The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-04-18
swell, if you'll excuse my curios-


Its sixteen years ago now," said
Sandy, slowly. shat was riding
along the South Platte. One day !
came across place whar' the red
devils had been fighting a train.
When l came thar ther' wern't no
man alive nor no horses nor nothin'.
l rode along an l heard kind O.
wall, feeble like. / stopped an lis
tened, an then l looked whar' the
sound came from, and l found Bob
thar, nothin' but kid, he were then,
in a"
You found him in wagon box
Oh, for Gods sake, you found him
there !" and Mrs. barnston fairly ran
from the door in which she was
standing, and threw her arms around
Bob's neck, turning her head toward
Sandy as she spoke.
Sandy started, and half rose from
his chair. Then looking at Bob
with an eye full of affection for a
moment, he allowed his gaze to rest
ON the eager face of the woman.
Then he said, slowly:
Thar wer' somethin' as | found
alongside O. the little one"
Il know" said Mrs. Barnston,
"the half of bracelet"
Sandy nodded, and with a wild in
articulate cry of delight, Mrs. Barn
ston fell fainting to the floor. The
spectators of this intensely dramatic
scene hastened to her assistance,
and when she recovered it was to
find the arms of her son around
her. She hugged him, kissed him,
laughed and cried at the same time
over him. She called him her boy,
her Willie, her darling-every term
of endearment ever heard, she Law
ished upon him.
Bob, or Willie Thorndike, as his
name really was, behaved very well.
While it was impossible for him 10
realize that he had found a new
name and a mother, he yet showed
great deal of affection. He was the
first to realize, however, that Sandy
had left them.
Mother" he said, ''father must
be told that this makes no difference.
Come with me-"
Mrs. Barnston got up, and holding
her sons arm tightly, went with him.
They found Sandy walking to and
fro outside the house.
Mother" said viii. "you must
speak to father. He has been true
father to me-"
At the sound of the title he had
so long been accustomed to, Sandy
turned towards them.
II do not know what to say to
you" began Mrs. Barnston words
would be poor and weak. God bless
you, Mr.. McGovern, and He will
bless you for what you have done.
! cannot thank you, but | can pray
to Him that He will. Do not think
that wish to take Will away from
you. You have been father to
him, and it is right that he should
be your son. But he is my boy, my
darling" -
"Wa'al, marm," said Sandy, as
his face softened into a smile, as full
of pleasantness as May morning,
grasping as he spoke, Wills hand,
thar amt no reason, as | knows,
why We both can't love this young.
ster. He's good boy, as good as
they make 'em; and | reckon we
can range things so as to suit all
parties. You an your husband had
better stay on the ranch fer month
or two an we'll have plenty of time
to talk it all out. ! was afeared,"
continued Sandy, after a pause, "as
how | might have lost the boy long
O. your comm, but l sees that ain I
so, an | bless God for the Joy he has
given this day. Let's all 90 into
the house and talk it over"
And so it was all arranged. Mr..
and Mrs. Barnston and Edith stayed
at the ranch for three months. Dur
ing that time Wills mother had q
chance to tell how she had been
carried off by the Indians and res
cued by the United States troops
within a week how she had met her
then husband some eight years af-
terwards and married him, and how
she had never ceased thinking OF
her boy that had died, as she sup
posed, in the desert.
During the three months Will dis
covered the fact that he was very
glad that Edith Hovee was not his
relation by blood.
When the Barnstons did leave,
they did so two days after Mr.. and
Mrs. William Thorndike had taken
the cars on their wedding tour. San
dy gave Will one-half the ranch,
stocking it for him, and the last time
| saw viii he told me he was going
to run for Congress, He was full OF
the pleasure he expected to have in
getting his mother, bis wife and ba-
bies, and his father, as he always
called old Sandy, together once
more in his grand home in Wash
ington.