His plan had been to slip in, get
Courtland to come away with him, have a talk, and go back to the shore
on the late train. But the present situation altered his plans. There
was nothing for it now but to stay and see this thing through. Pat was a
whole lot deeper than the rest had ever given him credit for being. Pat
was enjoying the psychological effect of the service on Tennelly. He had
never been much of a student in the psychology class, but when it came
right down to plain looking into another man's soul and telling what he
was thinking about, and what he was going to do next, Pat was all there.
That was what made him such an excellent football-player. When he met
his opponent he could always size him up and tell just about what kind
of plays he was going to make, and know how to prepare for them. Pat was
no fool.
That was a most unusual service. The minister read the story of the
martyr Stephen, and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, taken from the
sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters of Acts. It was brief and
dramatic in the reading. Even Tennelly was caught and held as Burns read
in his clear, direct way that made Scripture seem to live again in
modern times.
"I have asked my friend Mr. Courtland to tell you the story of how he
met Jesus one day on the Damascus road," said Burns, as he closed the
Bible and turned to Courtland, sitting still with bowed head just behind
him.
Courtland had made many speeches during his college days.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285