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


call our ''darned foolishness" in givinj
him nearly twenty dollars an acre 70
the ''cussedest, triiingest lot of stun
wall material he ever did see."
Both parties were satisfied with tn,
transaction.
After dinner we drove up the LittIs
Kanawha, reaching Oleopolis abou
eight o'clock in the evening.
As we entered the bar-roon of tn,
little village tsvren, letter addressed
in hslf-formed, girlish hand was Civ
en- to Melchior. He put it in his pock
ct, where it rested until he had fin
ished tea, and betaken ourselves to tht
very uncomfortable room which haC
been assigned to Us. He then turned
it over between his fingers once OF
twice in hesitating sort of way-dreH
the lamp q little closer to him-tors
open the envelop, and read the letter
grsvely, until toward its close his face
beamed with calm joy, and he said tC
me:
Listen to these womanly words oI
as patient Christianity as have evel
known. 1 read them to you because
weak fingers, and streaming, peniten
tial tears, have made their holy utter
ances nearly illegible."
"RED OAKS, August 9th, 1866.
"DEAR FRIEND-John Parsons has
been here again, and says it will be
cruel to US both, and bring murder on
his soul, if / stay until the man whose
name l bear returns. l told him YOU
said God would not forgive me nor
guard me, if gave way to my hatred,
and think it VIII all come back if
ever see that man again. Besides,
am poor little silly woman, and am
sometimes so afraid of him that am
almost mad. So am going away with
John, who says his mother will give
me nice room, and take care of his
sorrowful sister.
I'VE had some bad thoughts last
Saturday, Whsn you met him and were
so kind to me but John is a real good
man-and when knelt down, as you
told nee to, and prayed with him that
Our Father would lead us not into tenn
tation, and help as to forgive every
body, the sun came back again.
Il know that you saved me and we
viii always pray for you. Don't be
afraid about me any more. / do bless
you. and know that God will bless you.
Your little friend, SUSIE"
Little did either of US think that the
eternal coronal in which those saved
souls are the brighteg gems ffoated al
ready just above his head! Little
knew We that on the morrow would be
usher to the rapturous cones of that
Heaven whose dlIligent EEangel he
had been
The evening passed quietly away, as
neither Of US were in any mood for the
bar-room below, and it was broad day
light before we awoke from the pro-
found slumber earned By the Journey
and anxleties ef the preceding day.
As We were sitting at the long, crowd
ed breakfast fable on Thursday morn
ing, Atkins came into the room and ap-
preached MelchoiF, with glitter in
his eye such as I never saw but once,
and then in the case of q maniac.
many years before. He had the same
step, the same nervous mobll-
lty Of face and limb, the same air of
brutal and treacheroas cunning; and
as he placed his shFiYeled hand on
MelehiOF's shoulder, Que or two of US
Jose from the table to prevent the
deadly grapple between the ewo men
which the manner of the intruder very
fully promised. He shrunk back, how
ever, in q cowed way, as Melchior flung
oH the polluting hand, and faced him
with folded arms, and an air in which
habitual self control seemed almost
1YeFhorne By irritation and disgust.
Mr.. Atkins" he said, "as you seem
@ be in very ungsntlemanly hurry to |
ell me something, say your say, and
ct me finish my breakfast in quiet."
"My wife has run away. Did you
put her up to it?"
"Your wife has run away-has she +? |
am very glad to hear it. You may
burn that infamous whip of yours now.
Gentlemen, you all know this creatures
innocent wife but you do rot know
hat / advised her, last Saturday, to
Ibandon him because he had fiogged
ler most cruelty with a rawhide. l
I'd put her up to it, and was sorely
empted to punish him with that same
Whip to the full extent of his deserts"
Atkins was nearly mad with liquor,
nd his temper did not at all improve
n hearing this candid answer. He
made sudden vicious stroke full at
lelchior's face with the loaded butt Of
is heavy whip; but ths blow was par
led, and before any one could inter.
ara the roo,,r 1-s.I -. ooIio-oI II 1 .
ragged out into side-porch, where
e was most soundly thrashed with his
wn whip, to the thorough satisfaction
all who witnessed the affair. (
As soon as he could Writhe loose from {
nat ison grip, he leaped over the rail 4
,g at the front END of the poarch,
lambered up into his wagon, and i
rove Fecklessly down aroad which ford 8
1 the stream and led over the inter-
ening ridge, through the ManorkiIl
ehle, to the Great Kanawha, all the i
me bowling out strange and blasphe- |
lous curses upon his late adversary. If
Breakfast was effeetually interrupted
nd we were glad enough to escape the
ir and questions of the crowd, as We 8
ere again on the road, driving rap a
liy toward Red Oak Farm. /
We were stopped, however, before
alf a mile was accomplished, by a .
tout behind Us +; and in another min q
.e the man who had been Susie's a
essenger pulled up beside Us and $
id; a
"Mr. Melchior, Atkins will never a
rget how you lashed him this morn U
g. He Is a numbering rascal, and you
I'd better look out for him. He Q,
rned Oft the Aanorkill road Just v
ross the river, and, I am sure, is b
mewhere along this very pike on the {
ateh for you" f
he did not wait for an answer, but
rned his horse, and rode hack at a n
'unding gallop towards 0leopolis. p
Here MAS second warning, yet it il
ade as little impression as had that
d look in Silverdale; and in three
Iarters Of an hour, we had crossed Il
e lawn and passed the deserted house r
d were climbing among the black n
rRy tangles and cleared logs Of the oi
sep hill. ~ n
Melehior went directly to the cave oi
d tumbled away the stones with to
lich he had covered the opening, and Vi
ter lighting two Of the candles we Of
d brought with US, was about to slide al
wn the entrance, when | touched ts
IN, and said, "Are you not afraid of a
Sins g light into q hole ike this, u
I frOfot1 ~ ne Nora pJ1 W