Middletown transcript., 1881-08-05
MIDDLETOWN DELAWARE AUGUST 1881

fleetest youth, best known for his ath-
letic achievements and agility. These
were to be seated back to back upon the
boundary stone, each furnished with a
fambeau or torch of resinous pine, and
facing towards his own goal, and who,
upon given signal, was to fly for the
firing of the train. The first explosion
following, was to decide the contest in
favor of the party securing it, to the
complete surrender of all claim and
prosecution by the other.
The high noon Of the day had arrived
by the time the assembly completed its
labors, and the committees proceeded
at once to their duties. Long before
sunsetting the preparations were fin
ished, and, at the q Corners the popu-
lation was gathered upon the little
Square, y to learn the selection of the
competitor for the contest which was
to come off that night. The choice fell
upon STRIPPING distinguished for his
celebrity of movements, his aversion to
every species of toll and labor, and his
fondness for hunting and fishing,
vagabond, wandering kind of life, and
the surly landlords only daughter. So
often had he been forbidden to enter or
approach the home of his beloved, and
been told to give over forever all hope
of ever obtaining the object of his
wishes, that both he and the young
lady, who warmly reciprocated his
affection, had pretty well concluded to
abandon further effort and waiting.
The worthless, lazy vagabond, . the
old dignitary of the little "Tnn" would
say, . is too shiftless and idle for a SON
in-law of mine. Let him go to work
like other men, clear off some land and
build him cabin before he looks for
wife, and not expect me to provide him
both wife and home" Sensible advice
it must be admitted, but Jockson Fink
did not accept it, still prefering to live
on his Nimrod kind of existance.
When the committee called him for
ward and informed him of the honor
conferred upon him, his dark eyes
twinkled with delight, for he well knew,
of all the young men in the settlement.
there was not one who could cope sue
cessfully with his wiry, sinewy muscles.
Night was approaching and it was
time he should prepare for the struggle.
In addition to the reward promised him
by the committee, if he gained the
cause, several of the villagers sought to
inspire his feet with fieetness by prom
ises, one of jack-knife, and another of
a bullet-pouch and pound each of
powder and lead. The enthusiasm of
the " Corners" increased with the ap-
proach of the hour of trial, until Just
at the point of Jockson's starting to
join his rival at the starting stone, old
Dominic Friester, the landlord, had be-
come so thoroughly aroused to the
Importance of the issue and so Jealous
for the honor and glory of the "Cor-
ners, that he sought opportunity to
whisper in JockSon's ears the comfort :
ing assurance that he should even
have Alnea yet if he would only win. -
" Jist go and tell the gal so, Dom
inic, and say the things done, " was all
that Jockson said, as his 1.-THE and
wythe-like form snaked its way to join
the committee.
A deeply interested witness to the
proceedings Of the assembly and the
preparations of the afternoon, was
beautiful Indian maid, known to all the
country by the name of Medura. She
was the descendent of the last chief of
one of the confederated tribes, and the
only remaining representative Of that
proud Sachem's race. She had passed
her childhood in her native forest, and
much Of her time had been spent in
companiOnship with Jockson, in his
extra-civilized mode of living. Many
were the times he had bountifully sup
piled the cabin in which Medura and
the old crone who nursed her III infancy
lived, with the productions of his snare
and lines and his appearance at their
humble dwelling was always cordial
and welcome.
At the gathering of the people in the
little square for choosing the " runner,'' {
she loitered around the skirts of the
assembly, carelesSly Willing away the
time, until she heard the announcement
that JOckson was selected for the race,
when quietly and unobserved she re-
tired into the solitudes of the forest.
The intelligence boded no good or hap
piness to her. A suspicious apprehen-
sion that she could neither understand
nor shake off seized upon her, and ]
premonition that her hitherto sunny
sky of life was about to be obScured by {
some impending but indefnable cloud. '
Question after question forced itself {
up from the depths of her heart, and, l
in her vain efforts to comprehend her S
condition and emotions, that discovery,
which at the last the female heart never '
fails to extort from itself, burst at once g
upon her confused senses. Is it pos t
sible she loved him From her in f
fancy he had been her true, tried, ever f
constant friend. When others had re-
garded her cOntemptuOusly and spoken l
of her as the child of a savage, had he not I
curbed their cruel words and showed a
q greater tenderness toward her Had c
he not fought in her defence, nursed
her in sickness, and cared for her in a
health ? Had they not roamed the for Il
est together in search of nuts and ber- Il
ries, SKINNED the neighboring waters +
in his bark canoe, coasted the hills on a
the winter'S snow. and frOlicked on the T.