The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-05
THE HAND OF
GOD
By M. QUAD
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright 19l+ py the Mcclure
Newspaper Synuicl.e.

All have to tell you in connection
with the accident that hrOught me to
this hospital Is this: My parents were
drowned before | was a year old. and
after being passed from Une person to
another I was at last sent to pau
PEERS home. At the age of ten ran
away from the institution. hoping to
better my cUnOilivi,. but instead Ut that
l fell into the hands Ut this and that
farmer. and IN every instance was
OverwOrked and ground down. The
nnme generaily gwen me WAS PAU
per-" and was clothed in the cheapest
and poorest garments alA fed with the
dogs. Ii bore II patiently / was an
object for further abuse: U | rebeiled
l was kicked out to ind another place.
used to wonder and speculate rs to
why | was treated in this manner
why there was never ed word for
me. why men, women hnr children de-
sired to humiliate me aid add to my
burdens. wasn't uniformed. ana
wasn't sulky or impudent. Had any
human being interested himself In me
should have come up to give the
world an honest light in an honest
way. ! was sixteen years old as near
as can make It when l was last kick
ed out ! had worked for that farmer
a year. and he had clothed me like
nd fuA mn b
ply because | broke the handle Ut
hue by accident ! was beaten until
fell unconscious. In the small hours
of the hight. groaning at every step.
but fearful of my life. I took to the
highway, and carter gave me lift
which carried me many miles before
light. was determined to try the
city this time My rags. my ignorance
and my general appearance had always
frightened me away from the towns
and kept me among the agriculturists.
l had scarcely descended from the cart
when I encountered an old man. VINO
looked me over aud then accOsted me.
He seemed to have kind face. and he
spoke pleasantly. and it was soon
agreed that should go with him.
Az was pauppr and runaway,
too. could expect no more than
clothes and board In exchange for my
services. The man was named Sabin.
He kept a secondhand furniture shop
and as he was all alone In the world
be lived in miserable way In room
over the shop. In a dag or two he got
me to sign a paper binding myself to
him until Of age. and the Ink was hard.
" dry on the TX" mark before found
4 change 10 him. he was By nature
cruel. stingy and selfish. He worked
me without stint. and during the two
years ] was with him | was always
hungry and tired.
One night when l had been with Mr..
6abin about two years and just after
he had beaten me for some tritie and
laughed over his work strange
thought came to me- For the f1rst time
In my life a feeling Of revenge crept
into my heart, and II made me shake
and tremble. I had stood insults and
abuses beyond number and never
thirsted for reparatiOn. In quarter
of an hour there was more change In
me than the last ten years mad
wrought. called up all my wrongs.
My heart filled with bitterness against
the whole world. wanted to strike
men dead for what they had made me
suffer. The old man found change
In me the next morning. | nad spent
the whole night thinking, and when he
called me his dog and threw me a
morsel Of food stood up and cursed
him. When he laid his hands on me
! threw him to the floor. He was
dumfounded. out he shut his teeth
together and looked ut me with half
shut eyes aud said that he would have
my life. We were both sullen and 81
lent that day. but | reasoned It out
that his plan was to come downstairs
that night as | slept and bind me fast
and then torture me to his hearts con-
tent. Yes. | reasoned 1t out that this
would be his way. and while ! was
wondering how ! could battle him Sa-
tan came to my aid.
"GO and kill him! whispered the
tempter. Go and kill him and take
all bis money and fee far away. He
deserves killing for the way be has
treated you. and all the money you can
1nd should be yours by nghtr
The more thought 1t over the less
murder and robbery seemed crime.
and BY and BY had neither fear nor
pity In my heart At midnight, with
an iron bar In my hand. / crept up
stairs and softly pushed the old mans
door open. He had Just got out Of bed.
rope In the other. and there was dev.
ilish smile on bis face a. he thought
how be would trap and get revenge on
me. My face must have told him that
! was there to do murder. for hts jaw
dropped. and I saw terror In bis eyes.
l had raised the bar and was about to
spring forward. neither Of % having
uttered a word. when there was a
crashing and splintering. and great
heap Of Junk which was stored In the
room above him came down.
II was morning before any one found
~ he was dead-broken, battered.
bruised and crushed out Of all sem
blance-while I was little better Oh.
No man suspected that was there to
do murder. They called It an accident.
tbough I tell you 1t was the hand Of
oed. God took the old MANS life to
prevent me from becoming a murderer.
but at the same time dealt out my just
punishment. Had dyed my hand in
blood there would have been no heaven