Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-06
It was decided not to search any farther

1t was decided not to search any farther
that day, as these was no prospect now
that Willie would be found alive. The
after three days, by which time the sleet
and light snow that had fallen would
have all melted, and search for the body
might be successfully made.
John went to his house. AS he met his
afflicted family, and realized that little
Willie was now gone, that the search
was given up, and his child was dead, his
Spartan firmness yielded, and he wept
such tears as strong, proud men weep
when broken on the wheel of life. The
last cruel stab at his moral nature and in
tegrity hurt hard. He was a pure, up
right man, a church member, and without
reproach.
AS the three days were passing away that
were to elapse before the search for the
body should begin, it became apparent in
the community that Johns Homeric
speech had done no good. The wise
heads of Whisky Hollow declared that at
the next search there would be, first of
all, thorough overhauling about the i'm
mediate premises. Their suspicious
found some favor in the community.
Some were discussing Indignantly, and
some with tolerance, the probability of
Johns guilt. Even good Deacon Beez-
man, a magistrate who ''lived out on the
main road" and who was supposed to
carry in his own person at least half of
the integrity and intelligence of his
neighborhood, declared that he would
not spend more of his precious time in
searching for the boy. He made it the
chief point in the case that John
"acted guilty." He had noticed that
this rustic Spartan sat in his
house and read his newspaper with
apparent interest, as in ordinary
times, on the day of the last search, and
this Indifference was evidence of his
guilt. 1t was apparent that any color of
proof, if there had been any such thing,
might have served as apretense for an ar
rest of the afflicted father.
The morning appointed as the time of
seeking the body came. The excitement
was high, and men came from great dis
tances to join in the exploration.
Eight miles away, up across the river
that flowed through the forest, dwelt Lo-
gan Bill, hunter. At an early hour he
left his cabin, and took his course down the
stream toward the gathering point. There
was an April sun shining, but in the will
derness solitudes it was cold and dreary.
avoid the tangle of brush and fallen
trees.
At nine o'clock Logan was still three
three miles from Johns clearing He was
passing through hollow where the black
spruce and pine made the forest gloomy.
He came upon bundle of clothing; he
turned it over; it was Willie!
And thus alone in the wilderness Logan
solved the mystery. Through three miles
of trackless forest, under the sombre,
signing trees of the great woods, through
the fog and falling rain and snow, the
child had struggled on, feeling it's way in
the night along the margin of the river, I'M
til it grew weak and sick, and fell and
died.
There was choking in Logan's throat
as he lifted the cold little body and car
ried it onward down the stream, and
noted the places where the infant must
have climbed and scrambled in its little
battle for life. 1t was a strange two
hours to him as he bore the pure, beauti-
full, frozen corpse toward the settle
ment.
At eleven o'clock he reached the clear
ing He saw the scattered groups of
men gathered about Johns house and
barn. Some of the men seemed to be
searching about the barn to find the body
of the boy they believed to be murdered
Logan felt his frame tremble and
his temples throb, realizing as he
did the weight of life and death wrap
ped in the burden that he bore. He spoke
no word and made no gesture, but, hold
ing the dead child in his arms, marched
directly past the barn to the door-yard
and up in front of the house There he
stopped, and stood and looked with agi-
tated face at the farm house dopr
The shock Of Logan's sudden coming
was so great that no one said, "The body
is found" but all the men stopped talk
ing, and some, pale and agitated, gather
ed in close huddle around Logan and
looked at the little, white, frosted face,
and ia hushed tones asked where Logan
had found the body.
A blanket was brought and spread
upon dry place in the yard, and Logan
laid his little burden upon it.
John came out and approached the
spot where his little Willie was lying.
There was a deeper hush as the crowd
made way for the father; and the rough
men, some of whom were now crying,
looked hard at John "tO see how he
would take it," John stood and gazed
unmoved and lion like; not muscle of
his strong face qul yered as he saw his
boy. He called in a tone of authority for
his family to come, and said to his wife,
in a clear, calm voice, as she came trem-
bling, weeping, fainting, Mother, look
upon your son."
He turned and surveyed the crowd
with the same dauntless he had shown
in making his Homeric speech at the
schoolhouse. To some of the company
that eye was now dagger.
John was cool, calm, and polite. He
uttered no reproach, and was kind in his
words to all. An half-hour passed The
crowd went away in groups, discussing
the amazing wonder, chow ever it could
be that such a little teller as Willie could
have got SO far away from the house"
The next day religious services were
held, and in the afternoon little Willie
was laid to rest upon a sunny knoll.
John wept at the grave. A poisoned ar
row was drawn from the strong mans
heart, and great grief was there in it's
stead.-P. Demang, IN atlantic Monthly.