The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-28
THE HAND OF
GOD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

With the accident that brought me to
this hospital is this: My parents were
drowned before I was year old. and
after being passed from one person to
another ! was at last sent to pau
pers' home. At the age OF ten ! ran
away from the institution. hoping to
better my condition. but instead Of that
fell into the hands Ut this and that
farmer. and In every instance 1 was
overworked and ground down. The
name generally given me was "l'au.
per-" and ! was clothed In the cheapest
and poorest garments ann fed with the
dogs. II bore II patiently was an
object for further abuse: II | rebelled
l was kicked out to find another place.
l used to wonder and speculate AS to
why was treated In this manner
why there was never k,Sd word for
me- why men. women ana @nildren de-
! sired to humiliate me aid add to my
burdens. I wasn't uniformed. and
wasn't sulky or impudent. Had any
human being interested himself In me
should have come up to give the
world an honest fight in an honest
way. / was sixteen years old as near
! az can make 1t when was last kick
| ed out | had worked for that farmer
a year, and be had clothed me like a
scarecrow and fed me like dog. Sim.
| ply because ! broke the handle OF a
| hoe by accident ! was beaten until
fell unconscious. In the small hours
Of the night. groaning at every step.
but fearful Of my life. | took to the
highway. and carter gave me u 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 agriculturtsts.
had scarcely descended from the cart
when | encountered an old man. who
looked me over and then accOsted me.
He seemed to nave kind face. and he
spoke pleasantly. and II was soon
agreed that I should 60 with him.
As ! was pauper and runa way,
I
clothes and board In exchange for my
services. The man was named SaDin.
He kept secondhand furniture shop.
and M he was all alone In the world
be lived IN miserable way In room
over the shop In day or two he got
me to sign paper binding myself to
him until Of age, and the Ink was hard
To- ,,, . h., ri, I.x,P 4 fnvnn
change in him. He was by nature
cruel. stingy ana selfish. He worked
me without stint. and during the two
years ! was with MIN | was always
hungry aud tired.
One night when ! had been with MIR,
Sabin about two years and just aftef
he had beuten me for some trifle and
laughed over his work strange
thought came to me. For the FIRST tune
In my life Il feeling of revenge crept
into my heart. and 1t made me shake
II and tremble. had stood insults and
abuses beyond number and newell
thirsted for reparatiOn. In u quarter
Of an hour there was more change IN
me than the last ten years ha0
wrought. called up all my wrongs
My heart filed with bitterness against
the whole world. wanted to strike
men dead for what they had made mt
suffer. The old man found change
in me the next morning. I had spent
the whole night thinking. and when NJ
called me his dog and threw me a
morsel Of food | stood up and cursed
him. When he laid his hands on mt
threw him to the floor. He was
dumfounded. out he shut his teetf
together and looked at me with hall
shut eyes and said that he would have
my life. We were both sullen and u
lent that day. but ] reasoned II OH
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 hts way. and while wal
wondering how | could hattie him Sa
tan came to my aid.
Go and kill him. whispered tn,
tempter. Go and kill him and take
all his money and fee far awav HI
deserves killing for the way he mas
fnd should be yours by right
The more thought It over the less
, murder and robbery seemed crime
and by and by ! had neither fear mol
pity in my heart. At midnight. will
an iron bar In my hand. ! crept up
stairs and softly pushed the old mans
door open. He had just got out Of bed
, He had candle In one hand and a
rope in the other. and there was a dew
ilish smile on his face as he thought
how he would trap and get revenge on
, me- My face must have told him that
/ was there to do murder. for his in "
dropped. and | saw terror In his eyes
, / had raised the bar and was about ia
spring forward. neither of Us having
, uttered word. when there was Il
= crashing and a splintering. and great
heap Of junk which was stored In the
room above him came down.
II was morning before any one found
us. He was dead broken. battered
bruised and crushed out of all sem
blance- while | was little better on.
, No man suspected that was there tu
do murder They called 1t an accident.
though I tell Won II was the hand Of
Ssd. God took the old mans life to
prevent me from becoming a murderer.
! but at the same time dealt out my just
punishment. Had I dyed my hand in
blood there would have been no heaven
for me. Tomorrow when they bear