Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-08-14

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and ruined max, and saying to him,
''Twas me that did it +"
There was something in Joe Gorton'a
breast on which the fierce words and
manner Jared painfully. He was M
preacher, this poor untaueht boatman ;
he did not know how to tell the man
before him that his promised revenge
was cruel and cowardly; but yet he
felt that, even setting aside Marcy q
interests, there was something in it
which reused all his instincts of resist
ancc. He shook his head as ho thought
about it. "~' -. -
That's feeling I can't make out, ~
he said, half aloud.
"Can't you T. said Groom, shortly,
supposlng the remark addressed to
himself. Have you got a sweetheart
young man Z" he added, abruptly, after
short pause. & h. - -
"A sweetheart2" repeated: Joe,
starting ut the association connected
with the question, and the man who
put it,. ~: ;, s,,s ..,.s.... :y...
Swell, you've no cause to be shy Of
owning ii, ".said Groom, who had no.
ticed the movement. ~ "a sweetheart,
when she's the right sort, is what no
man need be ashamed of. I had one
myself when I was your age" he
stopped moment-'.I don't 'spose
you'd often see her like, I never did.
There was girl up at that place, that
tavern there, had kind of look of her
about the eyes and forehead, but moth
ing to compare had a friend, too
well, it aint much of q story" Groom
broke with dry laugh, "and I don't
hardly know why I tell it at I'LL, only,
maybe. it'l help you to. make
out what seems to puzzle YOU.
The long and short of it is, that my
rend eheated %s on{ EoSfngsteF %1 aas
heart. Iain't much 70 look at, I know,
never was, but ! could care for q woman
just as much ss if I'd been six foot
high, and fresh a. q rose, and I'd take
my oath she cared for me, too, till. he
came between Ms with false tongue
enough to turn any girls head. Well
he came off first best; she left mo and
went away with him. Iswore then,
boy,' said Groom, looking darkly in
his listeners earnest face, "tllat, If
over my day come, I'd be even with
John Sawyer; I never thought 'twould,
but it has, and do you think I'll lot nv
chance slip now2 No, by God!" and
the man brought down his fist with q
force that shook the boat side.i -,'
That was hard lines sure enough, ~
said Joe, thoughtfdl1y, But, Mr..
Groom, you was speaking just now 'of
girl up at the tavern there She's my
sweetheart, and" added the boatman.
slowly; "she's sawyer's girl, his only
"Nol" exclaimed Groom, evidently
moved by the intelligence. "Hatty 8
child" he muttered to himself,
Hatty's cLild |"
YES said Joe, eagerly, "don't
forget whose child she ii, and that
youth make her suffer along with the
old man."
"Ah," said Groom, "that's all verv
welh but I d. MT forget neither whose
child she is on the other side. mol I'm
sorry for the girl, and for you, young
ste, since you've an inerest in her, but
I'D have my pay out of John Sawyer
now, If I was to die for it,"
Joe's grasp frightened convulsively
on his oar. Was the man crazy, thus
to make boast of the misery he would
cause before one whose advantage and
opportunity it alike was to insure his
silence2 who had him almost az com.
plotely at his mercy here on this uu.
familiar element as if they two had
been alone in all the earth . II he were
to die for it! Every plunge Of tho
dark water seemed to be repeatin,.
those words. The boatman rouseti
himself with q start ut the sound of his
passengers voice.
"You're pretty feller, amt Won.
now" said tho latter, resuming the
subject in a lighter tone, "wanting tt,
persuade me to cheat justice after that
fashion 2"
"As for that" answered Joe, "vo,
said, Yourself, if it had been anybody
but Sawyer you wouldn't have troubled
to hunt him down, and I can't see as
that's any l'etter notion Of Justice thai.
mine, Besides" he udtlcd, gravely,
/" tho old mans got his death sentence
Already, if that's what you want what
with the drink, he amt the man he