thanked the man for the information, assuring him that it would be of
great value to him in knowing how to shape his course.

After Belton had been at Cadeville a few years, he had a number of
young men and women to graduate from the various departments of his
school. He invited the pastor of a leading white church of Monroe to
deliver an oration on the day of commencement exercises. The preacher
came and was most favorably impressed with Belton's work, as exhibited
in the students then graduating. He esteemed Belton as a man of great
intellectual power and invited him to call at his church and house if
he ever came to Monroe.

Belton was naturally greatly elated over this invitation from a
Southerner and felt highly complimented. One Sabbath morning, shortly
thereafter, Belton happened to be in Monroe, and thinking of the
preacher's kind invitation, went to his church to attend the morning
service. He entered and took a seat near the middle of the church.

During the opening exercises a young white lady who sat by his side
experienced some trouble in finding the hymn. Belton had remembered
the number given out and kindly took the book to find it. In an
instant the whole church was in an uproar. A crowd of men gathered
around Belton and led him out of doors. A few leaders went off to
one side and held a short consultation. They decided that as it was
Sunday, they would not lynch him. They returned to the body of men yet
holding Belton and ordered him released. This evidently did not please
the majority, but he was allowed to go.

That afternoon Belton called at the residence of the minister in order
to offer an explanation. The minister opened the door, and seeing
who it was, slammed it in his face. Belton turned away with many
misgivings as to what was yet to come. Dr. Zackland always spent
his Sundays at Monroe and was a witness of the entire scene in which
Belton had figured so prominently. He hastened out of church, and as
soon as he saw Belton turned loose, hurried to the station and boarded
the train for Cadeville, leaving his hymn book and Bible on his seat
in the church. His face seemed lighted up with joy. "I've got him at
last. Careful as he has been I've got him," he kept repeating over and
over to himself.

He left the train at Cadeville and ran to the postmaster's house,
president of the "Nigger Rulers," and he was out of breath when he
arrived there. He sat down, fanned himself with his hat, and when