Middletown transcript., 1892-08-25

on-perhaps it would be wise. III
!. l. stretched his tired body, and thel
stepped deliberately into the spring
house.
"No bread, of course" he said
Then he drank greedily from one O.
/ the pans of cool, sweet cream. and put
ting a gold coin in a conspicuous place
he suatched up the stand oflate straw
berries and hurried away.
) Jack Dietrich, prosperous young
lawyer, was in an unenviable position.
These are the facts in the case. He
had beautiful home in Raleigh, was
the only son of his parents, and was
engaged 10 one Of the most. lovahe
girlsin- the city.
About a week before our story
opens, Jack went suddenly from Ra-
leigh to small neighboring village
on private business for his father.
At midnight he was awakened, and
received from a strange man, a sealed
note. This man had refused to trust
the letter with the landlord of the inn,
and stood awaiting an answer as Jack
read -
"MY Son Leave T at once. No
time to explain; trust me and fly for
your life. Go to Sagsville, horseback;
avoid everyone. Will send instruc-
tions to s."
Jack was too bewildered to notice
that his fathers note ended just there
until he had read several lines of an
other handwriting on the same page.
This second note said -
"Jack-my darling-in mercy to
me, to all of us, do as your father says.
It will all come right, I know, if you
will only 60, and at once. Take with
you my hearts best love and faith.
HELEN"
Now Jack Dietrich had nothing OF
the coward in his nature. He rebelled
against obeying these two notes. Why
should he fly for his life2 In all the
world he had no known enemy; he
had harmed no man.
He read his fathers note again, and
paused over the word Sagsville Fl.
nally he,decided to obey that far, any
way. Once there, having received
his promised instructions" he would
act as he thought best.
He had large amount of money
with him, and found very little trouble
10 purchasing horse, even at that |
time of the night. Sagsville was a
small mountain village some distance
away, and he found the road in places
rough in the extreme, and lonely.
On the second day of his journey
his horse became disabled, and he was
compelled to leave him with a poor
family, and travel on foot. He could
find no other animal to purchase, and
thus we find him footsore and ragged
at Gold Brook Farm.
He reached Sagsville in safety
about ten days after reading the two
notes. But his mind was quite made
up as to his course ofaction, no matter
what his fathers instructions might be.
he was an honest man, had harmed
no one-then Of what should he be
afraid I?
He looked like very suspicious
character as he walked boldly into
Sagsville 10 the early morning. He
objected very seriously to being seen
by any one from Raleigh until after
he had changed his attire. So he
stopped at the FIRST boarding house he
saw, engaged room and ordered
breakfast. He told the proprietor
that he had started on a horseback
tour through the mountains that his
horse became disabled, and be had
been unable TO buy another. He went
to the best clothier in the place, and
gave instructions for a suit Of clothes,
taking csre5to have his well filled
purse in view when he saw how sus-
piciously the respectable merchant
eyed him.
A bath, some minutes with barber
and the new clothing made quite a
fine looking fellow of our tramp, and
he was eating bis breakfast with
relish never felt before, when a quick
rap sounded on his door, and before
he could speak one of his Raleigh
friends entered.
There was an eager, cardial greet
ing, but while their hands were still
clasped together the Raleigh man
said, =
"For Gods sake, old fellow, what
made you register ?"
Jack had almost forgotten. This
question brought it all back. He
squared himself, put on look of in
dignant defiance, and said -
Look here, Willet, confound this
whole business ss-I'm sick IF it! Why
did l register Well, I'll tell you.
I registered because l don't care if the
whole world knows where I'm eating
breakfast. I will never again hide
from mankind-so help me! | am
going to Raleigh on the very next