The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-12
THE MAN in
DOUBT
By M QUAD
By M QUAD
Copyright. 1913 b. Associated LII
erary i',es

Az I Travelled II molntain ROAD Oh
West Virginia 1 came upon squatter
seated on a log in front OF his poie
cabin. and after we had given eacn
other good day he asked:
Bound fur the camp meedn' at "
dar Grove. strangerT'
IL hadn't heard there was one there.
l replied
Eyes, and it's a whopper. Powerful
lot of prayin' and singin' over thar.
"Aren't you interested In lit"
IL ar and | hain't. l sOrter want TO
20, and then I sorter think naon I
better. That's the way with the oid
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"
II should say So"
"And he orter gin us a fair deal II
the old woman and me went overr'
"Yes."
But what I'm afraid Of Is that he
won't"
l looked at him and wondered what
he meant, and after q minute he
went on:
"Sit down and be to home, and I'll
tell you bit Of story. 1t happened
vars ago. You see. me and the old wO-
man had both bin havin' chills ana
faver, shakin' like scared rabbits one
day and a-burnin' up the next. and
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 was he squared OF In
front of the cabin one night and
shouted:
"'Hello thar, inside. Am I maxim
mistake in supposin' this to be the
residence of Bill Hopper
ago amt says ! as l crawls to
the door in my weakness.
"'Come out like man and squar on
at mev says he.
81 told him I'd been freezin' and
burnln' and couldn't fight a rabbit. but
that only made him wuss
"'Bill Hope, II yo've got any mercy
In yo'r heart come out yere and dance
around while pulverize yo'r bones"
1T hurt me mighty bad to be talked
to that way" said the old man. but
was helpless about 1t. All l could
do was to shet the doah and ding my
self on the bed and cuss and weep.
The old woman tried to console me.
but the Teller kept his mouth goin' till
I was purity nigh crazy. BY and by l
says to her:
"'Do yo' reckon that II prayed to
the Lawd fur strength my prayer
would be answered.
"'That's accOrdin',' she answers,
What do yo' want the strength fur?
ITO 20 out and smash Abe Brock.
ford
"Then 20 won't git 1t. The Lawd
amt mixin' up in SIGH rows
"'But he might II yo' prayed too
"'But shan't do 1t. When the crit
ter out thar gifts tired Of talkin' he'll
60 home
II lay quiet for half an hour. but
Abe didn't 20. and when the old WON
an sees how bad I was feelin' she
says:
"'Bill, I'm willin' to try sort Of ex
pertinent. 1t amt right to bother thu
Lawd with our trubbles. and prayer.
and fightin' don't 60 together. but un
der the circumstances I'll do what
kim
"All Of sudden l begun to fee
stronger and by the time the old wo
man had finished told her that wa.
!, all right to 20 out an drive Abe int
|, the airth
"'Better not CO. she says as sh'
looks trubbled.
"'Why nOtT
'Bekase I'm not suah about It
! prayed hard nun. but heven't 60
the feelin' that yo' are gwine out h
|, whop anybody. Sorter feels to mi
that yoll git the worst Of It
ut was mighty GURUS about my git
tin strong" unused Bill. 'and to thi
, day I can't make 1t out Perhaps |
? was all OWN to my madness. The oil
woman hung on fur me not to 60. bu
l put her aside and rushed out
/ was a darkish night. but I saw Alb
, staRdin' q few feet away and sale
, fur him. was gwine to whop hin
r blind In two minits, but hadn'
|, counted on startin' things. Fustly
the critter had got tired and gon
. home. and. secondly. q powerful bi
I bar had taken his place. I knowe
, 1t as I grabbed his fur. but II wa
then too late. He Jest hauled OF Wit
, his right paw and fetched me a sws
!. on the side Of the head that put N
) out Of it. and It was daylight befo'
come to and found myself on the bet
, "'What's happenedr I asked Of tn
, old woman.
4 Experimentin'.' she answers.
? "'As howr
"Prayin' to the Lawd to back ',
' 10 wallop ABB Brockford. Abe sill
= ped out and bar slipped In. and 9
nigh a. I kin make out Providenc
didn't stand by 20 fur shucks'"
!. "And that's the reason you are |
a doubt about going to the camp NEE
70 ing. Is 1T" asked as he finished h
A story.
70 1T ar, stranger"
a "But don't exactly see the point
: "Plain as mud, sab. I'd 60 thar
a fight Satan, wouldn't r.
4. "In a way, yes"
A sand s'pose the Lawd would 81
HIM n,,< ~, vv%N ana ollv . LIZ