Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-03-26

been quite sick recently, but was get
ing better now, and she thought would
be able to be moved, and if they sold
she would take him and start at once
by boat, leaving Mr.. Parsons to drive
Hcross with their household goods, as
Erastus and Lucy had done.
TIE reception of this news had
caused much pleasure to the young
couple, who were both DESTROYS of hav-
ing their parents near them.
Lucy was especially anxious for the
presence of her mother at this time,
and fastened to reply, urging that they
sell if they could get anything like
fair price, and that they come at once.
But when the determination of the
railroad corporation to rob them of
their own home became known to
them, they felt it would be better for
their parents not to sell, at least for the
present; and Lucy again wrote, telling
her parents of the difficulty they were
in. and that if they had not sold, it
might be better not to do so.
1t was hard thing to do, and the
poor young wife had often to pause and
wipe away the tears that bl nded her
ewes as she wrote of their troubles
bring 10 the hearts of the old people
upon the mountain side.
She was expecting to become moth
er soon, and all the sweet Joy with
which she had been looking forward to
the coming of the babe had given lace
to Il terrible fear of what the future
might have in store for them ALL
Erastus had not been loud in his
threats, as had others. Indeed he had
not tn eaiened at all; but he was not
man of many words. And she had not
forgotten how at the Suscol Ranch,
when but a boy, he had taken her moth
er and Mrs. Richie w tn the children,
of which she was one, to a place of
safety and then returned to defend the
cottage with his life. And now the
thought kept coming to her: "What if
the company should actually attempt
the eviction of the settlers and Erastus
should again defend their home, and
be killed?'
She tried to put the thought from
her. but it kept coming back, each time
W -th increasing strength, until it came
or thought she knew, that if efforts
were made at an eviction, her husband
would call upon his neighbors to de-
fend their homes with their lives, and
would set them the example.
It was horrible thought. But it
came and it chung to her; and though she
tried hard not to make her letter TO her
parents be without CLEAN of hope, she
yet felt when it was written and sealed
that she had failed, and was still furth-
er depressed by the thought of the eff
feet it would have upon those to whom
it was to be sent; and especial Y upon
her father, who she knew would bear
the blow even less stoutly than her
mother.
Meantime the verbal sale of the
mountain ranch had been concluded
between Mr.. and Mrs. Parsons and the
gentleman of whom Mrs. Parsons had
written.
They were to receive two thousand
dollars cash down and to give immedi-
ate possession; and on the morning but
one following that on VIII CHI Lucv's Sec
ond letter was ma led, John Parsons
started to town with the deed made out
and signed by his wife.
He was to meet the purchaser at the
courthouse in Phippsburg. deliver the
deed and receive the money, provided
the title was found to be clear, of which
there was no doubt in the minds of
either party; the abstract, which Blake
gave to Parsons when he bought the
property, having been shown as proof
of that fact when negotiat ons for the
pure base and sale were first begun.
The sky looked cloudy and threaten
ing when he left home, but it would not
do to fail of being at the appointed
place on time, and he kissed his Grip
pied boy and his wife and left in good
sp rits, promising to be back by dark.
On reaching town he put out s
horse, saw that he was properly fed,
and then started for the CO rt-house.
On his way there he had to pass the
i post office, and, stopping to inquire if
there was any mail for him, was handed
Lucy's letter to her mother.
He recognized the post-mark and
| opened it at once not a common pro-
ceeding with him, for his eyes were no
| longer good, and even W ere letters
came addressed to himself instead of
| his wife, he usually preferred to wait
until he got home. and then have her
read them aloud while he ate supper or
smoked his pipe and restel.
But now something impressed him
with the thought that he had better
open the letter He had feeling that
perhaps all was not +; ght at the Slough.
Perhaps it was because it had been
only few days since they had received
le ter from there, and so were not ex-
pecting another so soon.
| Tearing Off the envelope he began to
read. but had not proceeded far before
| his hand trembled SO that he could not
hold paper still enough to see the
letters, and he folded it up and put ii
into his pocket
He had read enough, however, to
understand what had befallen his chill.
dren-
He knew that they were to be driven
from their home, as he and they had sc
often been before, BY the merciless greed
of soulless corporations. or com binations
of rich men whose hearts had turned tc
stone beneath the weight of their i'm
| mans ,aroa lth