Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-03-04


exclaimed with a kindly smile.
Uncle Peabody would have called II
stout snag." The schoolmaster had
hauled it out of his brain very deftly
and ehucked it down before me in a
kind Of challenge.
What does that mean?" I asked.
"You shall know in a week, my son.
ne answered. Il shall put you into
the Latin class Wednesday morning,
and God help you to ike it as well as
you like Sally" /.
Again they laughed. and again I
blushed.
Hold up yer head, my brave lad"
he went on. ''Ye've perfect right to
like Sally if we've heart to.
"a lad in his teens
VIII never know beans
II he hasn't an eye for the girls"
1t was a merry supper, and when It
ended Mr.. Racket rose and took the
green chair from the table, excIaim-
ing:
Michael Henry, God bless your
Then he kissed his wife and said:
Maggie, you wild rose of Erin I've
been all day in the study. I must take
walk or 1 shall get an exalted abdo-
men. One is badly beaten in the race
o. life when his abdomen gets ahead
of his toes. Children, keep our young
friend happy here until I come back,
and mind you, don't forget the good
fellow in the green chair"
Mary helped her mother with the
dishes, while I sat with a book by the
fireside. Soon Mrs. Hacket and the
children came and sat down with me-
Lets play backgammon, Mary pro-
posed
Il don't want to-" said John.
Don't forget Michael Henry" she
reminded.
"Who is Michael Henry?' 1 asked.
'Sure, he's the boy that has never
been born" said Mrs. Hacket. 'He
was to be the biggest and noblest of
them-kind an helpful an CHEEKY
hearted an beloved o. God above all
the others. We try to live up to him."
He seemed to me a very strange and
wonderful creature-this invisible oc-
cupant of the green chair.
know now what l knew not then
that Michael Henry was the spirit of
their home-an ideal of which the
empty green chair was a constant re-
minder.
We played backgammon and sold
maid" and "everlasting" until Mr..
Hacket returned.
The sealed envelope which Mr..
Wright had left at our home, a long
time before that day. was in my pocket.
At last the hour had come when
could open it and read the message
of which 1 had thought much and
with a growing interest.
rose and said that I should like to
90 to my room. Mr.. Hacket lighted
a candle and took me upstairs to
little room where my chest had been
deposited. There were in the room
bed, a chair, a portrait of Napoleon
Bonaparte and a small table on which
were a dictionary, Bible and a num-
Der of schoolboOks.
'These were Mary's books" said Mr..
Hacket. II told your uncle that We
could use them an welcome"
l sat down and opened the sealed
envelope with trembling hands and
found in it this brief note:
"Dear Partner: want you to ask
the wisest man you know to explain
these words to you. I suggest that
you commit them to memory and think
often of their meaning. They are from
Job:
."'His bones are full of the sins of
his youth, which shall lie down with
him in the dust
ST believe that they are the most
impressive in all the literature 1 have
read.
yours truly,
"SILAS WRIGHT, JR."
I read the words over and over
again, but knew not their meaning.
Sadly and slowly got ready for bed.
The noises of the village challenged
my ear after 1 had put out my candle.
There were many barking dogs. Some
horsemen passed, with a creaking of
saddle leather, followed by a wagon.
Soon 1 heard running feet and eager
voices. l rose and looked out of the
open window. Men were hurrying
down the street with lanterns.
Hes the son o. Ben Grimshaw," I
heard one of them saying. "They
caught him back in the south woods
yesterday. The sheriff said that he
tried to run away when he saw 'em
coming"
What was the meaning Of thisf
What had Amos Grimshaw been do
ing? I trembled as 1 got back into
bed-I cannot even now explain why,
but long ago 1 gave up trying to
fathom the depths of the human
spirit with an infinite sea beneath 1t
crossed by subtle tides and currents.