The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-04-10
off in fine style, but unfortunately had imbi6ed
a little too much of the ardent" and soon got

! &c BIT was very confident that was 10
annihilate Abe" therefore would not BE- put
down. At length policeman collGTcd me, anu
| was forced to "conilumlx."
! On awakening next morning | found my
wife already up, and myself with glorious
! headache At The breakfast table | inquired
of the events Of the previous day, and was Gu
! " informed that had made an ass Of myself
in the presence Of three thousand people.
Now" said my patient little wife, I'm the
name of all that is sacred, where is this TO
end? Our daughter is growing up to be al,
most young lady; shall she too be disgraced
by drunken fatEcry"
Julia" said |, "you will have to so before
a magistrate and declare our contract at an
end | do not want TO Disgrace both wife and
children
She replied, severely, Edward, you will
force me to it,
| then and there made resolve, II will
break loose from these old and hated associa-
tons, and in a distant land | will build up u
new hic.'
For nae to decide was TO act, and in three
DAYS was in st. LOUIS on my way to Cali
fOrnla.
On the way dOwa the river formed many
personal acquaintance, among them young
couple from Virginia. The lady was Of me
dunn height, well formed, bright, pretty and
Intelligent, and perfect lady. The husband
was tall, handsome, dashing and gay; but
soon found that the fair young bride had Sc
cret sorrow. 1t was not u secret from me very
long, for by and by | recognized in the fair one
an old scheol acquaintance Of LOudon, Va,
and her husband none other than Mr.. Rut
ledge, the accomplice of the william Randolph,
who had cheated me out Of my first intended,
the once beautiful Laura EdwardsOn. Mrs
Rutledge informed me that her husband once
drank to excess, and her father refused TO be-
stow his daughter upon drunkard, whereup
on Rutledge proposed to reform.
Mr. Oxford told him that he would require
years probation. Rutledge consented to
the trial, and for one year kept sober. But,
alas on this trip down the Ohio river he met
an old acquaintance Of Virginia; they drank
together one evening, and before midnight
they were both beasty drunk, and next morn
ing Rutlcdge was unable to rise, not leaving
his berth until after 10 o'clock. The friends
met again, and next night was a repetition of
the preceding one, and the young wife was
neglected and in deep distress RS friend
had lett the boat at Louisville but the demon
of drink still chung to Rutledge, and nightly
and daily he was drunk.
said to Mrs. Rutledge, "Where do you
land?"
AT Memphis. My husband has fine plan.
talon few miles from the city, but fear |
am going to u life of sorrow We have untold
wealth. and if my husband would give up the
accused drink we might be happy"
We landed III Memphis at night, and had to
leave before morning. There were no carri-
ages to receive our friends and carry them to
the hotel--but there was a dray. Upon the
dray were piled three trunks, and as Mr.. Rut
IN, ,lrpply IN ualr Mrs II had n
pile her husband on with the trunks and other
luggage, and the last we saw Of them the fair
young bride was walking sadly and mourn
fully beside the dray as it took its slow way
up into the city.
In due time we arrived in New Orleans. ]
IN the city for three weeks, and be-
came enamored with the cordially OF the peo-
pie and the softness of the climate. 1t was
September and warm, but in the evening the
breezes from the guilt were simply delightful.
| soon became accustomed to the fruits and
vegetables of the trOpics-the fine bananas
were my daily food, and garlic, onions and red
that entered into all the victuals for
the table soon became familiar to me. Drink
ing wine was common even among the ladies,
and it was no unusual thing among them to
say after dinner please excuse me, | have
drank too much VINE, and must retire tor a
few moments" In an hour or two they would
return, bright and ready for chat but in the
evening they would drink heavily.
Soon ! left for the city of San Francisco,
sailed in through the Golden Gate, and after Il
brief stay in this novel but grand city, took
my way to the mines.
After three years of mining and wandering
among the mountains, one day was out hunt
ing and at evening a storm coming up | was
glad to find shelter III a large cave. Weary
and hungry threw myself upon the ground,
and completely overcome, ! fell into pro.
found slumber At length awoke, and the
morning sun was shining in from the east and
illuminating my dreary chamber. In mo-
ment u rude door entering into an inner cham
Der softly opened, and powerful man with
shaggy beard made his appearance grasped
my pistol instinctively and arose upon one
elbow.
The man came close to me, and in hoarsc
whisper demanded what did there
| replied that | had been caught in the
storm the evening previous and had sought
shelter there for the night, and hoped was
not intrudng.
What Is your Nance"
Edward Hunt, of ILLINOIS,"
"Will you turn your face to the lightY' |
Did you ever live in old Loudon,
Virginia."
81 did"
And was on the eve of marriage to Miss
Laura Edwardson ?"
"Ycs, and but for two Williams she would
have been my wife"
And one of those riildiRS leans over you"
and he came close to me, with one hand in his
bosom.
Your name ?" said l.
as Peyton Randolph"
And what do you here''
MY wife Is dead; she hated me and loved
you. But she is gone to her reward, and If
tins knife does not fail ME, you shall soon fol
low herr And he sprang upon me, and
felt the cold steel seeking my heart
With superhuman effort threw him from
me, and the next instant bullet from my pis'
tol went crashing through his mad brain.
That was the last of Peyton Randolph, the
villain and highwayman. hut | WAS badly