The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-06-02

Prescott, and he turned the horse upon
which he had ridden up, and galloped
away.
"Now hope, sir, you are satisfied
To be rebuffed and scorned by her family
ought TO be enough to rouse your pride at
least ~
cit is, sir. 1t makes ne proud to feel
that have enough strength of mind and
enough courage, too, to marry the girl [
love in spite of all opposition. l didn't
intend to hurry up the matter quite so
fast, but now | will make Mary Prescott
my wife before morrow's sun goes
down, or the devil will have a mortgage
on my soul %
These last words were uttered as the
young man passed in, and the father was
left alone on The piazza.
''He will not dare TO persist in this dis
obedience" soliloquized the old man
The thought of disinheritance will check
him in time
Another day-a lovely day and love
ly scene. A cottage under the broad
spreading limbs of live oak-a cottage
almost covered with red honey suckIes
and white climbing roses. And standing
IN the doorway of this cottage was tall,
slender girl, with eyes of that soft dreamy
hazel, which at times seem black; hair
hanging in jetty curls over her shoulders
as graceful as a sculptor could ask for a
model.
This was Mary Prescott, and holding
a note from Thomas Williams against her
throbbing breast, while her eyes looked
anxiousIy down lime tree avenue, she
! murmured:
'.Will he come-oh WILL he come p
'He had better NOT" said a voice close
to her ear.
1t was her brother who spoke
"Oh, Jesse-you surely would not in>
terfere with our love-" she said beseech-
/ ingly.
81 have already interfered. Mary, his
cursed old father said you were beggar,
and told him and his son you would not
beg your way into their family. And
more than that, I told Tom Williams not
to come here or he would find some thing
III his way"
"Oh, Jesse-how could you ?-but see
he is coming. Now, dear brother, do GO
away. l want to see Tom, and see him
alone.
You shall not, Mary. That's as
good as sworn TO ~
He made no further reply, but sternly
watched Thomas Williams, as the young
man hurried forward to meet her who
was all in all to him.
''Stop where you are - cried Jesse
Prescott, when Williams was within ten
or twelve PAGES Il told you if you
came here you would find some one in
your way"
And he drew Derringer pistol, cooked
and raised it.
"There is but one will on earth for
me to obey" said Williams, still moving
/ forward
''Then I'll be the will to stop you!"
cried young Prescott, sighting the barrel,
which now LAID level with the heart of
/ Williams.
'Brother-brother !" screamed Mary
Prescott as she sprang directly in front
of him.
y report-a low scream--a grasping
moan and Mary Prescott's love and life
were iced in death.
Thomas Williams for an instant stood
rs if he had been struck with sudden
! paralysis. Then with a howl of agony,
| be sprang forward and buried knife up
/ to the hilt ir the heart of Jesse Prescott.
From that hour he was never seen by
| father or friends in Mississippi. But first
in Texas, then in Mexico, and at last in
! '49 and so, in California, strangely
/ desperate man, who called himself Tom
! Williams, made himself dreaded and fear
ed by his wreckless ferocity-aImost in
! human thirst for bloGd-a carelessness Of
/ peril which amounted to utter madness
Every where this mans track was
marked with blood. A dead shot he
avoided no quarrels, but continually
sought them, and he never failed TO hit
/ his victim when his hand was raised.
Men feared and avoided him, until
with a sneer, he made it common re-
mark that all the brave men were dead,
or, TO use his own phrase, ''wiped out. ="
One night after two or three years of
wild life, he entered a mining camp on or
near the Yuba, known then as Matches.
He was, as usual, morose and Ugly, ready
to quarrel with any and every one, and
fixing his eyes on young man named
Jack Moore, he used grossly insulting
epithet. The young man turned pale,
deathly pale, but it was not the Pallor OF
cowardice
''Tom Williams said he. 81 seek no
quarrel do not wish TO be what you
are, blood stained murderer, bat unsay
those words or you'll repent having spo-
ken them'
"Bah you're coward like the rest, .
cried Williams.
The next instant, his face covered with
blood, he fell to the floor. Moore hac
taken up two pound weight and hat
hurled it with unerring aim at Williams