Connecticut western news., 1877-11-30
Mine Hosts Story.

Well, yes, the Indians did get pretty close to us, but never heard of more than one being seen here," replied mine host, an intelligent young farmer in the town of L---, one of the bor- der settlements of Minnesota. 'But there has been so much written about that terrible massacre, that my story will seem stale, fear"
 I thought I saw merry twinkle in his eyes as he looked at his wife, a very pretty little woman, too young to look matronly, but not too young to be the neatest, prettiest little wife in the world.
 ''Oh, tell it by all means!' l urged, filling my pipe from the plethoric pouch which he offered me.
 '.Well-I. will," said he, after a mo- ment's thought, during which time his head became enyeloped In cloud of blue smoke; sbut must be brief. You see, it was a much wilder spot about here then, than it is now. The village was simply few struggling huts, yet improving rapidly. This house was just completed-the most pretentious dwelling for miles around; and where you see all those well-cultivated farm houses was an unbroken waste of land.
 s.Carringsford-Jo Carringsford- owned this place then. He came from the East, where fortune had drowned upon him. Comparatively poor in his native city, he was reckoned in these parts, where there was more land than money 10 buy, perfect nabob. He was just the least bit proud of his pc sition, putting on considerable style, yet he was very good sort of a man at heart.
 s'He had daughter-a young lady of rare personal beauty and accomplish ments. To tell you that Maud Car ringford's hand was sought by nine tenths of the young men about here, would be repeating what you have all ready surmised. At first, Maud treated her awkward and bashful, yet true hearted admirers, with chilling disdain ; but as time wore on she became accus- Lomed to her new and wild life, and the gradually lowered her aspirations to proper level.
 Her father, however was not so easily influenced. You know the adage about teaching old dogs new tricks. John Carringsford had not quite shaken of the dust of his city life, and to marry his daughter to any of those country boors as he termed them, was not to be thought of for moment. You can guess that he made it quite unpleasant for those young aspirants to Maud's hand. They dropped off one by one. until only Charlie Merriman was left He was not frightened by John Car ringsford's dignity. He had seen some thing of city life, although he never prided himself enough upon the fact to tell it.. He had been in the West long enough to get some of the polish rubbed off, but he had not forgotten everything He was the least objectionable of all Maud's suitors, but he wore cOwhide boots, and flannel shirts, and all those s sort of things, and John Carringford couldn't go him quite.
 2 s"Charlie understood all this, but he considered Maud too valuable a prize tt reiinquish without some efforts, ant John Carringsford grew to like him after while, for his perseverance,. N doubt he would have given Maud tt Charlie, if new aspirant had not ap peared in the person of a very elegan young man, named Silas Wheeler.
 ''This newcomer was quite curi osity about here. He was got up re gardless of expense, and to hear hin talk one would suppose that he wa abundantly able to buy the whole o Minnesota, and the northern tier o counties in Iowa.
 "John Carringsford was taken witt him at once, and he was taken witt Carringsford. He became a frequen visitor at Carringsford's. It was no hard to guess that Maud was the at that John Carringsford was please that it was so. He gave Wheeler ever encouragement, while Maud did no repulse him. Frrt 7-1 5''It looked rather blue for Charli Merriman. His friends pitied him, bu he only laughed at them.
 '' Don't worry about me- he woul say T am willing to wait.'
 About this time the Indians bega to be troublesome. Reports of thei outrages were brought to us every da or two. Settlers, fleeing from horri ble death, came in singly, or by dozen and scores; and at night the sky to tn north and the west of us was lit up b llrid glares, which told too plainly ths the red fiends were at their desolatin work. We made preparations to defen to the last the homes we had labored $ hard to build up.
 "John Carringsford was as muc alarmed as any one, and our commo