The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-03-31

TO buy q revolver Tor sell defense,
but he received, instead, wholesome
advice, by which he might have
profited had he not become so en-
ragged that he armed himself with a
butcher-knife, went into the kitchen
asked Maggie to marry or kill him,
if not, he would kill her. 1t was
now the mothers turn to be alarmed,
and she persuaded Maggie to flee to
Mr.. Pratt's. AT noon, when Tom
returned from his work he missed
Maggie and inquired of her mother
where she was. Mrs. Rich gave an
evasive answer which only aroused
Toms suspicion; so, as an excuse to
hunt for her, he said he wanted to
90 to Detroit, and applied to Mr..
Rich for money to defray expenses,
saying they would divide the crops
after he returned. Mr.. Rich said
he could not let him have any
money, but would take him to the
depot Immediately, which did not
at all please Tom, and to prevent
the the frustrating of his plans, he
replied that he would rather wait
till morning, and before leaving
visit some of his friends, at the
same time asking the loan of horse
to expedite the matter.
Suspicion now rested with Mr..
Rich, but he did not refuse Tom the
horse, although he watched the
direction he took, and discovered
it towards Mr.. Pratt's, four miles
distant. Mr.. Rich Immediately
started on across lots, shortening
the distance 9 miles, and arrived
before Tom, at Mr.. Pratt's, where
he met Maggie and Mrs. Pratt just
returning from berrying. Tom
soon came up, and asked the privi-
lege of seeing Maggie alone, but her
father told him if he had anything
to say to her, to say it then and there
6etore him, SO Tom again asked
Maggie to marry him, but she re-
piled by telling her father that she
had already promised to marry
Orson Pratt. TOMS anger now
knew no bounds, and the cowardly
villain stealthily reached for a pistol,
but Mr.. Rich anticipated the act,
and placed himself between Maggie
and Tom, looking him steadily in
the eye as he would a wild beast
ready to pounce upon him. Tom
covered before the searching gaze,
and the pistol did not appear, but
seeing himself foiled in his dastardly
attempt to murder Maggie, he re-
sorted to disgraceful and scandalous
assertions concerning her character,
duplicating both her and himself,
which latter did him no harm, for
he had nothing to lose, while Maggie
had all Mr.. Rich took no farther
notice of Tom, but withdrew his
daughter and taking her to Marlette,
placed her in charge of a friend
there. Tom followed them about
one-half mile, then, with the horse
he had borrowed, returned to Mr..
Rich's house. Mrs. Rich had re-
NAMED in mortal terror of Toms
arrival, and tried to persuade neigh
Dor Camp to stay at the house as
protector, but his cowardice over
balanced gallantry, and he fled, leav-
ing Mrs. Rich alone, but, fortunately
for her, when Tom came he did not
seem very savage and when Mr..
Rich arrived, he found Tom in tears,
but probably not those of penitence,
for Mr.. Rich ordered him to leave
the house which Tom Immediately
did, and went to a neighbors think
ing to receive sympathy, but was
only tolerated because people knew
no better or safer way of dealing
with one whose presence in the COM
munity was like frebrand continu-
ally being shifted about a stubble
field, his contact sereing and black
ening everything.
Even Mr.. Rich had discovered so
much depravity in Toms character,
that Immediately after driving from
his house, he feared Tom might re-
4 n