The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-03-06

were QlSaY pOlnIeQ. he Hdu mace b
gain during the night, and to the as
constituent of everybody, the doctor
included, the gain continued, and in a
month he was back at his work He
could not fail to note, however, that
there was no warmth in his neighbors'
greetings, and he felt called upon to
explain.
"If it was my fault, you might lay it
up ag'in me, but it amt. was all
ready to die and let you have that
fifteen hundred for :he meeting house,
but death wouldn't come. 1t will,
though. I've been spared to carry out
some mission, and as soon as that's ac-
! complished shall keel over for good"
If there was mission, he was a long
time in working it out, for seven long
years went by before death stared him
in the face again. Meanwhile a stone
quarry taking in three of the farms
had been opened, and railroad had
spoiled two more. There was no lon
ger any congregation, and it was at
rare intervals that circuit rider came
along and held Sunday services in
house or barn.
People had not forgotten Uncle Billy
for not dying years before, but the
idea of a meeting house had almost
been forgotten when he got tangled up
with thrashing machine one day and
came out hash. The remains were
gathered up and placed in a wagon
and taken home, but while the funeral
was being arranged for the said re-
mains returned to life and began to
wonder where they were at. 1t was
emphatically asserted on all sides that
an old man with a dozen broken bones
couldn't possibly recover, but after
hanging between life and death for a
week Uncle Billy struck the right road.
1t was six or eight months before he
got out, and he was humpbacked
and bowlegged and full of limps, but
he still lived. No one congratulated
him. He had swindled his neighbors
out of that meeting house again, and
he had Inundated the doctors by re-
fusing to die.
"I'm sorry, of course" he explained
to all who would listen. "When gave
fifteen hundred dollars for a new meet
ing house, expected to die within
year or two, but something has seemed
to prevent it right along. I've been
ready and willing to go, but 1t don't
happen They shouldn't lose hope, how
ever. That fifteen hundred is bound to
come if they'll only hang on long
enough. l can't live forever. you
know"
Another five years went by. Bebees
Corners had now become huge stone
quarry, crisscrossed by railroad tracks,
and one after another the farmers had
sold out and moved away. The only
land left not belonging to the stone
company consisted of two acres on a
hill to which Uncle Billy held the title
and on which his will directed that the
meeting house should be built after his
death.
Old and battered though he was, he
was looking good for another five
years when the end came at last. He
was milking cow one evening when
he fell over dead. The doctor didn't
send out the news for twenty-four
hours, but when he did it was anthem
tic and there was no going back on the
returns. Uncle Billy was dead for a
fact, and it was another fact that he
had left land and money for meeting
house. His executors had no choice
but to go ahead, and today there
stands on the rocky hill overlooking
the great stone quarry church ediice
which has never been blessed nor dedi-
Gated nor echoed the voice Of prayer.
There are half thousand workmen in
the quarry, but if they worship at all it
is at another shrine.