Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-08-04

But at this .luncturc cloud ap
peared on the old blacksmith's hori
son; at first it was about the size o
a mans hand, but it speedily grew
to the size and shape Of a man him
self, who proved to be workman
upon well short distance from
the Hewitt cottage, and who fell
heels over head, into that delicious
pool Of affection in which most o
men have padded blindly during
their young lives. At first Laur;
resisted her suitor's advances; bu
as weeks passed and there was :
lack of society, which at other time:
have served as an antidote to the
growing admiration she began tt
feel for the young driller, who was
comely, young and strong, and pos
sessed the not unpleasant name O
Henry Richardson. She gradually
sought his society Cher father hao
long since forbidden his coming t.
the housc), and hardly day passed
but what she was seen in the der
rick, watching the pulsation Of the
walking beam and her heart at the
same time, and listening to the sto
ries and adventure by food and (oil,
field.
She loved him for the dangers he
had passed, and he loved her be
cause she believed his yarns, anG
no one else would; and finally, ono
bright day, as he had just finished
a terrible recital of escape from
death by falling sand-pump pull
ley, she shrieked and said she
"wished that heaven had made hei
such a man." when Henry aban
doned the temper-screw rope and
caught the fair Laura to his petro
leum- stained bosom, wiped the ben
zine from his brow and lips, and
kissing her, said, 81 am that mann
While enjoying the few moments
succeeding their Observation-Disclosures
moments that only come twice in a
mans lifetime, once when he finds
his mothers preserves, and the 9th
er as mentioned-thc lovers were
startled by the sudden entrance OF
the "village blacksmith" who siczed
his daughter, and without word
to the disconsolate Henry, carried
Laura home and locked her up
Days passed without communica
tion between the lovers, and while
Laura grew thin, Henry also cxper.
fenced bad luck; his tools got fast
his sand-pump bursted, and his
heart promised soon to follow suit
But just here a happy thought struck
him. Outside Of the derrick was
several hundred feet of gas-pipc; he
could not lay telegraph wire, but
he might lay 4 pipe line to his
Laura's house, through which, per.
chance, "two hearts could beat as
one" and hold communication
sweet, in spite Of the defeated fee
pipe bill. No sooner suggested
than acted upon. That night he
laid six hundred and eighty ono
feet Of halfinch gas-pipe under
ground between his derrick and tn,
prison of his bctrothcd; 4 happy
juncture with the eave-spout was
effected during the next night, and
shortly after messages were scnt
and received between the lovers
Laura having brought the end oI
the water-pipe close to her window
and Henry had his end of the line
directly beneath his pillow, where
after he was "oh' tour" he would
whimpcr words Of undying affection
that only ended when he fell aslccl
and the pipe fell out of his mouth
But while Glove giggled at tho
blacksmith" the blacksmith was
preparing to snort right out at love
for one day, while Laura was a,
dinner, her father had, while look
ing around her room, discovered
the misplaced pipe, and while gaz
ing with critics eye at the strang.
spectacle, was more startled by tn,
soft words coming apparently from
the cistcrn, Laura. dear, is the old
man round?" Mr.. Howitt smelt a
mouse; he did more than that, he
inhaled the odor of q genuine whar
rat; but, saying nothing, he merel,
descended the stairs and returned
with pint of oily-looking liquid
which he handled with extreme
care. Making cartridge of paper
that would hold nearly all the mix
ture, he inserted it in the pipe sev
eral feet, and then placing long
bar of iron upon that, called loudl,
enough to be heard through cart
ridge, pipe and all, "IIenry, dear
are you there?" Quickly came thu
faint reply, eyes, Laura "Plac,
your ear at the hole, Henry Her.
the parent raised a sledgc hammer
and struck the iron rod; an earth
quake followed, before the echoes o
which had rolled away could b,
seen the disappearance of an engine
house, in mid-air, followed by tn,
gable end Of the Hewitt mansion.
And now for the sequel. In hi.
anNicties to see chow it was himself
old Hewitt remained too near TIL.
pipe, and when the nitroglvccrin,
went off, he did also, and wa,
picked up in Armstrong county F.;
few days later. But where wa:
Henry? Instead of applying hi,
ear to the hole he had stepped tt
the derrick for a moment, during
which the explosion occurred. III,
was only stunned, and a few mo
mcnts later met his betrothed run
ming to see if he was hurt. The,
fled at once to ncighboring justice
of the Peace and were married
They have patched up the ole
house and are happy, though tn
mysterious disappearance of thci
father was a subject Of conversation
for months after. This is the stor,
as told us by an old man who live,
near Henry and Laura, who hear,
the noise and also saw where tn,
ground had been torn up by tn,
fathers vengcful experiment. |
any one doubts the story, the der
rick is still to be seen.
The old story about no female ey