The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-11-23
ALMOST A CRIME.

children, and l will, only warn you to
let it be lesson to you in future years
not to give way to passion or malice.
"You would hardly imagine such a
tough old greyheard at your Uncle Ned
is now, was ever a slender STRIPPING
youth, whose mind was filled with ro-
nance, and whose soft %omanish heart
seemed to be only for love, but such l
was at two and twenty"
''Many is the maiden | had kissed
under the mistletoe and beaued home
from singing school, but up to the Sum
mer / mentioned, | had never met one
that stirred more than passing fancy.
That Summer my father told me he was
going to send me on journey to New
Hampshire, to finish some business he
had begun by letter with his old friend
Owen Dalton.
81 was glad enough to undertake the
mission, for in those days, when rail
roads were as scarce as hens teeth,
young men got very little chance to go
from home, so one Monday morning |
clambered on top of the old stage coach
and started off, feeling almost for the
first time, sense of my independence
and freedom.
"My journey was uneventful, until
we arrived at Concord, and stopped at
the old Eagle House to bait the horses
and allow the passengers to dine. Here
l picked up my first acquaintance, as
travellers SO frequently do, and was sur
Prised to find that he was going on the
coach with me-
"He was young man of perhaps %,
light hair, blue eyes, bright ingenious
expression, to as frank a mouth as ever
saw. / was Immediately attracted to
him. He clambered up on top of the
coach as | did, and drawing from his
pocket a leather cigar-case offered me
one.
81 had never smoked cigar, but felt
q kind of shame to refuse, so | took one
and lighted it with as much or perhaps
much more importance than an old
smoker. We glided into converse
ton.
where did you say you were 60
ing4" 1 asked.
"To Daltonville"
''To Daltonville 7"
eyes; IS there anything strange in
that p
"No, but I was surprised; am go
ing there, too. !"
"Well, / know most of the families
about there" be returned, putting his
cigar; "Whom do you visit y
''The Daltons p
''The Daltons y
eyes; is there anything strange in
that 2" | asked, as laughingly repeated
his very words, in the meantime watch
ing the smoke as it curled up from my
cigar.
mo, nothing strange, except that we
should meet, I am distantly related to
the family, and am going there to spend
a couple of months. Do you know
Anna p
Gamma" j" l asked; "is there young
lady there e
eyes, my boy, a young and handsome
lady, one you can't help liking"
"Oh, very we'll, then, I'll-driver,
what are you wobbling over the road
for y
''Shure, sir, an l think the only
wobble, as you call it, is in that segar
yer smoking"
''Sure enough, I felt my head whirl-
ing, and l should have fallen off the ve-
hicle had it not been for the assistance
of my new-found friend, who took my
arm.
II feel sick-so-sick," / murmered.
81 guess you are not used to strong
cigars Driver, stop until help the
young man inside of the coach"
81 scarcely remembered what hap
pened afterwards, except that / was an
awful sick man, but gradually began
to feel better, and by the time we stop
ped for the night, | had almost recov-
cred.
Albert Warville and myself had be-
come the best of friends. He had cared
for me during my illness and not one
word did he say of my weakness.
That night the driver approached me
and said 'Begorra, sur, if the first part
of that segar was az voile as the lasht, |
don't blame ye fur gettin sick, but |
put no stock in what he said, for |
should not have known whether it was
good or bad.
"Well, we arrived, after few days
travel, at Daltonyille. This little vii
LACE, nestled in a valley near one of the
most precipitous mountains of the Fran
coma range. 1t was place of romance,
and / built future hopes on the beauties
of the surrounding scenery, for | was
fond of hunting and fishing and had
had quite a good deal of experience.
HTNe were cordially welcomed at the
Dalton house, where | found my friend
was hailed as Cousin Albert. | did
not see Anna Dalton until the supper
hour, although don't doubt Albert did,
as he made himself at once at home,
leaving me with the two boys of the
house, Henry and Willie.
During the afternoon [ gained their
youthful hearts by promising to make
each of them an Indian bow. When |
saw Anna Dalton / was not surprised
that Albert called her handsome, |
should have called her beautiful, for "A
fairer fair vision ne'er greeted my
sight"
1t was but the work of few hours
for me to fall desperately, madly, boy
ishly in love with her.
1.-TWO weeks glided by, l had begun
to pay attentions to the beautiful Anna,
although | could not tell whether she
was playing with me, or was in earnest
She received my address as the queen
might the homage of her subjects, then,
just as l was on the point of telling her