Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-11-27
In the Nick Of Time.
By JUDGE CLARK.

the kettle boiling was q problem far
too unpoetioal to engage the attention
oftwo young people wrapped up In
the contemplation Of each other.
But the question only needed to be
put to prove Its pertinence. Mr..
Worth's fortune was moderate; mine
was nothing. AT present, I was bare
ly able to gain my own livelihood. To
take wife under such circumstances,
was at no loss to perceive, would be.
token either objectionable rashness,
or an indicate willingness to pension
myself on another's bounty.
My resolution wss at once taken.
Stammering something In reply to
Mr.. Worths question, / bowed myself
out Of his presence and sought his
daughters. .4,
"Your father Is right I said to Ef-
sc, when Itold her what had passed.
'sNo man has . right to take . woman
from her home till he has another to
ofer her: Till I am prepared to do %
farewellw
In the gold mines Of California, then
lately discovered, toiled and roughed
It with the roughest. Fortune, after
many frowns, at length began to smile
upon me; and hoped soon to be
able to return and claim, without hu-
initiation, the prize for which, II / had
not labored - long, / had ct Least en-
countered more OF hardahlp and dam
ger than the young lsraelite did to win
the choice Of bis heart. $50
/ carefully abstained from CORES.
ponding with Efae. To do 10 before
the conditions were fulfilled which
bad prescribed for myself I would
have looked upon asa bresch of faith.
Through friend, however, with
whom l occasionally exchanged let
ters, I learned, in time, that Mr..
Worth's affairs had become embar-
rassed. He had even been forced to
borrow money from an unconscious
BILE old usurer on the security Of, his
homestead, and the exactinR creditor
was threatening to tnrn him out of
doors.
I could easily spare the amount
necessary to avert such calamity, but
how to do SO without wounding the
eensitiveness Of Enae and her father,
WAS question Of NO small delicacy. I
wrote to my friend, enclosing q
sum sufficient to buy in the claim
against Mr.. Worth, with instructions
to take q blank Assignment Of the
bond and mortgage and to forward
them 70 my address, every precautiOn
being taken to conceal my name in the
transaction.
Ny Instructions were complied with,
and In due time Ireceiyed the papers ;
and, my good fortune continuing, ii
was not long before felt that I might
present myself to Effie's father, pre-
pared to answer the question which
had so disconnected me at our last
meeting.
was on my way from the mines to
San Francisco, whence ! expected to
sail for home by the next steamer,
when, one evening, was overtaken by
a stranger riding in the same direc-
tion.
People do not stop for an introduc.
tfon under such circumstances. ]
think if one met his dearest foe," as
Hamlet phrases it, in the heart Of a
wilderness, old feuds would be for.
gotted, and q friendly chat would
spring up.
The interchange of few questions
and answers disclosed that the
strangers destination and my own
were the same and we agreed to bear
each other company. Besides the
pleasure Of companionship, the strang.
or suggested we should be more Sc.
cure against an attack from robbers
no uncommon occurrence in that re.
gion-than If travelling singly.
It was some miles to the place al
which we proposed camping for the
night and darkness had already begur
to set in. Ny companion and / freely
exchanged experiences. He, like my
self, had been miner, and we bott
Dragged little of our successes. Ths
subject was an interesting one to me
It maCo me think OF Enc, and hat
fallen into . reverie when ! WA
aroused by the report of pistol at my
side.
can only remember Q sharp ssusa
ton Of pain, and seeing, % fturue6
my hesd, the hand OF the aseasein--as
other than my new compauion-sx
tended toward me With the mardsr
Gus weapon in its grasp.
returned to consciousness to Anl
myself taken care Of BY some miners
who had found me gu0 carried me 4
their tent. II Was weeks befbre wa
Ah1a n rAAnnA ~ % lnurnn~ e,.N v,,or.Atr,