The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-11-15
CHAPTER ".

1t was bright October morning, and OF
this day was to occur the marriage o! VIII
Breed and Kate Gordon. All was hustle ant
: preparation about the old farm house, for
) wedding in the country was not thing o
everyday occurrence; especially the marriag,
of such n girl as Kate, for she was the acknOwl
edged belle of the community IN which sh,
lived, and many young fellow in the neigh
borhoOd cursed the illluCk that brought Brccl
among them, when they heard Of his engage
mcnt with Kate,
At last the hour set for the ceremony to TAKE
place came; the invited guests had ali arrived
and wcll.nigh filled the large, old fashioned
IparlOr-and all that was lacking was the pres
cncc Of the minister. They had not long tc
wait, however, for he shortly made his appear
auCe and soon after the groom and bride, with
their attendants came in. Breed, tall, dark
with peCulia: expression of triumph in his
drcpSct black eyes was striking contrast 10
the being by his side. She was not the rosy,
checked maiden of IA few months previous
but tall stately, her dark HAIR seeming to en-
nance the wilderness Of her already pale face,
and dressed in her bridal robes, she seemed to
have changed from the happy, joyous maiden
that She was, into a being of cold, white
marble.
The old minister, opening his book, com.
mcnccs the ceremony, and in few moments
they will be united rs man and wife He has
reached that part of the service, and in clear,
distinct voice repeats the otpronounced
words:
"If any man can show just cause why these
two may not lawfully be Joined in wcdlock
let HIM now speak or forever after hold his
peace
As he finished this sentence the minister
paused, and an oppressive silence fell upon the
II. 4 1,
a deep voice broke the stiffness
II forbid the contamination of this mar
rage!"
All eyes were turned In the direction from
whence the voice came and there stood Joe
Wingley. HIS hair and beard looked the same,
and his form was as bent rs ever-but what
change in his voice Before It had but an or
binary tone, now it was Deep strong, sonOrouS.
Breed turned, and seeing who it was that
had made the interruption, a dark scowl set.
tied upon his face, and his eyes seemed to emit
sparks of hate, as he hissed
Fool! | thought we had got rid of you
What right or authority do you assume when
you forbid this marriage? Leave the room,
for we do not tolerate tramps in our parors,
and you ought to know your place."
Il forbid 1t for the very simple reason that
no one has a better right" answered Joe, cody
"ll make you prove your right fellow"
sand Breed, his face growing pale with passion
81 ask you again, what right or authority have
you to-"
Hold" cried Joe; "stop minute, and I
will show you" And with quick move
ment he threw off his heavly-padded coat,
and stood up rs straight as an arrow; with |
another swift motion he removed his grey HAIR
and beard, revealing 10 the astonshed guests
a tall, broad-shouldcred, handsome fellow |
You recognize my right now, Tom Ilend- |
rlcks? I've been playing detective little, |
and find 1t pays, for | am about to capture
noted Counterfeter and rescue young lady |
from worse fate than death. ~
AS he finished speaking, Joe turned his face
towards Kate, who, with great, glad cry of
JOY exclaimed, as she broke from Breeds grasp
and threw herself into the arms of the strang-
er: "Ben Smelling, and | thought you were
1cadh
Breeds hand flew to his hip pocket; but in.
stead of drawing revolver, hand-cutf enCir-
cled his wrist, and turning about he found
two strangers, one on either side of him.
They want you in California; we are rev
cnuc officers" said one Of them
Breeder Tom Hendrcks-his eyes CLEAN
ng like Goals of fire, and his face contorted
with passion turned upon the officers like
Tiger; but after short tussle they had both his
hands securely handcutted, and were soon tax
ng him to the wagon waiting outside to con
,ey HIM to the railroad station.
After their departure, and the excitement
lad subsidized, Ben Sneling-as we must call
nm now--reatcd how he had met Hendricks
IN California, how he had been detected and
proved to be the leader of gang of counter.
letters and thieves, how he had fled the state
10 escape the government officers, and how lit
lie he had expected to find HIM where he did
He told how he had written 80 often to Kate,
and never received any answer; how, after
a fortune in the mines, he had come
home in the guse Of a tramp for the purpose
Of discovering why he had never received any
answer to his letters, rs he suspected there was
wrong how Breed had bogus
death-notiCe inserted in a San Francisco paper
and had copy of the same sent to Kate how
he Dem had written a letter to San Francisco
stating he would arrive home on a certain day,
and had the postmaster return it to Kate how
Breed had intercepted the letter and plotted to
put him out of the way
"Wcll, OF all things," calculated Rates
mother who had been listening attcntively to
Bens recital, wasn't he william; and it seems
just like play in the theatre, and Ben Is the
star actor"
1t did not take long for the bloom to return |
to Rates checks, and the happy light in her
dark eyes and her merry laugh told that she
was herself again. And on New Years eve,
when the snow covered the ground, the merry .
Jingle of the sleigh bells as the guests arrived, |
seemed to tell of the happiness within the old .
farm house; for on tins night was to occur The .
wedding of Ben Smelling and Kate Gordon,
and happier or handSomcr couple than the !
groom and bride would be hard TO imagine,
In