But the rest of the gang hung back.

“Mebbe they did see somethin’,” said one.

“You cowardly dogs,” cried the leader.

“We won’t mention no names to nobody,” said the Kid, “but you can’t pull them jobs off.  We’ll jest warn ’em.”

“You swore you’d be true to the gang, that you’d obey orders an’ follow directions.”

“We won’t give ye away but I’m goin’ to quit the gang an’ go to work,” said Red.

“Me too,” said the Kid.

“Work!  Hell!” exclaimed the gang leader, but they shoved him out of the way and went out of the door.

V

Comforter

“Neither do I condemn Thee”

V

The Comforter

She was a daughter of shame.  Even inexperience could see that as she wandered up and down the streets of the town, desperate, impelled to go on by a force too strong for her to resist.  She trod the pavement, yet loathed the necessity and hated herself for her compliance.  She had only to look forward to the jail or the hospital; yet there was always the river.  Had it come to that?  Was there nothing else?

She lifted her eyes from the stone walk as hard as the heart of the world, and found herself opposite a brightly lighted building.  She leaned against the door.  From within came the sound of music, the strains of a hymn, words of prayer.  The light streamed about her face from the stained window.  This was a Church of God.  Stained window, stained woman, confronting each other in the night!

There was no God for her.  There might have been once, but she had committed the unpardonable sin against society and society was God.  There was no place for her anywhere, save the jail or the hospital or the river.  That last was the best.  The street was deserted.  She had thought it not a good place in which to ply her trade!  She made a step forward and stopped.

In her pathway stood a figure seen dimly in the darkness.  It stood in the shadow beyond the broad light from the painted window.  There was something strangely familiar about it.  She glanced up at that window.  Had the figure there stepped down and embodied itself vaguely on the walk before her?

[Illustration:  She laid her hand upon the knob of the church door.]

What was this strange figure?  Who was he?  As she stared, the outline drew nearer.  A man vested in long white draperies confronted her.  He was bareheaded and appeared insensible to the cold in which she shivered.  She put out her hand and something folded it back upon her breast.  She opened her lips and something sealed them.

As she watched, the figure slowly moved.  It bent forward and went slowly down on its knees on the sidewalk.  The white hand began to trace strange, mysterious, unknown, incomprehensible characters upon the pavement.  She watched with bated breath, some memory of another sinful woman of whom she had heard in childhood coming back to her prostrate mind.  Yes, and there behind the figure stood others, hateful and hating, very violent, passionate men.  She stared from the handwriting in the dust to these others and they faded away.  She was alone with the kneeling figure and, as she looked, it too vanished in the chill air.