The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-09-01

the estate, anu clallnlng III is son ul
of the deceased, was a man calling
himself William Acton.
"'But,' said Sarfurt, she is not le-
Ultimate child NJ all His mother was
Betsy Totwood, at one time girl in
Actions employ. Acton, | know, was
never married. He brought the boy up
and educated him, and now the fellow
thinks he will step into his protectors
shoes. | can prove that | am the only
living relative of Philip Acton. lie was
my uncle-my mothers brother-and,
10 a lawyer rs smart as you, there can
be no difficulty in proving my title. l
I can bring the witnesses 20 your hand.
"IIe told me he would give me 5000
f If would undertake the case, aud an
additional thousand il | gained. That
was a big fee--far more than l had ever
made in all my pleading. IL was tempt
/ inc. And Yet | saw that IL was not yet
perfectly clear-not entirely honest.
/ The probability was that this William
I Acton was Philips child and it was not
/ impossible that Philip had married Bet
~ Totwood Ii struck me that Laban
/ Sarfurt was villain, and that he fam
/ cied he had Young Acton So far IN his
power that he could eject him from the
/ title. But what had particularly TO do
with that? IL | accepted a client, must
serve him. | had no business but 20
serve his interest | finally told MIR.
/ Sarfurt that | would think the matter
over. | should probably have business
in Shireton during the session OF the
court, and | would call on him there
and examine more fully. | could not
take his retainer until | had further
light.
90 But, said he, 'will You promise
not 10 take up for the other side"
- told him | would do nothing
ont further consultation with him.
"'Because,' he added, If you are
/ for me 1 am sure TO win. Acton can't
find lawyer that can hold a candle TO
/ you. know them all
- No matter whether | believed him
or not, | did not feel iiattered.
1.-Two weeks later received letter
from Sarfurt, promising me $4,000 if |
won.
- The 5000 was strong argument.
Was not Law really a game of chance,
in which the strongest hand and long
est purse must win? told myself yes.
/ Yes-and 1 sat down and wrote g reply,
saying that would take the case. Bat
/ did not mail IL AT once. That night
put it under my pillow, and slept over
It; and on the following morning
threw il into the fire. | would not
make up my mind until had seen 9TH
er parties-until | had been on the
grounds. And | wrote TO Laban Sar-
furt 10 wait.
1.-TWO weeks later | harnessed my
horse to the wagon, and, with my wife
and child, started for Shireton. | bad
been married two years, and our little
babe, a girl, was year old, our pride,
our pet, and our darling. Shireton was
a distance of about 80 miles. We had
been having rainy weather for a week
or so, and il had now cleared of bright
and beautiful. We stopped and took
dinner at a wayside inn, four miles be-
youd which was a stream which must
be forded. The innkeepcr told me that
the stream was somewhat swollen from
the hate rains, but that if my horse was
tru.ty there could be no danger
arrived nj the stream, the Wampa-
tuck River. found the water indeed
AI~N II. JIM Allf AaAl Z N.AlA NAaNAA-aF hNAN n
saw that others had recently gone over,
and resolved TO venture. ! knew my
horse, and had faith in him. My wife
was anxious, but she trusted my jude
ment. \ third OF the way across the
water was over the hub OF the wheels.
. A little more and it would have reached
the body OF the wagon. began 10 be
alarmed; | feared / had left the true
| track. Presently my horse stumbled
+ and stag cred, having evidently stepped
on n moving stone. The wagon swayed
, and tipped, and the flood poured in
upon US. My wife slipped, and in q
moment more we were in the water
With one hand grasped the harness,
upon the horse and with the other
, held my wife | was thus struggling
when wild cry from her lips startled
= the air. Our child was washed away
"Oh, my soul, | can not tell YOU
what | suffered during those moments
could not help our darling. Ii left
my wife she was lost. | chung to my
= horse and clung 20 my shrieking wife
shrieking to God for mercy for hel
child. In the distance upon the bosom
! of the surging flood could see our lit
tie one, her white dress cleaning ia thj
! sun, being borHe swiftly away. a mo
ment more and ! saw man plunge
from the bank in the river. | saw this
, much, and then an intervening point Of
) land shut out the scene. The horse wa
now rapidly nearing the shore, and er,
b long my wife and | were on dry land
J with the horse and wagon. As soon a-
t was sure my wife was safe left hel
/ to care for the horse while posted of
? down the river bank in quest of tn,