The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-02

Betsy Totwood. 1t struck me that Laban
Sarfurt was william, and that ne lancleu
that he had young Acton so lar IN ms power
that he could eject him from the title But
what had particularly to do with that II
| accepted a client, | must serve him. l had
no business but to serve his interest. / final
lly told Mr. Sarfurt that l would think the
matter over. | should probably have bust
ness in Shireton during the session of the
cosrt, and would call on him there and ex'
anime more fully. | could not take his re-
tainer until had further light"
"But" he said, twill you promise not to
take up for the other sidc:"
81 told him l would do nothing without
further consultation with him"
Because" he added, eff you are fol- me
am sure to win. Acton can't find lawyer
that can hold candle to you, know them
ALL"
"No matter whether believed him or not,
| | did not ieel tiattercd'
1.-TWO weeks later received letter from
Sarfurt, promising me five thousand dollars
| if won.
1.-THE five thousand dollars was strong ar.
gument Was not law really game OF
chance, in which the strongest hand ana
| longest purse must VIM | told myself yes
Yes-and | sat down and wrote reply, say.
ing that | would take the case. But did
not mail Il at once. That night put 1t un-
der my pillow and slept over 1t; and on the
| following morning | threw 1t into the hire.
| would not make up my mind until had
seen other parties-untIl | had been on the
, rounds. And ! wrote to Laban Sartur. TO
wait.
1.-TWO weeks later harnessed my horse 10
the wagon, and with my wife and child start'
ed for Shlreton. | had been married TWO
wears, and our little babe, girl, was year
old, our pride, our pet and our DARING
Shireton was distance of about thirty miles
We had been having rainy weather LOT
week or so, and it had cleared oil bright ana
beautiful. We stopped and took dinner al
wayside Inn, four miles beyond which was
stream which must be forded The Inn keep
er told me that the stream was somewhat
swollen from the late rains, put lhal' my
horse was thirsty there could be no danger.
ARRIVED at the stream, the Wampa,uCh
river, found the water indeed risen, anu lhe
current stong, but | saw that others haa re-
Gently gone over, and | resolved 10 venture
| knew nv horse, and had faith in him. My
wife was anxious, but she trusted my judg-
ment. A 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 staggered, having evil
IDENTIFY stepped on moving stone The Wag.
on swayed and tipped, and the food poured
In upon us. My wife slipped, and in mo.
ment 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
Inns startled the air. Our child was washed
away,
"0h, my soul I cannot tell you what |
suffered during those moments. / could not
help our darling. III lett my wife she was
lost / chung to the horse and chung to my
shrieking wife-shrieking to God for mercy
for her child Ia the distance, upon the bos-
ON of the surging flood could see our little
one her white dress cleaning in the sun, De;
Ing borne swiftly away moment more
saw man plunge from the bank into the
river. saw this much, and then an inter
vening point of land shut out the scene. The
horse was now rapidly nearing the shore,
and ere long my wife and were on dry land
with the horse and wagon. AS soon as was
sure my wife was safe ] left her to care for
the horse while posted off down the river
bank in quest of the swimmer and the child.
"You may well understand that all this
time was frantic. was machine being
operated upon by a surging and agonizing
emotion. How long or how far | wandered
do not know, but at length i met man,
wet and dripping, with my darling in his
arms, my darling safe and sound. He told
me that be had caught the child within few
rods OF the falls, and that in landing he had
cleared the fatal abyss by not more than two
yards. He was a young man, not more than
%, handsome aud stalwart. He said he had
seen my wagon tip, and was coming to my
assistance when he saw the child washed
away. ~ threw my life into the balance"
said he with genial smile, land, thank God
both the lives were savedH'
81 asked him how should ever repay him.
He stopped me with an imploring gesture:
"If you talk of more pay than l have al
ready received" he said, II you can rob me
of the only solid reward can claim, mercy
if saving the life of such cherub is not
enough of reward IN itself, then hard IS the
heart that Graves more. And with mois,ened
eyes he told me that he had child of his
own at home-an only child of very nearly
the same age.
III asked II he would tell me his name.
With smile, he answered that his name did
not matter-he was not sure that he had a
name. | then asked him if he knew me. He
nodded and said he thought might be MIR.
burlington of Walbridge. When told him
he was correct he said tina, he must hurry
home. And with that he turned away. l
was too deeply moved to stop HIM, and when
he had disappeared | started to rejoin my
wife with dawning impression that the man
might be slightly deranged. But my darling
was safe-her broad, feecy cloak had tloated
out and kept her head above water-and
went on my way rejoicing, resolved that the
preserver of my child should not be forgotten.
81 will not tell you of the emotion of my
wife when she held her child once more in
her arms. We reached Shireton before night,
aud found quarters at a comfortable tavern.
"On the following day Laban Starfurt call
ed upon me and was about TO spread his EVIL.
dence for my inspection, when | interrupted
him. | told him could not accept his con
tdeuce until had made up my mind to take
his case in hand Something seemed to wits.
per that there was danger ahead. did not
feel comfortable in that mans presence. /
falf os fhpuph he was tryinr IN lux mn Pho