Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-11-22


his tlme at Cooks.
For long time he resisted every tempt
alton TO drink but at length the evil of
keeping bad company became apparent,
and one night Mr.. Thompson came home
to HE family reellng drunk. His down
ward course was now rapid he was
drunk every day and TO the vice of
drinking be soon added that OF gambling.
The land on which he lited was home
stead, ard the title could not be perfected
for FIVE yeats, 80 he could not gamble It
away; but, one by one, the horses, cattle,
aud farming implements were put up,
and lost, until at last all there was left
were two horses, wagon and harness.
Among the persons who visited NOok's
was person called Long Ned nashily
dressed lnt tividual, an ex.stage driver, a
druukard, gambler, aud an unprinci-
pied scoundrel. Ned had won most Of
Mr.. Th0mpsOn's stock and money, aud
was now waiting 10 finish mp his 6eyilish
work by taking the last thing the poor
nan had. lie had not long to walt, for
one evening Thompson, with his team
and wagon, came over to The ranch, ana
after sundry drinks bad been taken Ned
proposed TO play for the team and horses.
At FIRST Thompson refused, saying II was
all he had left and he meant TO keep
that but drink or two more and the
exhibition by Ned Of a hundred dollars
ia money changed his mind, and he sat
down NJ the fatal table he was so sure
he cOnld win this tine, aud then Ned
said he only wished he would. for he
wsnted To see Mr.. Thompson ct back
some Of his property.
In one hour the last horse was gone,
and Mr.. Thompson rose from bis chair
and staggered TO the wall, where he stood
with his head banging upon his breast,
pondering his misfortune, ard realizing
at last that he aud his family were pen
niess and be had not even the means Of
getting home. Ned came ny, and slap
| ping the farmer iaInlliarly ON the shoulder,
said "Come, cheer up, old fellow, and
let us take drink"
| Thompson moved mechanically to the
bar, and, hliing his glass to The bum,
drank il OIL. Again aud again he drank,
and ut cRen swallow of the vile stuil
seemed to grow more desperate. lie was
now msudlin drunk, and Ned led hi.
victim to one side, and said ne had Ions
wanted wife, aud as Mary was fin,
girl he would like to marry her. liz
really sympathlzed with Mr.. Thompson
In his looses; and ns It was the custom
in new settlements for lnen TO buy the!
| wives from the Indans he wUuld put NJ
all he had WOO of MIR. Thompson acains
/ Mary. At tifst The farmer was Shocked
and surprised but the more he though
of It., the more reasonable Ned's proiosi
ton seemed to b., aud after another glass
he sat down and etaked his own daughte
on hand of cards. Ned won, and th
farmer burst into tears. The gamble
made light Of matter. and assured him
If he had lost u daughter, he had WOE
son-iu-law. Again aud again the
drank, and, Ned calling for bottle u
whisky, the Two rot no the wagon an
started for the farmers house. On Ia
road, Thompson drank heavily from tn
bottle, 50 that, when they arrived at tn
farm, the farmer was so drunk he had &
be helped out of the wagon. 1t was yer
late, but the wife and daughter were stll
up waiting for his return, and Mary wa
clad ip neat white muslin dress. whicl
made her look charming. They wer
both much surprised to see strange
with Mr.. Thompson, hnt received hir
kindly, thinking, no doubt, he ha
merely cone TO sec Mr.. 7. safe home
Ned turned out the team-his team
aud then entered the cabin. He was
repulsive-lOoking fellow at hest; but
now that the wind had puiild and hushc
his bloated face, he looked perfect
hi1eous. Fixing his blearcd eyes o
, Mary, be etarcd the girl out of counter
ance, and caused her to blush and tur
/, away. Wherever she went Ned ioll0Wr
her with bis ferret eyes, until the giil hl
came 60 nervous and uneasy sac wei
into the room and walked up the Il mar
/ When she returned IN the outer room
she found her mother had fallen into
, swoln, and her father, who had bac
. asleep IL the chair, was now Sitting ~
= apparently que sober, aud taking
: Ned. Mary ran to her mother, ant
? raising her in her arlns, placed her upo
y the bed, where she sprinkled water IN h'
? face until she recovered, aud began
!. sob bitterly.
= Her father now called her to his sid
= aud said
I "Mary, we have lost tverythlrgi tn
!, gentleman has won all, and he wants 20
= Tor his wife. have promised him yol
T, hand. c o to him."
y Ghe surprised and and confused 81
n ran to her mother tut Ned called to he
= in a rough voice
- "Como here to me, girl you're no
4 my little woman, aud want YOU"
e Scarcely knowing what she did, vii
4 QUE bound she reached the door, aud in
r. moment more was out on the dark mig
d aud flying across the prairie tOwaros u
IA barn. She heard her father call to her
10 come back, and then halloO TO Ned TO =,
N round the house while he went 10 q
10 barn. Mary had intended to take b
pony from the barn and ride she knew II
N whittier but hearing her fathers vol
ir close behind her, she slipped out Of &
ID stable by a back door and ran across I
d prairie. For an hour he ran OH and tn
rs sank down completely exhausted. Loi
re and bitterly che wept, lying prone up
If the cold, damp ground. Then, start
k by the howl OF a wolf, she srrang mp Al
i. tried to think. Where should SIZE q
rs What shouid she do 1t was not far
n. the river, aud she would cast herself
aud beneath lis dark waters end Il
he troubles. Arrived upon the bank, b
sir stands Ike statue, gazing down at
,is gurglng nOod. Her purpose Is firm o
en- plunge and all Is over. But hafk vi
Dd noise Is that Il Is the dip of paddle
Ir. and, as Mary stands on the very briuk
ne the river, in the light Of The new rls
lof moon, a canoe, with four Indians IN
ed round The bend Of the stream within
as few rod of her Why does the war;
sr. in the bow Of the boat rise, and, with
as gesture, impose silence On his cOmrade
nd lie believes this white and statue-like I
lc ure is no hunan being, and even the "a
re- cease 10 dip lille the boat lcats silen
he by aud the saVares pass on their way
er, to the settlement 10 sIeli stock
Mary had stood perfectly still, lii
he caring what became Of heri hut
nk sight Of the indians lad changed
ly. purpose, and no sooner Lad they past
sc, than she hastened from the river.
be- she ,urned about, great gray wolf n
her rom The grass within few feet Of b
and skunk away with an angry gro
on while a night wi, psrched on the limo
nd a tree over her head, llapplng his gr
bin wings aud uttered dismal cries na lie u
The affnghted up the river
aw Mary had been thinking for the p
ny, few minutes Of "the Wild lfapper
irie the Blue,n and she had now determil
to 20 to him. She knew she was not
red from his cabin, and why should she
and 20 and claim his protection Perhaps
no Vas not bad indeed she had always
hey lieved he was not so wicked as they
ice. represented him to be.
the The night air was chilly, but she
ing not the cold for her blood was full
rest fever. The wind tossed her brown L
mp around so that she took her shawl
Ing, mt IL over her head, aud then
lies briskly along the trail. in an hour
neared the fierce hunters cabin, and
m a heart beat wildly as she knocked u
ID The door. Again and again she KNOCK
re- but still no esponse, and then she "
By to the little window and peered into