Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-11-30
Almost a Crime.

81. Nicholas.
Almost a Crime.
AN OLD MANS STORY OF BoYIsH PASSION.
You ask me to tell Won about it, chill
dren, and ! 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 graybeard as your Uncle
Ned is now WAS ever slender, STRIPPING
youth, whose mind was filled with ro-
nance. and whose soft, womAnish heart
seemed to he beating only for love, but
such was at two-and-twenty.
Many is the maiden I had kissed
under the mistletoe and beaued home
from singing school, but, MP to the
summer l mention, had never met one
that stirred more than passing fancy.
That summer my father told me he
was going to send me on o journey to
New Hampshire, to finish some bust.
ness he had begun by letter with his
old friend Owen Dalton.
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 60
away from home, so one Monday morn.
ing clambered on top of the old stage
coach and started of, feeling almost for
the first time sense Of my independ-
ence and freedom.
As the stage numbered past the old
farm house l saw my darling mother
and my only sister waving their hand.
kerchiefs and kissing their hands to
me, and the tears started unbidden
down my boyish cheeks, and my throat
swelled with an emotion strove in vain
to suppress.
My journey was uneventful until we
arrived at Concord, and stopped at the
old Eagle Hotel to bait the horses and
allow the passengers to dine. Here I
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
twenty-five. light hair, blue eyes, a
bright, ingenious expression to as frank
q mouth as l ever saw. was immedi-
ately attracted to him. He clambered
up on top of the coach as [ did, and
drawing from his pocket leather cigar
case, offered me one.
I had never smoked cigar, but felt
a kind of shame to refuse, SO 1 took one
and lighted it with as much, or perhaps
much more, Importance than an old
smoker. We glided into conversation.
"Where did you say you were going ?"
I asked.
"To Daltonville!'
"To Daltonville
Eyes. Is there anything strange in
that?"
''No; but I was surprised. I am 60
ing there. too"
\Well, I know most of the families
about there" he returned, putting his
cigar. $Whom do you visit?"
ssThe DAltons!"
"The Dalesps?"
eyes. Is tnege anything strange in
that?" I askedSes I laughingly re-
peated his very worlds, in the meantime
watching the smoke h it curled from
my cigar.
"No, nothing strange, except that
we should meet. 1 am dietantly re-
lated to the family, and am going there
to spend couple of months. DO you
know Anna?"
"Anna9a I asked. els there yoAkng
.iady there?" "s'jfti Y
Eyes, my boy, a young and handsome
lady-one you can't help liking"
''Oh, very we'll, then. "II-Driver
what are You webbing over the road
for?"
"Shure. sur, an I think the only
wobble, as ye call it, is in that segar
vera smoking"
Sure enough, I felt my head whirling,
and ! should have ia,ien OF the vehicle
had it not been for the assistance of nv
hew-found friend, who took my arm.
ss"I feel sick-so--sick," l murmured.
Il guess you are not used to strong
cigars! Driver, stop until I get the
young man inside of the stage"
/ scarcely remembered what hap
pened af!erward except that was an
awful sick man; but gradually I began
to feel better, and by the time we
stopped for the night had almost re-
covered.
Aiucat WaEsHiS aQu NY sell nal be-
come the best of friends. He hal
cared for me during my illness and not
one word did he say Of my weakness.
That night the driver approached me
and said. soto voce, "Begorra, sur. il
the FIRST part OF that cigar was as wolfe
- the lasht, 1 don't blame se fur gettin'
sick. bnt put no stock in what he
said, for ! should not have known
whether il wss good or bad.
Well, ne arrived after q few DAVIS
travel ut Daltonville. This little VIII
kase nesflsd in . valley near one Of the
nsost PERCEPTIONS mountains Of the
HSane0cia range. Il vas . place of ro-
vance, and / built future hopes on the
ksauties Of the Surrounding scenery.
fax ] was fond Of hunting and hahing.
nd had had quite good deal Of ex-
perience.
We were cordially welcomed at the
Dalton House, where I found my friend
1aa hailed - Cousin Albert. Ibid not