The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-11-21

bright sunshine of their rude cottage,
and finally burst in a destroying storm
A man named Cook opened a travellers
rancho, or hotel, near Mr.. Thompson's
and between this man and the farmer
there soon subsisted the warmest friend
ship. Night after night Mr.. Thomp-
son would go to Co; ks and sit in the
society of bad men until the small hours
of the morning. The wife and daugh-
ter, alarmed for his ssfety, redoubled
their efforts to make his home attractive,
and resorted to every womanly device
to keep him with them but, despite
their exertions, he spent more than
half his time at Cooks.
For along time heresisted every temp
tation to drink but at length the evil of
keeping bad company became apparent,
and one night Mr.. Thompson came home
to his family reeling drunk. His down
ward course was now rapid he was
drunk every day and to the vice of
drinking he soon added that of gamb-
ling. The land on which he lived was a
homestead, and the title could not be
perfected for five years, SO he could not
gamble it away; but, one by one, the
horses, cattle, and farming implements
were put up and lost until at last all
that was left were two horses, wagon,
and harness.
Among the persons who visited Cooks
was person called Long Ned, flash
ily-dressed individual, an ex-stage-dri-
yer, drunkard, gambler, and an I'M
principled scoundrel. Ned had won
most of Mr.. Thompson's stock and mon
ey, and was now waiting to finish up his
devilish work by taking the last thing
the poor man had. He had not long to
wait, for, one evening, Thompson, with
his team and wagon, came over to the
rancho. and after sundry drinks had been
taken, Ned proposed to play for the
team and horses. At first Thompson
refused, saying it was all he had left,
and he meant to keep that; but drink
or two more, and the exhibition by Ned
of hundred dollars in money, changed
his mind, and he sat down at the fatal
! table; he was so sure he could win this
| time, and then Ned said he wished he
would, for he wanted to see Mr.. Thomp-
son get back some of his property.
| In one hour the last horse was gone,
and Mr.. Thompson rose from his chair
and staggered to the wall, where he
stood with his head hanging upon his
breast, pondering his misfortunes, and
realizing at last that he and his family
were penniless, and he had not even the
means of getting home. Ned came up,
and slapping the farmer familiarly on
the shoulder said: "Come, cheer up,
old fellow. and let us take drink
Thompson moved mechanically to the
bar, and, filling his glass to the brim,
drank it off. Again and again he drank,
and at each swallow of the vile stuff,
| seemed to grow more desperate. He
was now maudlin drunk, and Ned led
his victim to one side, and said he had
long wanted a wife, and, as Mary was a
fine girl, he would like to marry her. !
He really sympathized with Mr.. Thomp-
son in his losses and, as it was the
custom in new settlements for men to |
buy their wives from the Indians, he |
would put up all he had won of Mr. |
Thompson against Mary. At first the |
farmer was shocked and surprised but,
the more he thought of it, the more |
reasonable Ned's proposition seemed to |
be, and after another glass, he sat down |
and staked his own daughter on hand |
of cards. Ned won, and the farmer |
burst into tears. The gambler made
light of the matter, md assured him, if |
he had lost q daughter, he had won a |
son-in-law. Again and again they drank, |
and, Ned calling for bottle of whisky, |
the two got into the wagon and started |
for the farmers home. On the road,
Thompson drank heavily from the bot
tie, SO that when they arrived at the
farm, the farmer was so drunk he had to
be helped out of the wagon. It was
very late, but the wife and daughter was
still up waiting for his return, and Mary
was clad in neat white muslin dress,
which made her look charming. They
were both much surprised to see a stran-
ger with Mr.. Thompson, but received
him kindly, thinking, no doubt, he had
merely come to see Mr.. Thompson safe
home.
Ned turned out the team his team,
and then entered the cabin. He was
a repulsive-looking fellow at best but,
now that the night wind had puffed and
flushed his bloated face, he looked per-
fectly hideous. Fixing his bleared eyes
on Mary, he stared the girl out of coun-
tenance, and caused her to blush and
turn away. Wherever she went, Ned
followed her with his ferret eyes, until
the girl became SO nervous and uneasy
she went into the room and walked up
the old man. When she returned to the
outer room, she found her mother had
fallen into swoon, and her father, who
had been asleep in the chair, was now
sitting up, apparently quite sober, and
talking to Ned. Mary ran to her mother,
and, raising her in her arms, placed her
upon the bed, where she sprinkled water
in her face until she recovered, and be-
gan to sob bitterly.
Her father now called her to his side,
and said:
Mary, we have lost everything this
gentleman has won all, and he wants
yod for his wife. have promised him
your hand. Go to him"
The surprised and confused girl ran
to her mother but Ned called to her,
in rough voice:
"Come here to me, girl; you're now
my little woman, and / want you"
Scarcely knowing what she did, with !
one bound she reached the door, and in
a moment more was out in the dark :
night and flying across the prairie to-
wards TIE barn. She heard her father ,
call TO her to come back, and then halloo
to Ned to run round the house while he :
went to the barn. Mary had intended
to take her pony from the barn and
ride she knew not whittier but, hear :
ing her fathers voice close behind her, :
she slipped out of the stable by back =
door, and ran across the prairie. For an .
hour she ran on, and then sank down @
exhausted. Long and bit :
terly she wept, lying prone upon the
cold, damp ground. Then, startled by
the howl of a wolf, she sp1ang up and I
tried to think. Where should she go? t
What should she do? 1t was not far to a
the river, and she would cast herself in
and beneath It's dark waters end her G
troubles. Arrived upon the bank, she L
stands like statue, gazing down at the
gurgling food. Her purpose is firm G
one plunge and all will be over. But s
bark; what noise is that It is the dip t
of paddles; and, as Mary stands on the O
very brink of the river, in the light of v
the new-risen moon, a canoe, with four b
Indians in it, round the bend of the b
stream within a few rods of her. Why C
does the warrior in the bow of the boat s
rise, and with a gesture impose silence t
on his comrades? He believes this v
white and statue-like figure is no human t
being, and even the oars cease to dip b
while the boat floats silently by, and n
the savages pass on their way to the n