The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-03-13
OUR STORY TELLER
ALMOST A CRIME.
I Chicago Saturday Evening Herald.

tCb!cago Saturday Evening HeraId.I
You ask me to tell you about it,
children, 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 strip |
ling youth, whose mind was filled with |
romance, and whose soft, womanish |
heart seemed to he beating only for love,
but such | was at two-and-twenty.
Many is the maiden l had kissed
under the mistletoe and beaued home
from singing school, but up to the sum-
mer / mention 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 Hamp-
shire, TO finish some business he had be-
gun 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 90
away from home. So one Monday
morning 1 clambered on top of the old
stage-coach and started off, feeling, al
most for the first time, sense of my in
dependence and freedom.
As the stage numbered past the old
farmhouse, | 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 sup
press.
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
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, bright, in.
genuous expression to as frank a mouth
as l ever saw. i was Immediately at
tracted TO him. He clambered up OF
top of the coach as did, and drawing
from his pocket leather cigar-case, of
fered me cigar.
1 had never smoked cigar, but felt
kind of shame to refuse, so 1 took on,
and lighted it with as much or perhap
more importance than an old smoker
We glided into conversation.
"Where did you say you were going :?
asked.
"To Daltonville."
"To Daltonville"
Eyes. Is there anything strange i
thatP
"No; but was surprised. 1 am q
ing there too"
"Well, l know most of the familie
about there" he returned, putting hi
cigar. "Whom do you visit:"
"The Dsltons."
"The Daltensr'
eyes; is there anything strange i
thatP' / asked, as laughingly repeate
his very words, in the meantime watcl
ing the smoke as it curled from m
cigar.
"No, nothing strange, except that "
should meet. / am distantly related {
the family, and am going there to spen
couple of months. d. you kno
AnnaP
Annar' l asked; lis there your
lady thereT'
" Yes, my boy, young and handson
lady; one you can't help liking"
80, very well, then, Pll-drive
what are you wobbling over the ros
fsrr
"Shure. sur, an think the only wo
BILE, as ye call it, is in that cigar yer
smoking"
Sure enough, felt my head whirlin
and / should have fallen off the vehic
had it not been for the assistance of n
new-found friend who took my arm.
feel sick-so SICK" murmured.
II guess you are not used to strol
cigars. Driver, stop until 1 help Il
young man inside of the stage"
scarcely remembered what ha
pened afterwards, except that was
awfully sick man but gradually beg
to feel better, and by the time
stopped for the night I had almc
recovered.
Albert Warville and myself had
come the best of friends. He had car
for me during my illness, and not @
word did he say of my weakness.
That night the driver approached
and said, soto Uoce, Begorra, sur, if
first part of that cigar was as yoile rs
lasht, don't blame ye fur gettin' sic
But put no stock in what he said, fc
should not have known whether it
good or bad.
NOhJ VIC dAiiNCuj diVcI low ud
travel, at Daltonville. This little
LACE nestled in a valley near one of
most precipitous mountains of
Franconia range. 1t was a place of
nance, and built future hopes on
beauties of the surrounding scene
for was fond of hunting and fshi
and had quite good deal of experier
We were cordially welcomed at
Dalton house. where, found, my fri
was hailed as Cousin Albert. / did
see Anna Dalton until the supper hi
although don't doubt Albert did, a,
made himself at home at once, leay
me with the two boys of the ho1
Henry and Willie.
During the afternoon / gained Il
youthful hearts by promising to m
them each an Indian bow. When l
Anna Dalton / was net surprised (
Albert called her handsome; / she
have called her beautiful, for
"a fairer vision ne'er greeted my sight"
It was but the work of few h,
for me to fall desperately, madly,
ishly in love with her.
Two weeks glided by; ] had begul
pay direct attentions to the beaui
Anna, although could not tell whe
abe was playing with me, or was