The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-04-19

Since when p inquired thoughtle-sly
observing his hesitation.
The old man told me. Sixteen years
ago he was well to do farmer near
Syracuse, New York He had but one
chld-a daughter While attending a
boarding school in that city, the girl, then
bat sixteen years of age, formed an at.
tachmcut for young physician Ac-
quaIntinG her father with the circumstance
he fiatly refused his consent TO her union
with a man he never had seen, and re-
moving her from the school dispatched 4
note to the young gallant, with the some
/ what pointed information that his pre-
sence in the neigh borhood of Ainsley
| farm would not meet with favor. The
I reader of course surrnses the result, for
I such a proceeding could and can have
| but one result. In less than month
| there was an elopement The father
| loaded his double -barreiied shot-g gun, and
swore vengeance, but failing to find the
fugtiyes, he took TO the blottle. His
good wife implored of him not to give
despair but ne drank the deeper, and
accused her of encouraging the elopement
In three months his wife died, and at
the expiration of year, when the young
couple returned to Syracuse from Con-
necticut, where they had remained with
the parents of the husband, they learned
that the old man, after the death of his
wife of which theyhad of course been ap-
prised, had sold his farm, squardered the
proceeds. and was almost destitute Learn
ing of their arrival, Aihsley drank himself
into 81 frenzy, and proceeding to the hotel
where they were stopping, attacked the
husband, wounded him in the arm with q
pistol shot, and then attempted the life of
his daughter, who, happily, escaped unin-
jured through the InterpositIon OF persons
brought to the spot by the report of the
pistol Ainsley was arrested, tried and
acquitted on the ground of insanity. The
daughter and her husband returned TO
Connecticut, since which time the father
had not heard from them. He was sent
to a lunatic asylum. from which he was
dismissed after remaining six months.
In 1854 he came to California. He had
followed mining for two years, but finding
his strength unequal to the pursuit, re-
turned to this city, purchased hand
cart, and - the rest is known. "Since
then" concluded the old man, bowling his
face in his hands in agony, = have not
tasted liquor, nor have ] seen my poor
child" / regretted that | had been SO
inquisitive, and expressed to the sufferer
the sympathy really felt for him. After
that, | seldom passed the corner without
looking for d" Pap Alnsley,' aud never saw
him hut to think of the sad story he had
told me.
One chilly DRILLING day in the December
following, gentleman having purchased
a small marble top table at an auction
room opposite, proffered to the old man
the Job of conveying it to his residence on
Stockton street. Not wishing to accom-
panv the carrier, he had selected the face,
probably, giving the best assurance of the
careful delivery of the purchase.
Furnished with the number of the
house, the old cartman, after a pretty
trying struggle with the steep ascent of
California streets, reached his destination,
and deposited the table in the hall. Lin
gering moment, the lady did not seem
to surmise the reason, until he politely
informed her that her husband for such
he took him to be) had probably by acci-
dent neglected to settle for the carriage
"Very well, will pay you" said the lazy,
stepping into an adjoining room. one
ra,urped and stating that she had no
sn,aIl coin in the house, hand the old
man a twenty dollar piece. He could not
.nah ma, :" The change. "Never mind, l will
tn'n,orrow.' said he turning to 60. No,
W !" replied the lady, glancing Pitifully
81 his white lock ana trembling limbs !;
81 will not permit you to put yourself to
so much trouble, and she handed the