Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-05
NO. So.
Misfellamepns.
From he Atlantic Monthly for March.
JOHNS TRIAL.
BY 2. DEMING

Just where the Wilderness road of the
Adirondack Highlands strikes the edge of
the great Champlain Valley, in little
clearing, is a lonely log-house. On the
10th day Of July, 1852, a Muscular. gaunt
woman stood at the door of the house,
overlooking the vast extent of the valley.
| From her standpoint, ten miles of green
| forest swept down to the lakes winding
shore. She saw the indentation made in
the shore line by 1.-THE bay" and beyond.
| the wide waters cleaning in the feryid
brightness of summer. Specks here and
there discernable in the light, flashed back
from the blue, mrror-likc surface. and by
long watching it could be seen that these
specks were moving to and fro.
The woman knew that these distant
moving atoms were boats freightng lum-
ber through Lake Champlin. She knew
there was but one boat likely to turn aside
and come into the little bay, and that this
boat would be her son Johns sloop.
That was why she watched so anxious
ly speck that neared the bay and at
length entered it. To make doubly sure,
she brought to bear an old spy-glass whose
principal lens was cracked entirely through
1t gave her smokey view Of the famous
| SiOup, holly <hhH, cOhu PloPCity,
and then she was entirely certain that her
son, who had been three weeks absent on
his voyage, was coming home.
Jupiter. the house-dog, who had been
watching her, seemed to know it too, per-
fectly well; for as she turned from her
survey through the glass, his canine ma
ture developed degree of wrigglng
friskiness Of which the grave old dog
seemed half ashamed. He whincd and
walked about the door-yard for few mo.
ments, then gave his mistress long.
steady look, and seeming satisfied with
what he read in her face, jumped over the
fence and started down the road into the
valley, at full run.
The woman knew that three or four
hours must yet elapse before John and Ju-
piter would come along the path together.
tired by their long tramp up the mountain
side. She thought and waited as lonely
mothers think and wait for absent sons.
At about four O'Clock, young, dark
eyed man and the dog came up the road
and to the house. ''Heigo, mother, all
well ?' was the mans greeting. The wo-
mans greeting was only GLOW do you do,
John % There was no show of sent
ment, not even hand shake but bright
look in the mans face, and a tremors in
the voice of the woman conveyed the i'm
preston that these plain people felt a
great deal more than they expressed.
Two hours passed away, and after sup
per, the neighbors who had seen John and
the dog come up the road, dropped in for
talk with 1.-THE captain" as John was
called by his friends.
q Soon the inquiry was made "Where did
YOU leave your cousin William ?"
John had taken his cousin William, who
lived on the lake-shore, with him upon
this last trip, and hence the question.
But John did not answer the question
directly. He seemed troubled and un-
happy about it. lie finally acknowledg
that he and William had not agreed, and
that high words and blows had passed be-
tween them, and added that his cousin had
finally left the boat and had gone away in
huff, he knew not where, but somewhere
into the pinepies OF Canada. He declared
getting warm in his recollection of the
quarrel. that he didn't care a darn"
where VIII went, any way.
A month passed away; it Was August
Cousin VIII did not return. But certain
strange stories came up the lake from
Canada, and reached the dwelers along
the Adirondack Wilderness road. No
cousin William had been seen in the pine
ries; but just across the Canada line, at
the mouth of Fish River, where the sloops
were moored to receive their lading of
lumber, bruised. swollen, fostering
corpse had risen and iloated in the glare
of hot, August day. The boatmen res
cued it and buried it upon the shore. They
described it as the body of q hale, vigor-
Gus young man, agreeing in hight, size,
4
And there was another story told by the
captain OF sloop which had been moored
at the mouth of Fish River, near by Johns
s!oop, on the fatal voyage from which
cousin William had not returned.
[cnNTINuEn TO- MORROW.