Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-12-15
"SUSIE;
 ''The only one who ever loved me : and shot her. "JoHN WILSON"
"SUSIE;

Ihad sense of horror as read the strange inscription. The story pos- sessed a peculiar fascination for me. Partly from my guide and partly from others I learned the facts, and here they are:
 Years before, when John Wilson was but youth, he came to this mountain and built his cabin. Then on the creek in the valley three miles below he opened a country store. He was far superior to the simple mountain folk, and his immense strength, his strong intellect and his knowledge of books made him a leader. No one knew frouo whence he came, except that he w-sA raised in the city, and at first hR neighbors were distrustful of hlm. But this soon wore away, and nothing could be done on the mountain side in which he did not take the most prominent part. He brought young wife with him, and together they lived in the cabin he had built. The years passed by, and, for that country, where money is scarce and needs are few for which money is wanted, the store-keeper grew to be a wealthy man. He was natural athlete, and could run faster. leap farther, shoot straighter and ride better than any man in the sparsely-scttled country.
 For years his life was a happy one, and little daughter was born unto the young couple. In the morning and evening Wilson's cheerful whistle could be heard as he passed from the cabin to the store and back again. As the baby grew, he used to take her on his back and carry her to the store where she was content to play until he was ready to go home. She was the pride of the mountain side. But one day stranger appeared on the mount ain. He was well dressed, and the sim- ! pie mountaineers regarded him with suspicion. The next day he was gone l and John Wilson's wife had disap- i peared, never to return. No one knew , any thing further; but the store-keeper ] no longer whistled as he went to the store. An almost savage ferceness came i upon him, except to little Susie, who was always by his side, or being carried on his back. If she hid behind the boxes in tho store, it was pathetic to hear him call: ''Susie, my babyw And the child would run out and throw her arms around him and laugh, while the tears would come unbidden to the strong mans eyes as he stroked hel hair and chided her for frightening him by running away. When she was older they would sit in the cabin door and he would teach her to read. Never for 2 moment were they separated, these two; and as the years passed by some thing of the old-time gayety came bacl to John Wilson.
 When fourteen years old Susie wal sent to the city to school, and there she remained four years. Once 8 montt Nher father went to visit heE and then hl would come back and take up his ordi nary duties in perfunctory way, as i his thoughts were with his daughter 1T the distant city. Every night little
 knot of men met at his house, and i was not long before the Governmen officials learned that the strongest or ganization of the moonshiners Tn thu State were operating somewhere amoni these mountains, and they believed that John Wilson was the leader Dur ing all these years he had held aloo
 from these men, except that they knev
 him to be 8 man who could be trusted
 A1d when he built Q still down on thu creek below his store they at once co
 knoWled9ed him as their leader. Wn,
 he went into it no one will ever ksHou