The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-11-22
NINE HOSTS STORY.

NINE HOST'S STORY.
"Well, yes, the Indians did get pretty
close to US, but never heard of more
than one being seen here, T" replied mine
host, an intelligent young farmer in the
town of L, one of the border set
Elements of Minnesota. "But there
has been SO much written about that
terrible massacre, that my story will
seem stale, / fear"
/ thought 1 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 meansI" 1 urged,
filling my pipe from the plethoric pouch
which he offered me.
"Well-I will," said he, after mo-
ment's thought, during which time his
head became enveloped in a cloud Of
blue smoke; ''but 1 must be brief. You
see, it was much wilder spot about
here then, than it is now. The village
was simply few stragglings huts. yet
improving rapidly. This house was
just compieted-the most pretentious
dwelling for miles around; and where
you see all those well-cultivated farm
houses was an unbroken waste of land.
"Carringsford-John Carringsford-
owned this place then. He came from
the East, where fortune had frowned
upon him. Comparatively poor in his
native city, he was reckoned in these
parts, where there was more land than
money to buy, a perfect nabob. He
was just the least bit proud of his po-
sition, putting on considerable style,
yet he was very good sort Of man at
heart.
HE had daughter-a young lady
of rare personal beauty and accomplish
ments. To tell you that Maud Caring
ford's hand was sought by nine-tenths
of the young men about here, would
be repeating what you have already
surmised. AT first, Maud treated her
awkward and bashful, yet true-hearted
admirers, with chilling disdain; but as
time wore on she became accustomed
to her new and wild life, and she grad
ually lowered her aspirations to pro-
per level.
Her father, however, was not so easily
influenced. Youknow 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
Doors 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
ringsfords dignity. He had seen some
thing of city life, although he never
prided himself enough upon the fact ts
tell it. He had been in the West long
enough TO get some of the polish rubbed
off, but he had not forgotten every
thing. He was the least Objectionable
of all Maud's suitors, but he wore COW
hide boots, and flannel shirts, and all
those sort of things. and John earrings
ford couldn't 60 him quite.
"Charlie understood all this, but he
considered Maud too valuable prize to
relinquish without some efforts, and
John Carringsford grew to like him,
after while, for his perseverance. No
doubt he would have given Maud to
Charlie, if a new aspirant had not ap-
peared in the person of a very elegant
young man, named Silas Wheeler.
"This newcomer was quite curios-
ity about here. He was got up regard
less of expense, and to hear him talk
one would suppose that he was abun-
dainty able to buy the whole of Min
nesota, and the northern tier of coun-
ties in Iowa.
"John Carringsford was taken with
him at once, and he was taken with
.Carringsford. He became a frequent
visitor at Carringsford's. 1t was not
hard to guess that Maud was the at
traction; neither was it difficult to see
that John Carringsford was pleased
that it was so. He gave Wheeler every
encouragement, while Maud did not
repulse him.
"Itlookedr rather blue for Charlie Mer-
riman. His friends pitied him. but he
only laughed at them.
Don't worry about me- he would
say; Il am willing to wait
About this time the Indians began
to be troublesome. Reports of their
outrages were brought to US every day
or two. Settlers, fleeing from horri-
bic death, came in siEgly, or by dozens
and scores; and at night the sky to the
north and the west of US was lit up by
lurid glares, which told too plainly that
the red fiends were at their desolating
work. We made preparations to defend
to the last the homes we had labored so
hard to build up.
John Carringsford was as much
alarmed as any one, and our common
danger made him one Of US. Not 50
with the elegant Silas Wheeler.
"'I am not going to stay here to be
scalped,' said he to Carringsford one
day, when the rumors were more ap-
palling than ever. IF you want to risk
your lives with these pumpkins, of
course Icannot prevent it, but protest
against endangering Maud's life by such
foolhardiness.'
"'What would you do?' asked Car
ringsford, influenced by Wheeler's
words.
II would marry Maud and take her
to a place of safety
"John Carringsford did hot reply i'm
mediately. The fear his child might
fall into the hands of the merciless sav.
ages had troubled him more than lit
tie, and he had thought of this same
plan hundred times. After some re-
fiection ne said:
"'Set the time, Mr.. Wheeler
"'To-morrow evening, replied Silas.
I would have liked a more pretentious
wedding than We shall be able to have
on so short notice, but under the cir
cumstances, it is useless now to think of
it,