The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-07-23

breath into the foundry with the alarm
ing intelligence that "Booty" had fallen
into the river. Instantly all the men
dropped their work and started to 60
to the rescue of the unfortunate youth.
''Oh!-he's got out-he's got out!
Got out all himself, too reckon! shout
ed the lad, as he gazed toward the river
some rods away. The men paused
short. and bent their eyes in the direc-
ton referred to. and sure enough, who
should be ssen coming hurriedly up the
path leading from the river but the
veritable Tommy holding his arms ex-
tended as be walked, the water dripping
from his face and garments like rain.
and the poor fellow an object OF pity.
yet merriment.
'sFeller citizernr' remarked Ruben,
with an air of great seriousness and
dignity as Tommy drew nearer. '.Here-
in Is fulfilled the lofty prophecy once de-
livered by our valued associate (turn-
ing toward Burns) respecting our young
friend. (Now looking in the direction
of Tommy Though startlin', It scas
brave act on his part! He has did it!
Behold the-cnss!
Several present were led to indulge in
laughter, and that of an imm0derate
character, because of Ruben's speech,
though the greater number, out OF re-
gard, think. for Peterson. refrained
from any exhibition of hilarity. But
the father apparently unmindful of the
unkindly pleasantly on the part of the
speaker, as also the merriment it had
occasioned, went to his boy and taking
him by the hand as if he had teen the
very paragon of sons. led him gently
past the crowd of onlOokers to his home,
there to kindly care for the one whom
God had sent to him to care for and
love.
Summer glided into autumn, and q u
tumn died in the embrace of winter.
In the foundry at LOwerton, Glenn
Peterson continued to toll as he had
done, though he was not the same man
even that he had been. His hair had
grown very gray, his form was bowed.
his movements were less sprightly,
while in his heart there brooded more
and more deeply the sorrow which, like
q slow yet certain poison, was wearing
his life away. But Tommy was the
same personality as formerly, only in
physical stature he had grown until he
was taller than most youths of his
years. No special incident had &C.
cured i'm his history since the adventure
narrated, save as this had been several
times repeated in his case, and on one
occasion, in late summer, when circus
had visited Lowerton, he had allowed
himself to be too familiar with the ele-
plant, the result being he was suddenly
and ungracefuliy lifted several feet into
the air. and, descending to terra tirma.
he had been severely reprimanded by
the keeper for his daring impotence.
More than once Ruben had taken it
upon himself to remind Burns of the
prediction he had made concerning
Tommy, and the answer he would inva-
riably receive from his friend would be
that there was '.Plinty of time-plinty
of timer followed by the sentiment
somewhat varied in the mouth of the
speaker-"Them as the gods love, they
don't always die early!"
At length winter relaxed her rigorous
hold upon the year. The air grew mild
er, the snow began to melt. the ice
bound streams to burst from their long
imprisonment. while Spring, in all the
plenitude of her joyance and beauty,
stood waiting in the distance the glad
proclamation of earth Return -
Upon the high hills skirting the valley
of the Huron the dissolving SHOWS de-
scended the steep slopes, and the little
river, which in summertime and early
autumn was as peaceful and fairy-like
as a poets dream. commenced to over
flow its banks and enlarge its borders
until il was as a sea. For more than
fifty miles back from its mouth, at the
head of Lake Erie, like demon un-
fettered and free, the Huron rolled and
plunged on hour after hour, sweeping
in its mad cReer every thing in its path.
At no point in its course did its waters
rise to such height and spend their
fury with SO much strength as Lower
ton, where, in the brief space OF forty
eight hours, property accessible to their
influence and aggregating thousands Of
dollars in value was destroyed, families
rendered homeless and poor, and human
lives swept ruthlessly into eternity.
On the evening preceding the first day
of the flood the people of the village re.
tired to their homes ut an early hour,
little realizing the terrible events of the
morrow. 1t WAS no unusual thing fol
the Huron to overflow its banks at thi,
season of the year, but to do more thar
this was SO rare an event it had not hap
pcned in over twenty years. Early thu
next morning, as in groups the excitct
inhabitants FASTENED to the scene o.
desolation and danger, and gazing NJ
and down the valley beheld home after
home surrounded by the merciless e.e
ments, and the occupants thereof worse
than prisoners, it needed but glance
as it were, on the part of those who were
safe beyond all harm, to understand
that steps must be taken Immediately
for the relief of the sufferers. In les.
than half an hour more than a dozer
boats, manned by skillful men, put ou
in various directions to the rescue o
those who. with hearts full of anxiety
and fear, were watching and waiting fol
deliverance. Among those who tina
hour stood gazing out upon the awfu
scene was the poor demented youth
Tommy Peterson, Standing with arms
akimbo, his head stretched forward, hi,
eyes staring wildly about. and tn,
wind playing with his long, un
kempt yellow hair, ne presented
q picture which savored indeed
more of the ludicrous than the serious
Did he really understand the signifi
canoe of all that was taking place, o.
was he prompted to lend his presence Il
the occasion because there was some
thing going on?