The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-12-30

mat spt . beam OF spiritual light Il
come all over me Ike fash that ef
could take you out'n yore degradation
an raise you to a respectable. useful
place in life could atone In part FOR
what I'd done. Do you remember that
day. GeorgsY'
George Buckley started. raised his
eyes from the door In a sharp stare at
the haggard face before him and said:
''Yes, sir, l remember that day"
''Well. couldn't git away from the
idea. AS say, IL was the fust bit OF
light I'D had. The following winter
you remember my proposal Somehow
was even then afeard you'd refuse,
but you went of TO school. An then
the weight and bitterness of my heart
seemed 10 lessen. for every report had
was glorious. You stood head; you
made the best speeches; you had the
most friends among teachers an pupils.
oh. George. George you don't know
what il meant to me: you seemed to be
totip' me out of a rushin' rivera river
yHshi9' toward hell! Then you know
about the job give you here after you
graduated; every dollar you laid up an
properly invested was proof TO me that
God had heard my long prayer an was
answerin 1t in his own way. was !
putin into life man fer one ! had
tuck out. Only one hitch occurred, an
that was when they threatened yore pa |
with arrest fer pennin' up them hogs
Then you got desperate an started In to |
drinkin'. But we squashed that, an 1t
went on smooth again till this-this
late matter And now-oh, George, I'm
afeard-Im afeard the Lord or the
devil, or both combined, have been
leadin' me through all this road O
promise jest in order to let me fall the
harder. I've come here tonight to pray
to you-yes, to you-to save me, II you
go down, do too. Now you see what
It all meant an what it means to me,
I'm in yore hands. my boy. As Gods
agent. you hold me in the palm o yore
land.'
The old mans voice broke. He made
in effort to say something more, but
hoked up, and, with his gaze on the
aged rug in front of him, he sat quite
notionless except for his heaving
houlders. George Buckley bent for
yard, his hands tightly clasping each
Their. Without word he rose and
vent with a steady step out into the
arkness of the warehouse. Hillyer
card his crunching tread as he walk
d back and forth over the grain
trewn floor, and he knelt beside the
ed and tried to pray the prayer that
ad rung in his old brain for thirty
ears, but somehow the worn words
sfused to come. George Buckley's ST.
nee was against him. His long de-
yed doom lurked In the dark silence
the great house, anu In moment
Gorge Buckley would calmly bring 1t
nth and show 1t to him. Suddenly
om the darkness he heard a stifed .
y as of pain; then heavy weight =
ent down-George Buckley had fall y
/. A cold sweat broke out on the n,
erchant's face. He feared he knew =,
vt what, but he feared. Was his ~
,om about to show itself in a more :,
agic shape than he had ever dreamed e.
its taking? He stood up and slowly =,
ept rather than walked to- the door ~
the room. Standing there. he found 81
) voice and cried out: ~
George, are you hurtT'
His voice rang harshly through the ~
I ROOM There was no answer.
George! George! Are you thar?" -. .'
il no response. NJ
fillyer leaned against the door fac
!. His knees were weak: he was
out to sink to the floor Then he M
lrd George Buckley calling to him. -.
Mr.. Hillyer," came in faint voice,
ease bring the lamp back here.' Sal
he lamp! Great God. what could ro'
It mean? What did Buckley intend An
show him--what? as'
'aking the lamp in his quivering me
Id, the merchant went back in the ma
+. AT first he could see nothing, me
he was dazed by the light, but he VI
the