The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17

is itself of so little value that it will be thrown with the history if l go down, in defeat now.
 T shall come out of this fight free man. able to stand erect and look the world in the face or I shall die as have lived. and that quickly, a debased besodden and worthless wretch. There Is no middle ground. It is my last stand.
 Tt has been a terrible struggle, these three last days. They let me work in the lumber mill here and they give me a place to eat and sleep. The days arc not so bad. There is work about me and my fellowmen are about me with talk and laughter. But the nights, ah, they arc terrible. T am alone then, in strange un- real world peopled with demons and strange shapes. They pull me from my bunk as tired and exhausted as am, and drive me from where my fellow men are peacefully and restfully sleep- ing, out among the terrible pines. They shriek and moan and I see their bodies writhc and twist, as though they are a part of some terrible world of pun ishment. It is oppressively. fearfully lonely. And then suddenly the pine woods are filled with awesome. hor- rible shapes. fiery vengeful fiends that
 
 q drove of hellsent bats.
 And when day comes I go back to the men, through the light of the ris- ing sun, whose glory l do not see or know, and over dew besprinkled grass, that must be beautiful, but my scorch- ed and benumbed brain cannot under stand 1t. And again I take up the task of the day. with unknowing sense and with unseeing eyes, the steady methodical task in which l do not, forget, but by which my throbing nerv- es feel lessened pain.
 Today the world is brighter and better--but the fight is not won. slept some last night It was glo- rious. I write this at the close of the day. The pines are singing, and there is promise in their music. I tell you this because, somehow. how, I cannot tell, you have helped me and strength ened me in the awesome hours.
 The fight Is not won, but the pines have sung me their promise.
 You friend, your true friend al- ways,
 Ashby Rutherford.
 Satterwhie handed back the letter solemnly. It is not often given 10 & mere boy to know the tragedy of a struggling hope and despair in the heart of man and a woman.
 He will." he told her. ''The fight is as good as won. The fellow with that sort of manhood will fight his way out. He has the right sort of stun in him and when he wins the fight, he'll not forget you and your help"
 The girl rewarded him with a swift grateful look.
 Satterwhite was promoted to the court run on The Intelligencer and he lost track of the girl. But the life drama which had been so near trag- edy sunk its impression deep in his soul He was not to forget the sight he saw when the tragedy of two lives was laid bare.
 The first word of her came five months later over the telephone. She was at the corner grocery store and she called him up to know If he wouldn't come out to the house just for a minute. She had something im- portant to tell him.
 He caught the next car. She was sitting on the front steps and when she saw him she came to the gate with shining eyes, like one walking on star dust. What she held in her hand was letter from Rutherford and she hardly waited to greet him before she showed it into his hand.
 T have been made foreman of the yards" the letter ran. Do you know what that means? Of course not, you delightful little ignoramus. Now. am going to tell, you what it means. because it's thing you are all wrap ped up and interested in. It means for one thing that the Atkisson-Sturdi- want Lumber Company is foolish enough to pay me the princely sum of $50 every month. But more than that it means I have climbed back to a respectable place in the world where men trust me and where l know l can trust myself.
 And over wonder in the pines there is a wide cottage with a broad veran- on both sides and yawning fireplaees, all white washed. They burn pine knots in these big fire places. Did you ever know what delightful red fire a pine knot makes, what a home- comfortable place it is for two people to sit beside and talk nonsense An, there are a lot of things down here in the pines to be learned, that you are to learn. .: .~.... :....
 There is a big, old lilac bush out In the front yard and 1t is just bursting Into a wealth of beautiful blossoms. Do you know how much better 1t is to sit out on a veranda. all covered with honeysuckles (Did tell you that honesuckle vine ran all up and down the verandah) and look out on lilac and pine trees and velvet grass, than 1t is to look out, like you have been doing all your life. from your verandah on coke and coal ashes? You sec this house goes with the foreman's job.
 Today is Wednesday. One week from today l will be there to bring you to the honeysuckIes and the lilac I am coming to bring you to the pines. You and they found me a bedsodden wreck and lifted me up to the estat of a man. When my fight was oA among the pines l swore that if they helped me win. If they kept their promise l would never leave them and that you should come and learn to love them as l have done. They are a part of our lives of the future, your life and mine.
 The outer world. the world that I knew, l have left and for all time. I have no word of reproach to those who cut adrift from me. for wrecked every hope that had and they had. The opportunities they gave me, I trampled upon and the very name that come to me. proud name, I disgraced.
 The mute, heartfelt trust, the un- spoken devotion that you gave me when l was shame, a reproach and disgrace, to all that was good and noble. inspired me as nothing else on earth could
 your own. poor, unhappy childhood and youth, is as nothing It is the future, I look to, the future with our union of hopes and of lie the honor- able future when we can stand togeth- CT before the world and feel ashamed in the presence of no man and no wo- man and fear no prejudice
 The sun is shining on the heights