The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-04-09
THE HAND OF
GOD
By M QUAD
By NJ QUAD
Copyright 1914. oy the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate


this hospital Is this: My parents were
| drowned before l was a year old. and
| after being passed from one person tO
another I was at last sent to pau.
pers home. Al the age OF ten ! ran
away from the institution. hoping to
better my condition. but instead OF that
| fell into the hands OF this and that
farmer. and In every instance | was
overworked and ground down. The
name generally given me was Pau
per" and I was clothed IN the cheapest
and poorest garments and TED with the
dogs. Ii | bore II patiently | was an
object for further abuse; If I rebeiled
| was Kicked out to lind another place.
used to wonder and speculate as to
why ! was treated in this manner
why there was never kind word for
me. why men, women and children de-
sired to humiliate me and add to my
burdens. | wasn't uniformed. and l
wasn't sulky or impudent. Had any
human being interested himself In me
should have come up to give the
world an honest tight In an honest
way was sixteen years OLD as near
AS | can make II when | was last kick
ed out ! had worked for that farmer
year. and he had clothed me like a
scarecrow and fed me like dog. Sim
ply because broke the handle OF u
hoe by accident I was beaten until
fell unconscious. In the small hours
OF the night. grooming at every step.
but fearful OF my life. | 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 agrtcultur,sts.
| had scarcely descended from the carr
when ! encountered an old man. VINO
looked me over and then accOsted me.
He seemed to have kind face. and ne
spoke pleasantly. and II was soon
agreed that | should 20 With MIN
As l was q pauper and runaway
too. could expect no more than
clothes and board In exchange for my
services. The man was named Satin.
he kept secondhand furniture shop
and as he was all alone In the worid
he lived In miserable way IN room
over the shop. In day or two De got
me to sign a paper binding myself "a
him until OF age. and the Ink was nara
ly dry on the *" mark before found
change In him he was by natur.
cruel, stingy and selfish. He worked
me without stint, and during the two
years | was with hin | was always
hungry and tired.
One night when | had been with Mr..
Sabin about two years and Just after
he had beaten me for some trttie ana
laughed over MS work strange
thought came to me For the first umr
in my life u feeling OF revenge crept
into my heart. ana II made me shake
abuses beyond number and never
thirsted for reparation. In quarter
OF an hour there was more change ~
me than the last ten years mao
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 the
suffer The old man found change
In ME the next mVrning. I had spent
the whole night thinking. AND when ne
called me his dog and threw me a
morsel VI food | stood up and cursed
him. When he laid his hands on me
1 threw him u the floor. lie was
together and looked at me with half
shut eyes and said that he would nave
my life. We were both sullen and ~
lent that day. but reasoned II 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 himr whispered the
tempter Go and Kill MIN and take
all his money and dee far away. de
deserves killing Tor the way he has
tItdlCu yOt, uho hh thS sbOh~y 49, $500
find should be yours by rigbtv'
The more | thought It over the less
murder and robbery seemed crime.
and by and by I had neither fear nor
pity In my heart At midnight. with
an iron bar I'm my hand. crept up
stairs and softly pushed the old man.
door open. He had just got out Of bed.
de had candle In one hand ana u
rope In the other. and there was dev
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 Jaw
dropped. and ! saw terror In MS eyes.
[ had raised the bar and was about to
spring forward. neither OF us having
uttered word when there was n
crashing and a splinterinc, 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 I was little better OF
No man suspected that | was there to