The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-02

I'LL EALSAA1aOC11 H6Io
to be Phillip OoDger sne Lefty Gordon.
Those who were nearer home Jaw, that
same evening 8 cart drawn up in front OF
"The Village Tavern" with old Brown rs
its driver. They saw him and John Cor
don go together tothe vacant parIor, where
after a talk, Martha Field was sent for.
Within a few minutes the more inquiring,
whe pressed out of the bar room for that
purpose, saw Martha Field, John Gordon,
and old Brown drive away together from
.'The Village Tavern !" Martha without
bonnet or shawl, and with q calm, scornfut
look; John Gordon with white face and
pale, tight shut lips and old Brown with
q complscent expression of face, that would
leave the impression with all who did not
know him, that he had just performed one
Of the most benevolent and praiseworthy
of actions.
The next day she village was startled
from its sleep with the intelligence that
Philip Conger had carried swsy Lefty
Gordon, and they were believed to be in
London; that Martha Field, at almost the
anne moment that the runaway couple
were commencing their flight, had been
arrested on a charge of stealing money st
Nh1AOAo blAoo AIOm JOAA OOAAOA AA0 WoS
now in the county jail entirely refusing
to confess; that the stolen money had been
directly traced to her by the plan of John
Gordon and old Brown. the different coins
having been marked to lead to detection,
and spent by Martha Field at different
pieces in the village and that John Cor
don, upon his return from the s~quire's
where Martha was committed, and finding
that Lefty had fed started in pursuit, and
was brought in half an hour after wards
with q broken arm, having been thrown
from his cart. This was news indeed for
the gossips, and great capital they made of
it. The stories that flew from mouth to
mouth did not lose in telling. Some had
it that Martha had robbed John Gordon of
many hundred of pounds, in revenge for
his refusal to bestow a marriage portion on
and David Bigelow; others that
Martha was thrown into prison by the land
lord in revenge for assisting Lefty in q
marriage that would surely throw him out
of the tavern stand. These cried shame,
and asked each other if John Gordon was
not rich enough to give Lefty her little
property, and if he was not old enough to
give up TO younger men. It was strange
then how many had seen and foretold all
these things to themselves long ago; how
many knew it would be so, and were not
20 in the least and how many were ready
with the charitable hope that it would prove
s lesson TO John Gordon, and lead him to
see that there was an instability in wealth,
and nothing really true but their advice.
A week rolled by, and John Gordon left
his room, with his broken limb in spirits
hanging by a sling. He had altered, peo-
pie said, in that week to be at least ten
years older. His face was drawn and bag
gard, and the rosy, healthy hue had gone
of his cheeks. His eyes were dim, and
was no loud hearty laugh ringing
through the house n in the old days. The
loungers and gossips watched the old man
rs he went vscantly about the place with
something like awe. They watched him
IS lie was confronted in his own bar, that
spot which only one short week before wa
his stronghold, by another face as pale and
haggard as his own, who asked for justice
on behalf of Martha Field, and was refused.
Then this man, who was none other than
David Bigel0w, stood up before the land
lord and the curious crowd, and told how
Martha Field was guiltless, and that John
knewit when, in his base anger
and desire to remove the means of COM
between his daughter and
Philip CoDger, be sent IN innocent girl,
who should have been as dear to
him as a child, to a criminal person. John
trembled with the rage he was
to suppress, and David Bigelow
vent went on. Yes he knsw that the
money which he had marked as q trap
taken by his daughter Lefty, as she
lad a perfect right to do; for was not the
house and all within it-snd all its profits,
wen to the Last penny, even the lands he
lad bought with those profts-hers .?
Yesl And he, John Gordon, knew this
md more. He knew that Lefty Gordon
lad taken this money as she would take
,iven it to Martha Field to purchase suc6
as her ftther wrongfully denied
ler-paper, pens, and ink, that she might
write to the man to whom she had be-
hrothed herself, and such things as were
Necessary to have when she fed from her
lone where she was a prisoner.
This he said and more. That Martha
Field had refused to say anything on the
light of her arrest, knowing that Lefty
step forward for her protection st
he proper time; that it wa Letty's inten-
ion to have left her home with Philip Con-
,er within q few days of the one on which
was arrested; but why the flight
hould have occurred on that evening, SO
,rematurely, was an unexplained mystery.
)ne thing was certain, that when Lefty
Gordon left home she did not nor did she
low know of the arrest of Martha Field,
II she would come forth at any risk and
how her entire innocence.
The old man sneered at David's story.
There was law, he said, and justice for all.
# the girl was innocent, let her show it,
all would be right. She had chosen
Hence when she was examined before the
quire; now let her wait until her trial
There was law and justice for all, and protec-
ion for him, tooj he would have it. John
accompanied this declaration by
blow upon the table with his c~lenched,
lniDjured hand, that brought back to the
some memory of the week before,
when it would have been dangerous TO have
provoked his wrath. David Bigelow drew
himself up to his full height, and speaking
IS calmly to the MANNED man before him
q though his address were the commonest
opic, he told him that from that time
orth no appeal should be made TO him
gain for mercy that he would go forth,
md if Lefty Gordon wal alive, he would
ind her and bring her to do Martha Field
ustice, and to contoUnd his villsny. From
hat time forward John Gordon could look
him as his deadly enemy, and remem-
that as he had denied mercy, 80 would
{ be denied 10 him. David BigeloW strobe
,ut of the room, while the old man glared
iercely at the group, who murmured their
admiration of the carpenter, and n by
,ne followed him out.
David Bigelow had left the village, none
Knew exactly where, but the surmise was
hat he had gone to London. Days and
weeks slipped by, and nothing was heard
IF him. Martha Field was still 8 prisoner
awaiting trial. John Gordon was gaining
strength in his arm, the bone was knitting
inely, the doctor said, but he was not gain
.ng strength in "The Village Tavern"
rhe neighbors came less, and gossiped less.
The story crept about. Even those who
up from the city knew something
about it. There was one thing they could
see, which was that John Gordon's face
was pale, and the strength Of his welcome
gone. The day for Martha FIELDS trial
There was great sympathy for her
all the county. Her story was be-
ieved, but there was no evidence. The
prosecution made its case very clearly and
distinctly. The loss ofthe money wss proved
he marking, the tracing of the marked
money to the village shops where it had
been passed by Martha. There was no