Picture-Play Weekly (Apr-Oct 1915)

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PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY 19 The young minister, appearing on the scene the instant Davis had whipped out his gun, must have grappled with the bad man and so deflected his aim. He had saved Texas' life. Up the steps of the porch Texas bounded, to go to his rescuer's assistance in the ensuing scrimmage that was taking place between the toughs, who were evidently bent on paying back the parson at the odds of three to one, for his interference in their affairs. Even as he sprang into the thick of the fight. Texas saw Austin wrest the gun awaj from Davis' hand, and then strike out with his right for the rascal's jaw. It was a clean punch, with plent}^ of '"steam" behind it. Evidently the young man in his somber black attire had learned something besides theology at school. The "uppercut" met its mark squarely, and Davis dropped to the floor of the porch, all the fight taken out of him. His two cronies, seeing the effect of the blow, and Texas coming to join in the conflict, turned and fled back through the bar toward the rear door of the dance hall. Davis had picked himself up. "The rule'' — Austin addressed him quietly — ""is that all guns are to be left at the bar, when you enter this place. I'll save you the bother, by turning it in there for you myself. Good night." The bad man, thoroughly cowed, took the hint implied by the parson's last words, and slunk out of sight through the doorway, leaving Austin and Texas facing each other alone on the porch. "Mr. Smith," said the young minister frankly, "I have been given to understand that }-ou are in love with Miss Belle Shields. Is this so? Then I am sincerely sorry. For I have just asked her to marry me, and she has accepted. I feel that it is your right to know this. But I trust that j^ou will not look on it in any other waj' than as a piece of luck for me which I could not help. If I had known sooner that you had hopes of winning her, I would have gone to you at once and declared my intentions to enter as your rival for her affections, fairly. I should have tried my best to •win her then, as I did without speaking to you of it. For I could not have helped loving her, and wanting her for my wife, from the first time I set eyes on her. If j-ou could come to me, and tell me that you don't harbor any ill feeling, but that we are going to be friends, I should be glad — for I like you, Smith.'' Texas stood scowling darkly for a moment or two after the young minister who had turned and gone through the doorway. His jealous}' surged up in a black tide in his heart once more. So it was true. He had lost Belle, who was the first and only girl he had ever loved. Texas' fists clenched at his sides. And then slowly his hands relaxed, and the frown cleared away on his brow. For, in spite of all, he liked the par ceived when the announcement of the forthcoming nuptials was made came from Texas Smith. It was 3 set of silver that must have cost at least five hundred dollars, and it set his fellow townsmen's tongues to wagging again on a subject they had often discussed. The mystery of where Texas Smith's income came from. One day, later, Texas and the young parson were walking through the nearby hills ; their friendship had been firmly sealed long before this. It was two or three months after the minister's marriage to Belle, and now a topic that Texas had often wanted to talk over "1 seen her sittin' on a log with the parson, and she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him." "That^s a lie !" said Texas. And the fight started. son, too ! The latter had spoken to him like a man, just now. Texas squared his shoulders. He would show Austin that he could be a friend worth having, he determined. And there was the fact of the minister's having saved his life. Texas was not one to readily forget a thing like that. Some day he hoped he might have a chance to pay Austin back what he owed him. Belle and the parson were married three weeks later. The finest wedding present they re with Austin, but hitherto refrained from mentioning, was trembling on his lips. "Is there really such a thing as hell, old man?" Texas forced himself to bring out. At the hesitating manner in which his companion put the question, Austin looked around at him curiously. "Why do you ask me that?" he countered. "Oh, I s'posed you'd know if there was," was Texas' reph'. "I — I never took much stock in Bible lore before — before you got to talkin' to me, the way you have since we've been pards. But now I'm kinder worried on that point.''