Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-15

packer, claiming the old house, and Civ
| ing directions that it should remain clOsel
and untouched till her own or her hus
bands return. This occurred about siz
moths after Johns departure, about thu
time required for them to arrive at theil
destination and it brings me to my sixth
incident, which relates to the Pennypackel
house, but not to the house of Penny
packer & Son.
One highland bitter cold night II
was-there was an alarm of fire. wa!
returning from the theatre, kind of dis
sipation now sometimes INDUCED in, FOL
was no longer under cruel discipline
did as young man is apt to do, anG
took q run with the engines. Off they
went 70 the eastern part Of the city, and
brought up next door to the old house, .,
pork packers, which was in full
blaze. Pork is . good thing to burn, and
burn it did, with such effect that I wal
surprised the flames did not take the
Pennypacker house and one or two more
with 1t. As it was, the gable of the old
place was knocked of, the door burst
open, and the firemen took full range
through the building, which did not By
any means improve 1t.
AAC ACAt O0y CouC tuC luSuIduCt
people, and in few days the workmen tc
repair, under the direction of the authori
ties who held the property in trust.
i And now came most extraordinary
revelation. I got it long before it became
public, from q young man whose acquaint.
ance made in the Office of the public
administrator.
The workmen, in pulling down the
shattered parts, unearthed some suepi.
cious hooking packages, and in few min.
utes, the whole of Mr.. Ephraim's lost
property-bonds, stocks, money and secu.
rites LAY In the hands of the master
workman, who fortunately was an honest
man. Ephraim had used as hiding place
wooden PANEL under window, where
stood a heavy desk, in room to which he
was won't to retreat at times from the
Office and lock himself up. He had been
too suddenly hurried into eternity to re-
veal his boarding place to any one.
Ofcourse this was a serious matter, and
as there was good picking for lawyers and
public functionaries, Mr.. John Barrett
and wife were communicated with OF
Valparaiso Immediately. The return mail
brought an answer expressing great Joy
at the finding of the property, but regret
ting that the dangerous illness of Mrs
Barrett would prevent her immediate re-
turn to Philadelphia. AS soon as her
health permitted she would set out
Within month came second letter from
Barrett, announcing the death OF his wife,
3 will made by her in his own favor, and
his intention of being in Philadelphia
almost as soon as this intelligence. with
all legal documents to dispose OF the
matter.
And sure enough, within two weeks ]
heard of his arrival l called at his no
tel, sent up my card, and received the
answer that Mr.. Barrett was too Ill to see
anybody. My pride started at this
Could it be the rich man cutting on hi'
old acquaintance? / cOntented myself
with sending up second card with my
address, in order that if he wanted to see
me he might be able to do 80, and then
went my way. From my friend in the
public Office I heard that John Barrett
had put in all his proofs and complied
with all the legal forms, after which, hav'
ing taken possession of the property,
amounting in all to about three hundred
thousand dollars, he had left the city, In
what direction, nobody knew. He never
saw fit to call on me, and did not meet
him.
Twelve years now pass over US, and
come to the seventh incident in my story
which more nearly concerns myself thar
all the rest put together. You know thai
whatever share Of this worlds goods
now possess have won within the last
| five years; in other words, five years age
I was poor, and of course in no position
to fall in love or marry; and yet, absurd
as is for man of thirty.three to talk o
being Economically in love, was 30 fol
the first time in my life. and the object o
my passion was Katie Earnshaw, of whom
I shall say nothing except that she was al
good as she was pretty. Katie was on my
side, but am sorry to say l had all TIT
elder branches of her family arrayet
against me. They believed in my little
lady marrying somebody with mints o
money. and the father especially had JUS
the man picked out for her that b,
thought would suit. This man, Waripe
de Lille, claimed to be of French extrac
ton, Torn in New Orleans. He was tall
dark, bronzed by exposure to q tropica
sun, wore heavy moustache, dressed ex
quisitely, and was about forty years o
age. He had been but few months il
Philadelphia when | met him, but Ger
| sal0ly IN MS COuNcFsdtlOL, WHICH wa
slightly tinged with foreign idiom ant
accent, showed more knowledge OF TIT
city than that time warranted. He wa
rich (Earnshaw senior was not man Il
be deceived on such point), and Katie
told me, as coming from him, that d.
Lille had large investments in New YORK
almost enough to constitute him nil
lionaire What chance could / have
against such rival? OF course my at
| tentions were repudiated by pa and ma
and as warmly encouraged by Katie, unit
I felt that we stood on the brink of al
open rupture and perhaps runaway at
fair, providing Katie would consent to 81
summary mode of settling the matter
l could do nothing toward check
I ing the fellows cool persistency bu
glare at him when we met, ant
then it was rarely / could catcl
his eye to make him feel that was DIES
perately in earnest 1t always wandered
away; but when did catch it there wa,
something that made my blood crawl al
though were looking into that of a vam
pyre. 1t was recognized fact that ID
4 Lille was a sutton for Katie Earnshaw'
| hand, with the consent of all parties bu
herself How long she might be able Il
4 do battle against him, backed as he wa
by her father and mother, was a mattel