The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-30
THE MAN
DOUBT
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1918. by Associated Lit
erary Press,

Bound fur the camp meetin' at Ce
dar Grove, stranger?"
81 hadn't heard there was one there.
replied
Eyes, and it's whopper. Powerful
lot Of prayin' and singin' over thar"
"Aren't you interested in it?"
II ar and / hain't. / sorter want b
20, and then / sorter think l hadn'
better. That's the way with the old
woman too"
You think there may be trouble
there"
"Oh, no."
TOO busy with your work.
mo, stranger The Lawd orter be
at that camp meetin'. hadn't he?"
81 should say So"
'And he orter gin us n fair deal IL
the old woman and me went overT
"Yes'
"But what I'm afraid Of is that he
won't"
/ looked at him and wondered what
he meant. and after minute he
went on:
"Sit down and be to home, and I'll
tell you bit of a story. 1t happened
vars ago. You see, me and the old wo-
man had both bin havln' chills and
faver, shakin' like scared rabbits one
day and a-burnin' up the next and l
was almost too weak to lift an ak
when a Teller named Abe Brockford
sot out to humiliate me. He wasn't
dom any braggin' as long as l was
able to be about, but when he heard
how porely I was he squared off in
front Of the cabin one night and
shouted:
"'Hello thar, inside! Am I maxim
q mistake in supposin' this to be the
residence of Bill Hopper
"'Yo' amt says ! as crawls to
the door in my weakness.
"'Come out like man and squar' off
at mer says he.
81 told him I'd been freezin' and
burnin' and couldn't fight rabbit. but
that only made him wuss.
"'Bill Hope, IL yove got any mercy
in yo'r heart come out yere and dance
around while l pulverize yo'r bones3
at hurt me mighty bad to be talked
to that way" said the old man, but
/ was helpless about It, All l could
do was to shet the doah and fling my
self on the bed and cuss and weep.
The old woman tried TO console me,
but the Teller kept his mouth goin' till
was purity nigh crazy. By and by l
says to her:
'''Do yo' reckon that II l prayed to
the Lawd fur strength my prayer |
would be answered.
That's accordin',' she answers.
What do yo' want the strength furT
"'To go out and smash Abe Brock
ford
Then yo' won't git 1t. The Lawd |
amt mixin' up In SIGH rows
But he might IL yo' prayed too
But shan't do it. When the crit
ter out thar gifts tired of tnlkln' he'll
90 home
~ lay quiet for half an hour, but
Abe didn't go, and when the old wom
an sees how bad was feelin' she
says:
pertinent. It amt right to bother the
Lawd with our trubbles, and prayers
and fightin' don't go together, but I'M
Ter the circumstances I'll do what l
Kim
"All Of a sudden l begun to feel
stronger. and by the time the old wo-
map had finished | told her that / was
all right to go out an drive Abe into
the airth.
Better not co. she says as she
ooks trubbled.
"'Why notr
'Bekase I'm not suah about It
prayed hard huff, but I heven't got
he feelin' that 20 are gwine ont to
vhop anybody. Sorter feels to me I
hat yorl git the worst of it
"It was mighty GURUS about my git 7
in strong" unused Bill, land to this
vas all OWN, to my madness. The old a
voman hung on fur me not to go. but
put her aside and rushed out 1t J
vas darkish night. but l saw Abe
tandin' few feet away and sailed >
ur him. was gwine TO whop him
lind in two minits, but l hadn't 4
ounted on startin' things. Fustly. il
he critter had got tired and gone
ONE, and. secondly, a powerful big J
'ar had taken his place. | knowed I
as / grabbed his fur. but it was
hen too late. He Jest hauled Off with
is right paw and fetched me a swat
n the side OF the head that put me =
ut OF II. and II was daylight befo' l p
ONE to and found myself on the bed. r.
What's happenedg' | asked of the &
ID woman. c,
Experimental she answers. e
"'As howr e
'Prayin' TO the Lawd to back yo' y
, wallop Abe Brockford. Abe slip
ed out and n bar slipped in. and as 3
gh as / kin make out Providence :
dn't stand by 20 fur shucks." :,
And that's the reason you are in q
,ubt about going to the camp meet O
e. is it?' I asked as he finished his Il
oTy. q
1T ar. stranger" 10
"But I don't exactly see the point Z
'Plain ms mud. sab I'd 90 thar TO =
hit Satan. wouldn't T.
I'm a way. yes"
a =.