The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-04-09

MN Alter long pause, during which
there was powerful struggle going on in
his feelings, he rose and took his daughter
by the hand and led her into the room
where Wilson was seated. \ on must
know all, he said, 4" am ruined; | am a
beggar. In few days I must quit this
house; the farm which / have highly
improved and thought my own" He ro-
ceeded to state that few days bet, re,
Crosby, in tit of ungovernable ma!ic, +,
taunted him with being a beggar and tod
him that he was now in his power, and he
would crush him under his feet When
Mr. Davis smiled ut what he regarded as
only an unimportant threat, Crosby, to
convince him, told him that the patent OF
his farm was a forged one, and that he
Crosby, knew the real owner o, the land !;
had written to purchase it, and expected a
deed in few days Davis Immediately
went home for his patent, and during his
long absence had visited the land Office
Crosby was right. The patent, beyond all
dispute, was a forged one, and the claim
| OF Davis to the farm was not worth far
thing
1t may be proper to observe that coun-
terfeiting soldiers patents was a regular
| business in some of the eastern cities and
| hundreds had been duped = 1t is not for
myself. said the old man, that | grieve
/ for this misfortune. ! am advanced in
/ life, and ii matters not where or how !
| pass the remainder Of my existence. ]
/ have little home beyond the stars. whore
! your mother has gone before me, and
I where ! would have loved to protect her
/ child my OWN aiicctionatc Lucy The
/ weeping girl threw her arms around the
neck ot her father. and poured her tears
upon his bosom. We can be happy still.
-aid she, for | am young and can easily
support Us both
7 / new scene followed in which another
individual Ha- the principal actor. | shall
Leave tne reader 10 form his own opinion
Of il, and barely remark that At the close
Tire old man tJo}l the hands OF Lucy and
young wilson and then joining them said
Ny children. checr.ully consent to YOUR
union though poor, with n good con-
science. YOU can toe happy, know
Charlie. YOU VIII be kind II my daughter,
for few nights ago. when you thought
. that no human ear could hear ynu. heard
You fervemtly impIore the blessing Of hea-
ven upon my gray hairs and that God
, would reward my child for all her kind
ne-, TO YOU" Taking down his family Bi-
BILE the venerable old man added. II Is a
season Of ai.l."ciou. but we are not for
sak"n Let IL look for support % Him
who has promised To sustain u. lie then
opened the book and rad
90 Although the tir-trec shall not blossom
neither -Lull fruit h. in the vines the Ia
bol- cf the olive shall fail and the fields
yield 10 meat, the tiocks shall be cut oil
from the fold, and there shall Le no herd
il the sail, yet viii joy IL the God o; my
salvation
Charles and Lucy knclt beside the vene-
rablc old man. and while he prayed they
{ a. ..,1
>le'-p.">- hut not unhappy night 10 three
inhabitants OF the neat. cheerful! dwelling
they were about 10 leave. and 20 they
know not wheIc
1t wa then that Young Wilson learned
the real value Of money. BY means OF It
he could give shelter II those who had
kindly received him when every other
door was closed upon him.
Al night long he had thought of the
forg.-1 ugtcnI There were n few words
1 dropped bv Mr. Davis which he could not
dismiss from his mind; that Crosby had
written to the real owner of the land. and
had now obtained the promise Of the deed
1t i now time for the reader to become
fully acquainted with the history Of the
. yoJlu- stranger
lis father Charles Wilson. senior. was =
merchant in Boston. who had acquired an
/ immense fortune At the close of the
war when thc soldiers received from the
government their bounty Of one hundred
and sixty acres OF land. many OF them Of
f-rcd their patents to Mr. Wilson for sale
Finding that thcv resolved 10 sell them, he
resolved 10 save them from the sacrifice OF
their hard earnings. and he purchased at a
fair price all that were offered. In three
years no small portion of the Military
Tract came into hi, possession.
81
hc gave him deed of the principal part
of this land i'll Illinois. and insisted that
he should go out and see it, and if he
liked the country settle there. Wishing
him to become identified with the people,
he recommended his son TO lay aside his
broadcloth and dress like q backwoods-
man
In compliance with this suggestion, the
Young man had assumed rude and rustic
dress. 50 inappropriate 10 his appearance
and manners a. 10 excite some suspicion
that he had motives for conccaling hIs real
character
ON the morning of his sons departure,
Mr. Wilson received a lctterfrom a man in
Illinois. who had frequently written. He
wished to purchase Il certain section at go
vernmental price which Mr. Wilson pro
missed he should have on these terms, pro-
vided he forwarded certificate from the
Judge OF the circuit court that the land
was worth no more. The letter Just re-
ceived inciosed the certificate in question.
Mr. Wilson had given this tract 10 Charles.
and putting the letter and certificate into
his hand enioined upon him to deed it TO
the writer. according to promise. upon his
arrival in Illinois.
The remarks of Mr. Davis forcibiy re
minded yOun- Wilson of this incident and
on the next morning after he had become
acquainted with the plan of Crosby, with a
tremblin. hand he examined the letter
and certificate 1t was written by Crosby,
and the land he wished to purchase the
identical farm of Davis.
Astonished that his friend the Judge
should certify that the land was worth no
more Mr. Davis asked to see the ceitifi-
cate and after u moments examination.
| unhesitatinsly pronounced its signature a
| forgery.
An explanation from the young man
| now became necessary, and calling Lucy
! into the room, he told them his story. and
laid before them pile OF patents and
! bank notes. one after another TILL the sum
| reached thousands. 1t was day of hap
piness to Simeon Davis and his daughter
| and not less 10 young Wilson.
| Not long after this scene, Crosby enter
ed His air was that of a man who has an
enemy in his power. and intends to tram
| ple upon- him He scarce noticed young
| Wilson. except with look of contempt
After pouring out all his maleoiictions upon
the family, the old man inquired if he
would give nothing for improvements made
| The answer was, /" Not a cent.
"You certainly would not, said Wilson.
drive out this man and his daughter pen
! niless into the world /?
Whats that to you?' replied Crosby,
with look of malice and contempt.