9 ACORN which was almost twice as far as they had already come. But as there was no time to be lost their stay was very short, it being 1:15 a. m. at the time of arrival and the departure was scheduled for six. The first day was a short one for Jack and he enjoyed it immensely. He had never before "roughed it" like this. But towards evening, as they stopped to prepare for the night, things began to appear differently. After the evening meal, the men began to assemble in the midst of the wagons to smoke and play cards and Jack did not like it so well. On being invited to join them, he refused, and sat off to one side, comparing this evening with its scenes to some previous ones. How different this was from the quiet evenings spent around the fireside in his own home, or in the Murdock home with Elsie or in the frat house with some chum. After a couple of hours of unenjoyed loneliness, Jack crawled into his wagon, lay down upon the blankets, and at last fell asleep. The morning dawned brightly and Jack awoke refreshed. The day passed, as did the following in much the same manner as the first and the evenings were similar. But on the fourth evening, Jack, having grown weary of spending the evenings alone, was induced to play "just a game or two." On the sixth day the mining camps were cited in the hills and the men joyously exclaimed that all the steep climbs were over. On arriving at camp they were met by shouts and cheers from the miners. Jack was disappointed. How could he ever live under such conditions, in such a place? He had never known nor stopped to consider what a mining district really was. But now he was here, he had to make the best of it, so he began by removing his belongings from the wagon and arranging them ill his cabin. The first week was hard for Jack. He was unaccustomed to such rough, heavy labor, and the letters he received from home made him homesick. But after the first few weeks he became more and more accustomed to it all, and in five months had almost forgotten what luxury was. Now, his evenings were spent with the rough miners in a small saloon, and while he never touched liquor, he played cards and smoked with the rest. Later he indulged in the treating game and took a few drinks, then a few more, until he partook of the evils too freely. In the camp there were no churches and the few men that had belonged to a denomination, soon forgot it in such environment. Jack's faith and trust in the one Almighty Being began to grow fainter and fainter and in moments of riotous living entirely disappeared. He continued to receive letters from home, but they were seldom answered and then only to say that he was well and busy, and in this manner he tried to lead his loved ones on in the belief that he was still the same. Wealth had rolled in abundantly until the fall of the fourth year ACORN 10 when luck changed. Jack gambled what he had saved in an effort to gain what the mines failed to produce but all fates seemed against the once ever victorious youth. One Sunday evening Jack left his cabin about seven-thirty to join his companions at the saloon. He took with him every cent he had left. As he entered the room one man proposed a game and was accepted. Jack won at first and was jubilant, but after drinking heavily, he began to lose again, and at last every cent was gone. Jack Kent, destitute for coin! Men jeered him and he had not a single or even pretended friend in the place. Men asked him where his God was to leave him in such circumstances. And then-in that low down place, reeking with tobacco smoke and the smell of whiskey, Jack Kent, as if possessed by a demon, denounced the Almighty in the most profane language imaginable. The gambler who had been so victorious over Jack, shouted, "I knew it. I knew it." Jack drew his revolver and fired and then deadly silence reigned; every man seemed instantly sobered and Jack, as he realized what he had done, bent over the unconscious figure on the floor. Signs of life were visible, help must be gotten. An old man living in the adjoining district, understood the medical profession to a slight degree, and so was called in instantly. Then the wounded man was cared for until hopes for his recovery were entertained. Jack was taken to jail, where he spent five long weeks anxiously awaiting the outcome of his deed. If the man lived he would be released, but if he died it meant a trial and then the most dreaded death of a murderer. The man grew stronger day by day, and at the end of the fifth week Jack was released and he returned to his cabin. The morning after his acquital Jack shut up his cabin and mounted a saddle horse determined to return home. When nearly to the railroad station the thought came to him, "Would they receive him at home?" A great fear seized him but he shook it off. He reached the little village just in time to catch the train eastward bound. On this same train was a young man who had evidently been away from home for a long time, and as Jack sat sorrowfully watching him, he heard him exclaim to his compainion, "I am taking this home to mother," producing a package. Jack thought, "What am I taking home to my mother?" Only a broken hearted son and a shattered soul. His arrival home was unexpected but his welcome was unchanged. His mother was broken hearted over the trials her son had gone through, but was thankful to have him safely with her once more. That evening as Jack sat in the Murdock library with Elsie, he