Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-02-08
cnd anxious ever since the shoot

y y
one it will Hc you. That is the reason
| want to leave this place. Say you
Will Philip Surely there arc other
churches where you could preach as
you want TO and still not be in such
constant danger"
1t required all of Philips wisdom and
love and consciousness of his immedi-
ate duty to answer his wife's appeal
and say no to it. IT was one of the Sc
vercst struggles he ever had. There
was to be taken into the account not
only his own safety, but that of his
wife as well. For. think what he
would, he could not shake off the feel
ing that man so coWardly as to re-
sort to the assassination of Il man
would not be ovcrparticular even if it
should chance to be a woman. Philip
was man enough to be entirely unshak-
en- by anonymous threats. 4 thou
sand a day would not have unnerved
him in the least. He would have
writh2d under the sense of the great
sin which they revealed. but that is all
the effect they would have I'D.
that was another question. For mo-
ment he felt like sending IN his rcsig-
nation and moving out of Milton as
soon as possible. Mrs Strong did not
oppose his decision when once he had
declared his resolve. She knew Philip
must do what to him was the will Of
his Master, and with that finally she
was content.
She had overcome her nervousness
and dread now that Philips coura.
gcous presence strengthened her. and
she began to tell him that he had bet
ter hunt for the man who had appear
ed so mystrriously in the study.
Il haven't convinced myself yet that
there is any man. Confess, Sarah, that
you dreamed all that"
II did not" replied his wife, little
Indignantly. "Do you think | wrote
those letters and stuck that knife into
TIE desk myself"
"Of course not. But how could q
man get into the study and neither You
nor the Glrl know III"
Il did Hear noise, and that is what
started me Up stairs. And he may be
in the house yet. l shall not rest easy
until you look into all the closets and
down cellar and everywhere"
SO Philip, to quiet his wife, search.
cd the house thoroughly. but found
nothing. The servant and the min
ister's wife followed along at a re.
Spcctful distance behind Philip. one
1
with fire shovel, while he pulled ope
closet doors with reckless disregard
any possible man hiding within and
pretended TO look into the most unlike
~ places for him, joking all the while
to rca Ssure ms trembling followers.
They fouud one of the windows in
Philips study partly open. But that
did not prove anything. although a
man might have crawled in and out
again through thar window from an ell
of the parsonage. the roof of which ran
gear enough to the window so that an
active person could gain entrance that
way. The whole affair remained more
or less mystery TO Philip. However,
the letters and the knife were real.
l." took Thorn down town next day 10
the office of the evening pa,cr and ask
rd the editor to publish the letters and
describe the knife. 1t was too good Il
piece of news TO omit. and Milton peO-
plo were treated to a genuine sensation
whom the article camc out Philip :
object in giving the incident publicity
vas to show the community what IA
nl!rlrrouS element it was fostering in
the saloon power. Those threats and the
knife preached a sermon to the
thoughtful people of Milton, and citi-
ions who had never aSkef the question
before began to ask now. Are We To
endure this saloon monster much Ion
EcrT
As for Philip. he went his way the
same a. ever. Some of his friends and
church members even advised him to
carry n revolver and he careful about
going ont alone at night. Philip laugh
cd at the idea of a revolver and said
IF The saloon men want to get rid of
me without the trouble of shooting inc
themselves. they had better make me Il
present of n silver mounted pistol
Then would manage the shooting my
self. And as for being careful about
going out evenings. what is this town
thinking of that it will continue tC
license and legaliZc an institution that
makes its honest citizens advise new
Corners to stay at home for fear of as
saSsinaton: No. | shall go about III!
work lust as if | lived in the most la "
abiding community in America. And II
| am murdered by the whisky men
want the people of Milton to under
stand that the citizens are as much t.
blame for the murder as the salool
men. For Il community that Will Ii
cCn4p such curse ought to bear tn,
shame of the legitimate fruits of it,
The trial of the man with the hare
lip had been postponed for some lega
reason. and Philip felt relieved some
what. He dreaded the ordeal of til,
court scene. And one or two visit
made mt the Jail had not been helpful
t. him. The man had refused eacl
time to see the minister, and he hat
gone away feeling hungry in his sou
for the mans redemption and rcaliz
; ing something of the spirit Of Chris
when he was compelled 10 cry out
"Ihey will not come unto me that the.
might have eternal life That Away
, seemed to Philip the most awful fcl
turr of the history Of Chiist-that III