"Good morning, Dirty," she greeted him cheerfully, as she came up, smiling into his bearded face.
Dirty O'Brien turned. In a moment his wicked eyes were smiling. With an adept twist of the tongue his chew of tobacco ceased to bulge one cheek, and promptly distended the other.
"Howdy," he retorted, with as much amiability as it was possible for him to display.
The girl nodded in the direction of the other onlookers.
"It's wonderful the interest you all take in the building of this church."
"Int'rest?" The man's eyes opened wide. Then a gleam of scorn replaced the surprise in them. "Guess you'd be mighty int'rested if you was sittin' on a roof with the house afire under you, an' you just got a peek of a ladder wagon comin' along, an' was guessin' if it 'ud get around in time."
"S'pose nuthin'." The saloonkeeper laughed a short, hard laugh. "It's dead sure. But most of them boys are feelin' mighty good. You see, the ladders mostly fixed for 'em. I'd say they reckon that fire's as good as out."
The interest of the onlookers was purely passive. They displayed none of the enthusiasm one might have expected in men who considered that the safety of their souls was assured. Helen remarked upon the fact.
"Their enthusiasm's wonderful," she declared, with a satirical laugh. "Do you think they'll ever be able to use swear words again?"
Dirty O'Brien grinned till his discolored teeth parted the hair upon his face.
"Say, I don't reckon to set myself up as a prophet at most things," he replied, "but I'd like to say right here, the fixin' of that all-fired chu'ch is jest about the limit fer the morals of this doggone city. Standin' right here I seem to sort o' see a vision o' things comin' on like a pernicious fever. I seem to see all them boys--good boys, mind you, as far as they go--only they don't travel more'n 'bout an inch--lyin', an' slanderin', an' thievin', an' shootin', an'--an' committin' every blamed sin ever invented since Pharo's daughter got busy makin' up fairy yarns 'bout them bulrushes----"
"I don't think you ought to talk like that," Helen protested hastily. "There's no necessity to make----"
But Dirty O'Brien was not to be denied. He promptly cut her short without the least scruple.