The singing ceased and the man at the big desk said, "Let us have the

verses."

"'The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting

arms,'" said a careworn woman in the front seat.

"'He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou

trust,'" said a young man next.

"'In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret

of his tabernacle shall he hide me,'" read the girl who had handed the

book. The slip of paper she had written it on fluttered to the floor at

the feet of the stranger, and the stranger stooped and picked it up,

offering it back; but the other girl shook her head, and the stranger kept

it, looking wonderingly at the words, trying to puzzle out a meaning.

There were other verses repeated, but just then a sound smote upon the

girl's ear which deadened all others. In spite of herself she began to

tremble. Even her lips seemed to her to move with the weakness of her

fear. She looked up, and the man was just coming toward the door; but her

eyes grew dizzy, and a faintness seemed to come over her.

Up the trail on horseback, with shouts and ribald songs, rode four rough

men, too drunk to know where they were going. The little schoolhouse

seemed to attract their attention as they passed, and just for deviltry

they shouted out a volley of oaths and vile talk to the worshippers

within. One in particular, the leader, looked straight into the face of

the young man as he returned from fastening the horses and was about to

enter the schoolhouse, and pretended to point his pistol at him,

discharging it immediately into the air. This was the signal for some wild

firing as the men rode on past the schoolhouse, leaving a train of curses

behind them to haunt the air and struggle with the "Glory Song" in the

memories of those who heard.

The girl looked out from her seat beside the window, and saw the evil face

of the man from whom she had fled. She thought for a terrible minute,

which seemed ages long to her, that she was cornered now. She began to

look about on the people there helplessly, and wonder whether they would

save her, would help her, in her time of need. Would they be able to fight

and prevail against those four terrible men mad with liquor?

Suppose he said she was his--his wife, perhaps, or sister, who had run

away. What could they do? Would they believe her? Would the man who had

saved her life a few minutes ago believe her? Would anybody help her?

The party passed, and the man came in and sat down beside her quietly

enough; but without a word or a look he knew at once who the man was he

had just seen. His soul trembled for the girl, and his anger rose hot. He

felt that a man like that ought to be wiped off the face of the earth in

some way, or placed in solitary confinement the rest of his life.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024