The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-04-06

first gathering tears he would mentally
renew his VOW to fight manfulfy tho
cause of life and conquer or die IS
would become brave man.
But at length there came time
when the poor blind girl sickened. lam
guished, faded and departed for an
other and better world, where, without
the aid of mortal eyes, she could meet
and recognize her sainted mother in
he habitations of the blessed.
AS they deposited the precious coffin
in its narrow resting place, and the
grief-stricken man retrsced his steps
homeward from the grave yard, he felt
sad, detected. and as though there was
nothing left for him to live for, and he
mentally wished that he, too, might
sleep in that silent grave yard. where
the black birds twittered so mournfully
and the winds blew so gently over the
new-made grave, and sung such sweet
and mournful requiems among the
stately pines.
But in course of time nature came to
the rescue, and reminding Brom that
what was his great loss was the poor
blind girls inestimable gain, COM
manded him to stand up like man and q
philosopher, and continue the battle
for life.
Brom was human. and, as the foun-
tains of grief gradually dried up, he
began to consider seriously whether ii
would not be well for him to marry.
He knew that he loved with fervent
devotion charming Betsy Vedder, and
he felt certain that he never could or
would marry any other woman.
Her parents were dead, and she was
living with her uncle, Myndret Dock
stader, proud and aristocratic old
Dutchman. who could boast of immense
wealth and long line of noble ances-
try. He never had any child, and his
wife had been dead for years.
He had, when she was a mere child,
adopted his niece, Betsy Vedder, as his
own, permitting her out of respect to
her dead mother, to retain the name of
Vedder.
Betsy was also the owner in her own
right of many broad acres in the fer
tile valley. which came To her by inner
itance. The idea of securing her as
his wife seemed preposterous. Dozens
of the wealthiest and most aristocratic
young men in the valley were constant
in their attentions, striving to capture
her heart and hand.
Surely" thought Brom, ''there can
be no chance for a poor school-teacher
like me- She cares nothing for me!
True, she walks out and rides out with
me, and we sail hours together on the
beautiful Mohawk by moonlight. But
| what of il. She does the same with
dozen of other young men who are
wealthy"
Often would he walk for hours up
| and down the rivers bank, brooding
over the misfortune of being poor, and
wondering why he could not have been
born rich, or, at least, have an oppor-
tunity of becoming wealthy by honest
| exertion.
One day he was walking thus along
| the bank of the river, when he espied a
| light birch canoe in the middle of the
stream, and in it was an ugly looking
old woman whom he never saw before.
Her hair was white as snow, her face
was sunken and wrinkled, and her
teeth were all gone with the exception
of one long. yellow tusk. AS she
stood up in the canoe with long pad
die in her hands, she was certainly a
repulsive looking being.
Just at the place where she was at
tempting to cross the river the current
was very strong, and the big rock visi-
| BILE ONLY at low water mark was but a
| few feet below. A mistake of the pad
die caused the canoe TO strike the SUBJ
merged rock. when, quick as thought,
the canoe careened and floated bottom
| upward down the stream, leaving its
occupant helpless in the water.
Brom did not like the looks of the
strange being, but looks were of no ac-
count with him when he found hui
man life in peril. He plunged into the
stream. With few well directed
efforts he seized the old woman with
his left hand, and with few vigorous
strokes with the right arm regained
the bank with his burden more fright
ened THAI injured.
She soon regained her self-composure
and walked away talking to herself:
Brave boy! Brave boy! Lucky boy!
The Witch Of The MohaWk ociN not for
0etr'
Of course this adventure was upper
most in Brom's mind for long time.
He like all other Mohawk Dutchmen
was superstitious. He believed in
witches, fairies, "spooks'' and COLLINS.
Brom had heard about the Witch OF
the Mohawk long before he was sent to
Albany-heard the negro servants from
various families, as they sat around
the fireplace in the kitchen, talk about
the marvellous doings of the old witch.
But gradually his adventure with the
witch faded from his mind.
Brom being school-master and q
good penman, and great fayorite
with the people, had to do the writing
for the whole community; consequently
he was not surprised at being sum
moned one evening to attend the man
sion of the venerable burgher, Dock.
stader. Without the least idea of the