Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-05-05
[From Harper's Bazar.l
THE TURN OF AN ACCIDENT.

The IURN UF AN RCClDENI.
Tt was six o'clock of a crisp October
morning, and John Boyd, farmer, rous-
ing from his sound nights sleep, sprang
out of bed with the alert readiness of a
man who knows the value of the first
hours of the day. It was tavern bed
from which he jumped; home and its
cares were many miles away; but a long
ride lay before him, and he washed and
dressed briskly, as one in shaste, hum
ming a cheerful air meanwhile, as be-
came man who felt himself In good
spirits, and had ample reason for doing
SO. For, be it known, this year had
proved the best for farmers since John
had been his own master. Harvests had
been large, prices high, and John, on
his way back from the annual market,
carried sense of freedom and liberation
at his heart from the final extinguish-
ment of mortgage on his farm-a mort
gage which had pressed as heavily on his
conscience as did the burden of Christian
on his shoulders. The burden was lifted
now; and, further than that, John car
ried in his fat red wallet two hundred
..
penses of the next year. He had never
been so "forehanded" before, and the
sensation was joyful one. "My neck
Lis out of the collar now," he muttered to
himself as he brushed his thick brown
hair. q should be fool indeed if I
put it in again. No more mortgages for
mel" Then, his toilet completed, he
ran down stairs, two steps at time.
Farmer-like, his first visit was to his
horses. They were munching their corn
satisfactorily; and after a look or two,
and a pat, John returned to the inn,
where iangling bell announced break
fast. 1t was smoking on the table-a
substantial meal of the kind universal in
taverns thirty years ago; and John Boyd,
whose appetite was of the kind proverb-
tally said to accompany good con-
science, was doing it ample justice, when
a studded instinct led him to thrust his
hand into the inner pocket which held
the two hundred dollars. The wallet
was gone!
In the suddenness of the shock, John
felt himself pale, and then flush painful
", as he confusedly tried to remember if
he had taken out the wallet, and when
Under his pillow-that was it. He
rocollected distinctly, or so it seemed,
putting it there, for security 8 sake, when
he went to bed the night before. With
muttered excuse he left the table and
hurried upstairs. The door of his room
stood open, and maidservant was put
ting fresh sheets on the bed, the soiled
linen lying III heap on the floor.
Toward this heap John hurried and
began turning it over.
''Have you lost something, SIR" asked
the maid.
John Strengthened himself up to an
swer. He had not noticed the maid be-
fore, though she had waited upon table
at supper. Now he observed that she
was young and rather pretty-fair, with
trim, slender figure, beautiful glossy
hair, neatly dressed and braided, and a
pair of sweet, apprehensive blue eyes.
Her voice was soft, too; and she had a
shy, modest manner which suggested an
idea of refinement. All these facts
Farmer Boyd absorbed in fash, and
instinctively noting, weighing, estimat-
ing, by that wonderfully rapid process
of which the human mind is capable,
while yet his thoughts were full of his
money and his loss.
eyes, I am looking for my wallet,
which [ left under my pillow. Did you
find it?"
The girls face blanched to deadly
whiteness, and her eyes dilated as with
sudden terror.
"No, SIR" she said, her voice trem-
bling and sinking away, as she spoke
81 didn't see any wallet.
Tol,,, 1ool~oI NJ 1,o,. 1ic4r CT !,
there was something in the pale face
which disarmed suspicion.
"I'd like to search the bed" he went
on. cit may have slipped under the
Mattress
Together they turned the mattress, but
no wallet was visible.
"That off horse of yourn has got his
shoe loose somehow" announced Mr..
Nash, the landlord, at the door. 81
thought I'd better tell you, SOS you
could stop to the blacksmith's as you
pass, and get him to put in couple of
nails. Why, what's the matter?"
John explained.
The landlord looked very grave. He
whistled softly to himself for minute,
with his eyes fixed on the tumhled bed
ding; then he went to the stair head and
called his wife. Presently they came in
together, the landlord g face very red and
troubled.
"Such thing never happened in my
house before" she protested. 'But