Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-14

tained % be his real name. "Spare me
this and I will honestly tell you ALL"
Z" Talk fast, then,n said /.
:" have a young wife and child-a
little boy-and a ranch that ] am about /
10 lose. II is mortgaged and will be
taken from me in five days II don't |
raise $1,000 On account Of my wife |
and child / made this desperate attempt |
10 save myself from ruin. / was In |
Washington last night, where tried in |
vain 10 raise money. I slept In the next |
room 10 you, and through the cbinks in |
the partition saw your belt Of gold. l
heard you say you were going TO Nevada
early in the morning. IL was also my
road, and the devil put il into my head
10 get your gold without harming you.
As God is my judge, would have been
killed before would have shot you.
had determined to do you no harm"
Is that ALP"
"That is all, and the whole truth, so
help me God. Now, for the love Of
Heaven, let me go, and I'll never again
do wrong act to any human being"
MarchP" commanded L.
"God help mel" cried he, =" will you
ruin me and bring disgrace on my fam
lily by taking me to Nevada to the jailP''
I" did not say, March to Nevada;
only said march, and / say again,
march, We march not to Nevada, but
to your ranch, If you have one"
"Good Godl You do not mean to
take me there and disgrace me in the
eyes of my wife. Sheis one of the best
women in the world, and it would kill
her."
al will now know the truth of this
whole business said l. A" / am in no
hurry TO go to Nevada City. will take
! my time and find out all. If you have,
as you say, farm and a wife and child,
| shall do you no harm-will cause your
wife no pain. Again 1 say, march,"
made Reed shoulder my dust and
march some ten feetin advance. ! told
him TO take straight course through
the woods, as | wanted to see no one,
nor was he anxious to meet any of his
acquaintances.
We turned to the right from the road
and marched in a sOutherly course. 1t
was long way through the forest, and
nothing worthy of note occurred while
| passing through it. Little was said by
either Reed or myself. Reed tried TO
talk to me about his wife and child once
or twice and beg me to be careful in
what l should say before his wife, but
sternly ordered him to shut his mouth.
al am thinking said I, "and that
is enough. l am thinking of every thing,
and shall do what is right"
We passed through the pine forests
and down into the foothills among
groves of live oak and among manzanita
thickets.
els it yet farP" said L, after we had
been some time among the low hills.
"But mile or So" said Reed.
At last, as we reached the summit of
little ridge, he pointed to a cottage in
field half a mile away, and said:
"There is my home"
"Good," said 1. "Now sit down and
compose yourself, for you are not to ap-
pear at all agitated. We 60 now to see
your wife and little boy"
Reed began to weep.
"This is rough" said he.
"It is" said l, "but there is no help
for it. l will now take the belt and put
it on. Leave it where you are and move
twenty feet further down the hill; then
sit down and dry your eyes, for the sun
is not half an hour high, and we must
60 to your house."
Reed did as directed, and when the
belt was in place and had given him
time to compose his features, ordered
him to get up and move on.
"My wife will think it strange to see
you carrying my gun. Willyou trust me
with itP'
al have bought your gun, you know,
When l leave your home shall carry il
away with me-"
Reed said no more. As we drew neal
the house 1 told Reed to fall back by my
side.
"Now," said /, "pay attention.
am an old friend of yours, a man yor
knew many years ago in-where are yor
fromP"
"Near Cold Water, Michigan"
every well; l am from Cold Water
Michigan; you knew me there; | have
come home with you to see your place
and your boy. Now go on. l am you
old friend, Mr.. Waldow; remember thu
name-WaldOw.
So we went to the house. Reeds wifi
met us at the door. was introduced
as Mr.. Waldow, and at once began Il
play the part of an old acquaintance.
Mrs. Reed was a woman about twenty
eight years of age and quite handsome
She spoke with slight accent tina
caused me to ask if she were not o
German parentage. She was. She tolC
me the name of her father-Jacol
9 Schroeder.
"Jacob Schroeder!" cried l. "Fron
what place in GcrmanyP"
"From Dantzig," said she.
"From Dantzigl" cried 1. "Good
I also am from Dantzig. 1t is my nativ
. town and 1 knew your father well,
: which in truth l did. My heart wen
out toward her, and l said to myself a
! looked at her honest faces "Daughte
= of Jacob Schroeder, you are married Il
a weak, bad man and a rObber, but
, will do you all the good can"
q As for Reed, he said nothing, but so
looking quite stupefied. Even when hi
v wife said: I" Is it not wonderful
q Thomas, that Mr.. Waldow should be
Dantziger and should know my fathers
? he who is also an old friend and &C
quaintance of yoursP" Reed muttere
something about there being strang
meetings in California.
k paid no attention to Reeds distress
/, but went on and told his wife man
j. things that l remembered about he
J, father and her uncles, of not few {
! which she had heard her parents speak
for her mother was also Dantzi
woman.
/ was soon on good terms with tn
d boy, sang little songs to him, and, il
deed, made myself so much at home an
Y the friend of the family that Reed oa'
at me stolen glances of astonishmen