Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08


| las excellent courage. l wish he would |
| call on me. I'd make him welcome"
But he called on no one. He Joined
no one on the street. This evidence OF
sensitiveness and suffering was the
only one he gave.
| The second morning after his return
to Red Willow Luclus Mcknight rented
little, old, one-story structure on
| Main street, which had been left over
from the early days, and proceeded TO
scrub it out, and to paper and paint
it with his own hands.
The people who had thought OF him
only as a luxurious and dishonest pop
Inlay, a driver of fast horses, and
giver of big dinners, looked aghast.
There appeared to be no self-conscious-
ness about the man. There was moth
ing approaching bravado in his man
ner OF working. He gravely did what
he pleased, asking odds of none.
There was still more occasion for
surprise when he hung a sign artistic
ally lettered by himself before his
door:
"Cane-Bottomed Chairs Reseated
Here"
my SOUL" gasped the citizens,
that's nerve for you"
What else could he do?" said Mary
Lester, in almost fearful defense.
(which one of you would have offered
him job? He had no profession save
banking, and that is closed to him for
ever. He had no trade except the one
he has recently learned. l think the
man has more sense than anybody l
ever knew"
And the next morning she sent
man down to Meningitis shop with
three chairs to be recaned. She mailed
a little check in payment, and around
the check was folded slip OF paper,
on which was written in the distinct
hand which the school children knew
we'll:
| hold it truth, with him who sings,
To one clear harp in divers tones,
That men may rise on stepping stones
OF their dead selves to higher things.
The mayors wife was the next to
K offer work to this strange artisan. That
d set the fashion. The men laughed, put
e the women kept him Gaming chairs.
r One day it was observed that he had
t fixed a lathe at the back OF his shop,
v and that he was experimenting with 1t.
little later a completed chair stood
It in his window 1t was not an ordinary
s chair. That love of beauty which had
= formerly betrayed its possessor into
extravaganza and crime demonstrated
: itself now in an exquisite piece OF
&c nrnnnrtinnq itS ma
Y terials, its manufacture, and its finish
n ing it stood an honest and beautiiui
d example of workmanship.
) Miss Phoebe Dillingham;, who had
teakwood, and rosewood, and japanese
It inlaying in her new house, and VINO
g knew a work of art when she saw It
e came to purchase.
This particular chair is intended as
y a gift" said the town reprobate pleas
ID antly, "but / shall be happy to make
lg another one for you, Miss Dillingham;
lie either from plan of my own or aitei
,e any design you may care to submit
le You remember those illustrations
n, of antique furniture have had so long
is Mr.. Mcknight. Don't you think VIZ
might find something good there
;" Won't you call this evening and looi
e. them over with me|
re Mcknight called quite as matter
Id course. and was as self-possessed as
ht an untoward event had not broken oil
those visits for several long years. Blu
ar il was decided that the chair was Z
n. be made from an original design afte
at all.
VS. AS for the first work OF Mcknight
tie lathe. that was seen by the whole VII
W. lage in the dainty sitting-room OF MIS-
be Mary Lester.
he People got into the way of askin
Sc Mcknight. cut, and to their surprise
is. accented. He wore his cheap and un
fit conventional garments with as niue
VS. grace az ne had his elegant attire
ce the old days. His conversation, as c
tn old was as broad and general in II
ad character. And, to cap the CLIMAX
ed after he had accepted the hospitality
a number OF persons, he babe them
he TO his shop where they sat on tn
i'm chairs the ex-convict had carved, an
he ate on freshly scrubbed deal table.
he When all his guests were seate
h comfortably before his fire Lucius Nj
tut knight spread his hands to the blaz
mt and said in conversational, every da
oe, tone:
he when | was serving my term in tn
of States prison | worked next to ma
yn. named land then he told ia
he whose alternating humor and pathC
held the listeners in thrall lie wei
old on with other stories-grim stories,
. which the souls OF the men who ha
lc- been found out were laid bare; and II
of talker discovered to his listeners mar
a thing of which they had been igno
a ant, not the least of which was tn
ted just punishment brought a peace to Il
'elt soul which immunity never could gi'
not to one who had been an offend
.elt against himself and the law. He seer
err ed to give the key to the town repr
vas ! hates placidity The guests learned