi slouchy rug rag doll with a sour SOUl yellow face II Oh Ih says she turning her eyes up hin she at the Old Girl Cirl here how wonderful are the works of ot the t e eLord Lord What hat is to do o with n t says I to Madam says I aloud I I I t I i t 1 I 4 L LS LI LI I S y I I 1 S r 7 I I c H her she was made in Schenectady New eV York Who Tho is the Ithe female says sa s I 1 to Jim v 1 shed gone away awa female says Jim lm hes a woman of or God GodI II I Thin her face is not her h r says I 1 Shel he opened he Scriptures to me rue says Jim And tid she had in 41 a 1 most peculiar I way a year thin Jim did but rade the Book sitting where you sit l get woman to point out what it mint Thin he took to makin thim pictures of or strange strang bastes along the wall as you see And thin he alongside of thim No mathematical he was and it come hard for tor hint hinl to but rag lag ure he did and day to himself 4 And why wh dont you think on these things he says to me meI I lave it to thim better able says I Youre a poor lost follower of or the Babylonian woman says sas he h manin man in inthe the Holy Hol Church of ot Rome Oh out with ye says sa s I with your fl 3 1 n goats and your rats and all your our other bad drames dramas If I dont question your our choice of ot women you have the decency to lave have motile alone And so we passed along gettin and 1 lookin a great dale till four foul years yeara ago this month came along alon One mornin I found him lookin at atme atme atme me unusual more loike bike than for mony a day Pat saye he you poor lost soul wont you ou listen to me arid and prepare For Eor what says sas J I IToe L 4 The Toe ind is at t hand haM It What VhaL ind Indr says I IThe IThe IThe The ind md of o the world says he is It s says ays I IA L LA LA A wake waite next Thursday at noon says he lie It was to tome tome tome me Oh was it Jt says sa I It was says he solemn bike loike and there are others oth lS also al o who know the appointed d Do they says I Ill bet you a months wages to be paid in hiven or hill lull as may ma be see i none of your bloody foolishness nor yet a wake from in Thursday Thurs DY And now says I shut up you make me mad That apache of or moine turned Jim against me mc to the indo ind And thin I bike loike the fool I was wash shut me inc mouth about the whole bUssed thing thinS and goes about me business Thursday mornin come and black and a more dayI da I niver care to see I leome come into the engine room there was as Jim before me white and solemn bike loike but bat most inest excited alkIn back and forth arid rn to himself come ome says s s he 1 tin Us come coiner the great day of ot the faste a dirty day da they took says I Thin more was said and I turned me mc to me work A dirty day It was sor with a low most obnoxious draught and for two hours hour thin I most broke me back build in up upa upa upa a to fo pacify the Old Girl here and make m keher her do her work loike bike a d cent respectable machine as Ive j I done for her mony mon a before and since near to tin I set me down again old I Jim had set back where youre now sor penn at his Book At tin cl ck Jim JIm steps I over oer to me where I was on me box Pat saye sa e he you must lave have me soon Hows says sas I IThe IThe II I The hour is i at hand says sa s old and much as ai I fale fille f le for you Pat says s he twill not do for me to be b found by the angel in hi your ur com corn company company pany you poor benighted slave of ot the i Babylonian woman I Why Wh dont you go go yourself says i I this Is no place pla c for angels 1 Ill take care of cf the Old Girl Kiver Niver Pat says he Where should they look for me but here where Ive Ie been these thirty years Xo No ouli go yourself Niver NIer says I not wan step And thin for a little while he dropped dr pp d It At tin it was or near when he come at me again Are you gem oin says he be wide wi e the tho door i 1 Not I T say s ys h 11 L S 1 rUl take an insult tn t me from fr this place With that he took me by me s show howl ders and pitched me outside I was no nomore nomore nomore more than a poor mouthful for him and the first thing I knew I was batter in with both me fists flats against the out outside outside outside side of the door shut and fastened fasten d in me rue face t Me passion hem knocked out of or orme me I took to think It came across me all at There was a ragin in ill there and the water was way down in the boiler I was wa just gone one to tind Und to it he ho shoved me out Would rould he lit up it nearly al already already a aready ready and no one could tell what the thc theold theold old thing would do if he tind Und to tc her Thin I tried me powers of persua shun Jim says I Niver Nier a word Jim me boy says I listen isto to tl tome t I Ims me ms m Maybe be at You Tot I know bint but for the love of take care of the Old 01 1 Girl till Thin I l listened but niver a word I wint around and d In win winder winder 1 der There ho he stood st od before be ot the boilers p I radin as If t Id Id niver ji poke oke I 1 wait a minute longer but b t run run straight ight up to to the boss b 55 S For sake sor sot says sars I come along down and tind to Jim Rooster this says the boss Its Jim r says s I 1 He thinks the w world is comin to an ind md at the noon whistle And hes locked himself in down there and hes run nin nm her wide open as this door says I The boss wint win t down d own the th e stairs two steps at a and began a at the door His language was I But not nota a word says saS Plase Plas sor sors says s I try bin bein more mor gintle and quiet loike with him If I Imay Imay Imay may make a suggestion I Come now says the boss his voice be come put ut of ot there Depart says ars In a solemn voice Youre e disturb In the tIle spirit But the op the boss Niver fear tear says that boiler 1 will m last till tiU the appointed 1 I And flyer niver a L syllable more could he git grit out t him j I Theres some acme comfort in says rays f I Weve got g t tilt till Ill ony way ay I he knows the Old Girl most mo t thor t ough and ivery pound she can stand j all at some Seine bloody id i Jut got word to the hands bands upstairs j i hot the boiler b U r was wa g lu hi to bust and I down th tb y come jr blin out hid h id first I and ug just j st where it was wis out in a under the big tree cr ss the road and f i the min mm and by come over ever as close i to us s as they theda d i rt n was wa elivin ellvin i clock and doin All of a i there came caine a little noise inside says the boss i 4 the safety valve yalve says ays s I Thin i many mony of the more mor cautious and i I ato ate moves away and the boss wint to I r kickin the door and hollerin frantic But niver ulver a word Lits go o round says I 1 to the r front winder j he comes out there was a I crowd crow of ot small byes outside on the lit I tie tle beyond the winder in 1 r dan daic I in up and down and In small at the anes panes and hollerin I Whiskers Whiskers Whisk Whiskers fit to raise the did I And just aa as is we our out i the door a big hunk of coal come out and old Jim was wa wasI Depart from here children of I h cit Git out o here hen you QU little rats says sas the boss and more to it his I 1 language was But done their part got him wild and excited There he be I was inside walkin alkI about stately loike loikO in n the white steam from the boiler a poor ghost in hill hilI Lits climb in here says the boss I makin n a l move to go g in at the winder Hold on sor says I him Old Jim come over oyer across the he room and set himself back In little ItOe alcove bike loike by bJ the winder tInder He was vas an ax after him hImS S Lits come back and talk it over cr says T I TIt It was wan wa quarter to and the interest was tremendous It had be begun b begun gun a little and the th women were ero huddled together r bike loike shape in inA Inn ina A n dose close under the big tree sob rob robbin bin some me and to one one an another another anther other ther Some of or the men stood back bade by thim end and some nearer us pretty pr tty still only for the whist in of ot the safety v valve lve and the noise of the old mill up stairs goin gum Oin and slap pin along by itself where the d gone oft off without off the machinery Well rell push pugh in the door says sa S the bos Niver says I 1 you cant break brcak it in in an hour in little Theres the back b ck door says he the same sam only worse says I J bein a smaller door Thin says sas he well get him by b bs I s bin in In the Ule winder Now Xou the winder stands up above aboe I the ground as you s se e sor SOl as high as a 1 mans chin have Ilave to go I un loike a cat in a n cellar It lt would 7 e loike sn eggs for him says sa s I I Thin the boss lit loose You dirty dirt low blackguardly cowards says he to the ruin min what are arc ye there gapin for Ill till you Ou wan thing says he be yellin they aint wan cents worth w orth of insurance on her ber and I wanee ance w she goes up your goes with w ith her for tor she wont ont niver be built up u p agin Nobody says wan word ord we ire do sais S 1 the fh boss we do Theres only wan thing thi g T r know or of says sas I Lit a small man crowl crow down the manhole where they the put in inthe Inthe Inthe the coal and open the bar In the door Oh says ivery ier wan at wanee vanoe it Twill be very er dangerous says s s sI I gittin over back of him without his bis you Better wan man men lose Jose his says Tim Monahan than the whole of ot us starve to 4 Thin hin Yc u lI go says saS I L LOh LOh Oh says saS Tim back only think of me rue poor family famil You go says a young oung Frinch fel feller el ellEr ler her to me Go yourself says I youre a t sin single gle gIC mon monWell monWell Well Ven says sa rs he if J Id got us all Into trouble the way wa you have Id rd go prett r quick says he Youre a a brave bt e mon says I Thin the of thim took it up against me says Fays s Tim youre oure the mon you ought to go You know the way too 00 says the rist of them Your Youre You mighty willin says I for forme forme forme me to go in there and git split up from ind md to ind md loike bike an oyster But still they thay t y comin at me inc meThin meThin Thin the blood of f me pIe ancestors rose up within me Im not ao so as asmon mon many mony of you vou but Im not the coward na ther sa says s I Will yc y come In the thedoor thedoor door looi if I open it l lVe We Ve will wm says sas they tho Lit me down I says a Ill Tit go Thin they opened the manhole soft loike bike and lit me mc down a 3 part of thim hollerin fit to split themselves to draw dnn Jim to tc the winder and anel the nat rist going round with the boss to the door to jump in hIn I pulled the bar I struck down doun on the coal oal it wint trint down in tIle the bin in of or all I could do Of all the thunder in noises I iver iYer heard sor the y very ve worst But they was h outside and batin on OU the Ufe s sith with ith their th lr sticks he niver iver h heard beaN arU It I seen this I crawled down bike loike a cat and whit wint sl across the floor on ott me billy It was w s only half halfway halfway way WU across he see sear se me nM for rw it so dark in is there as in the coal bin Thin I jumped and he be jumped L for me Inc shin he started ho h dropped his ax at t Z reached the obo roo just wan half second first antI and jerked up on the bar Thin he grabbed me rue from and nearly crush Uie hu out of me bones bone I wa Wag no more than a fly fl to him Till t tn not hot wan au word was as said But thin I thought all allup up with me Push cries I for fo the love leve of or God Godush push ush Thin I remember no more beyond a crush and a fiendish noise nol and a ruin min rollin round the floor before me tin thousand eats cats a They smashed me rue lip hg U in two t o they come in and Id r gone le s Without breaking th the floW flaw oC of his hie nar narrative ar rathe Pat now picked up the pipe he had long lont before laid on the box bo him But bin I come to me mt self was the engineer for tOr there ther was W nought left of poor Jim H but a ravin lunatic He stopped stopp d and rapped the ashes lios out of his pipe against the side of th the box but at the Slime same time thuu he lIe ie |
