The Washington times., 1938-12-30
AN ACT OF GOD

I sure, you've peen carrym' IL
year. That was the agreement;
wasn't it? You've got your inter
est regular. You don't need that
money any more'n a dead COW
needs hay, an it won't hurt any
to let me have it while longer.
I'll give you a bonus"
mo, Glen, my mind is made up.
I intend to settle now"
"Ain't any other way you'd do
Iit?"
There is, Glenn. Sell me your
intervale at a fair figure and I'll
give that -ote back as part pay.
ment."
What would you call fair?"
Around two thousand, Clem.
Clem's ruddy face became q
deeper crimson. IT guess you would.
I spent over a thousand to fix 1t
un for garden truck. Fertilized it
right; piped water to wet it down
when it needed it"
1T didn't get very dry this
summer, Glen. Old Tim Sniker
told me he saw so many tomatoes
floatin' down on his side Of the
river that if there'd been some
bathin' beauties in it. he wouldda
thought he was lookin' at one Of
those newsreel pictures they
showed of q lot Of girls swimmin
around in a pool full Of oranges.
Them tomatoes came from your
intervale, Glenn. Land that's liable
to that sort of damage lint worth
more'n I'm offerin'."
Samuel" Glen hitched in his
chair as If he couldn't stand sit
ting still, "do you know why you
never was called Sam In your life?
You amt human enough to be. If
I lose that intervale-Martha and
me-we're goin' to have a tough
time gettin' along. was countin
on 1t.
TIMELY INTERVENTION
We amt so young as we once
was. take that intervale, tx 1t
up, prove that it's bout the best
truck soil there is around; then,
when I show what it can do, you
want it. It won't probably be
flooded again in growin' time,
like it was this summer, in a
hundred years. It never was be-
fore as long as 1 kin remember.
"You don't want your money;
you want my land, an think you
kin get it because you've got me
in a corner"
Samuel's face had been getting
blanker and harder. "Clem, the
Lord Jehovah was a hard God.
Wher it came to his gettin' his
just dues-partic larly so. The
floodin' of that intervale was an
act o. God. I'd consider it'd be
downright sinful, if didn't take
advantage of what the Lord sent.
You want to read your Old Testa-
ment more, Glenn"
The shower had been getting
more and more violent but no
body had noticed it. Suddenly
without warning, the room was
enveloped in a binding glare. The
whole building rocked in a, deaf
ening conclusion.
To those in the room 1t seemed
as if they were in the heart of a
tremendous explosion. Martha
and Clem, shocked, bewildered
and terrified, half stunned, found
themselves reaching for each
others arms. Through acrid
smoke they could see Samuel
lying on the floor. "See if he's
killed." gaSped Martha.
Glen rolled him over and felt
his breast. "No, he's all right;
Just tainted; stunned or some
thing. I'd better look around an
see If it started a fire anywhere.
Wash his head in some cold water
Martha"
BY the time Glen came back
Martha had Samuel revived. do
much damage, Glenn" asked
Samuel
mot much for all that noise.
Knocked some shingles off: made
hole in the roof. It ran down
the wall beside your coat there.
Splintered the Dashboard when it
crossed over to the sink. It
grounded in the drain pipe"
USELESS THREAT
"Well, it sure shook me up,
Clem.. Guess I better be goin,' but
first tell me what you're going
to decide"
"Sure, Samuel, I kin tell that
quick. I'm goin' to pay half casa,
an give note for the balance;
one year on demand. It was an
act O. God, Samuel"
Anger blazed in Samuel'S eyes
''Tar-in-thunder you won't. Me
gettin' shook up by a little light
MIN wasn't any act o'God that
applies to this partic'lar case
You change your mind reasonable
or I'll give that note to Lawyer
Davis to collect, an today"
You're wrong, Samuel. I told
you it was an act O. God. When