Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-05-29
CHAPTER II.

1t seemed that he had been verI
busily occupied in the case of Smith VI
Smith, foolish litigation between two
brothers about the title to a piece o
land, popularly supposed to contain OF
in abundance, notwithstanding an uttel
absence of any surface Indications
Some error in the original survey had
induced Aelchior 70 verify the dis
tances and courses, in company with
Selah, the younger Of the Smiths, and
civil engineer named Charles Anson.-
The nature of the contest between
these Smiths, had never precisely
known, as MelchioF had assumed the
entire charge of it, and the intensity
of feeling with which he hurried to the
more important features of the story
made him neglect details which less
particularly concern him my readers,
or myself.
Anxious to elicit some additional in
formation from Atkins, whose farm ad-
Joined that of the Smiths, he left An
son and Smith to return alone 10 Ole
opolis, FIVE miles away, drove a short
distance further up the main road, and
tied his horse to q fence-stake before
proceeding to the house, which stood
perhaps fifty yards within the inelosure.
As he walked up the neglected lawn,
a man whom HelchioT remembered to
have seen, but did not recognize, came
hastily out of the door, passed him
without any salutation, and walked
rapidly up the road, every feature con-
vulsed as though the storm of a great
anger had left its track upon them.
Atkins, it appeared, was away from
home; but his Wife-a fair=haired, blue
eyed girl of seyenteen-Tose from her
seat by the window as Melchior enter
ed, and met him with a set stern
ness OF look which, as he said to me
with constrained laugh, twas enough
to make man feel uncomfortable"
He had known her shsn she was
only the ward of Atkins, had very
much disapproVed her childish incau-
tion in marrying, and had even Ven-
tured to dissuade her from taking so
step at so early an age, and
with a man old enough to be her father
and of no very enyiable character
No wonder, therefore, that he felt both
and hurt AT her manner and
in his frank way he at one said,
"Why, SusieI Is this the way you
meet met What is the matteri"
She stripped her left arm to the
shoulder, and there. stretching from
the elbow upward. was @ blue welt,
which stood eord-like, as printed by
the cruel Russian knot, from the ex-
guisjte purity Of the white, round limb
But though her bloodless lips quiyered
and her eyes blazed with White-hot
passion, no word came from her clench-
ed teeth as she pointed to this sign
manual of a causeleSs brutality, and |
drew down tina sleeve and
buttoned it at the wrist.
"It was full FIVE minutes" said Geo.
TO me, "before my own indignation all
Owed me to speak, and considerably
longer before ! could induce her to en-
tighten me as to the affair. At length
however, she abruptly said;
''Mr. Atkins lied to me, and so
married him. He told me John Par
IONS had Tilted me; and he promised
o be kind to me and treat me Yell,-
married him in order TO forget 9 man
Yho, as it has proved, has never forgot
en- me. Mr.. Atkins logged me this
morning with a rswhide, and worse
han he did the other time. was in
ny night dress, trying to make FIRE
md couldn't work any faster because
le had forgotten 10 bring in any dry
wood. John will kill him if he meets
lin. l wish l had killed him N.Y.
elf"
There was such desolatiou, LeandeF
such sense of unmerited degradation !.
in the monotone of her voice. that
hould have constituted myself her
Tenger if her husband had been with
n reach at that moment and yet
Irmly believe that so fearfuLy trans