The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-01-12


the right trail. In few minutes tall,
athletic man, apparently IS or 80 years
cid, entereA the room.
"Why, how do you do, Hydef What on
earth has brought you over herel You
look troubled-what's the natter"
81 didn't know was troubled over any
thing. On the contrary, assure you /
am in the best of health and the finest
spirits, but for long time have been
hunting for bit of history which seems
to have been pretty thoroughly forgotten
or laid away. Do you remember that
young Clinton who went to America
couple of years ago to get some of the
cheap land there?"
"Yes."
"Well, few months ago received a
letter from him asking me to help him
find the story Of an Englishman who must
have been in that country n number of
years ago-long before settlement began
there, have written him that would
help him and have been trying ever since
to find some clew to woAl upon, but did
not succeed at all until few days ago l
saw in a museum specimen found in
Iowa territory, in America, and having
your name on it. Clinton went to Iowa,
or Dakota, as they call the western part
of it now, and the ruined house he found
is on the banks of the Missouri river in
that country. Now, what | came over
here for today is to ask you if you could
tell me anything to help me along"
"Why, | was in America when | was
young man and spent couple Of years
among the Indians in the west, but my
life there was such that doubt being able
to help you much What did Clinton say
about his RUM"
Hyde told him as nearly as he could the
facts with which our readers are already
familiar, and as the story proceeded Briggs
became more and more interested. When
the old Indian was mentioned, he lost his
reserve, and with the simple expression,
"Old Two Crows" he made it known to
Hyde that he was the man who had built
the old house, but the latter only changed
his mode of questioning.
"Can it be your house they mean9"
~ think it is, but why should they
want to know anything about it? 1t was
only a log cabin very small and poorly
built, and it must be nearly or quite rot
ted down now"
"They wonder what you were there for,
and, too, they want to place your visit
with the other early explorers in the coun-
try's history. The house was not adapted
to trading, and the hunters and trappers
did not generally build houses and never
like that one. Then that Indians story
led them to believe you had seen better
days, and instead of his satisfying their
curiosity he only made it worse"
A long silence ensued, Briggs seeming
to be in deep study, and Hyde watching
closely the changing expressions of his
face. At last Briggs broke the spell
"Well, will tell you all about it, pro
vided. you will never mention it here in
England. "
Hyde promised TO keep the secret in their
home, never telling it anywhere except to
Clinton, and Briggs went on:
"My father was merchant in London,
and | was his only child, so would sue
coed to his property and trade. He kept
me in school so as to fit me for business
and as soon as was qualified he sent me
to Oxford. While | was there came the
first remote cause of my going to America.
81 fell desperately in love with a young
woman there. 1t was case of love at
first sight with both of us, but her father
bore the title of lord and had the ideas Of
two centuries ago, when a man without
in other respects, was so far inferior to
a titled parsonage that marriage
between the two castles was impossible.
Consequently he objected to our attach
ment and forbade his daughter even see
ing me. l tried to argue the case with
him. told him | was the only heir to
large fortune, which he admitted, as also
that my morals were without objection.
w tn
asked him if he was aware that my father
had more influence in the great city Of
London than he had in his country seat,
even if he were lord This he admitted,
but said he should never give his consent
to mixing the blood of an old cavalier
with that of the common horde.
He was not to be moved in the least,
and ! must part company with her or OBJ
tain her by stealth. For month my stud
les Jagged Then / was called home tc
rest. opened my secret to my father anil
asked his advice. We both studied over
the problem, fer he thought me compe
tent to make my own choice of a wife,
and seeing that was desperately in earn
est he wanted to help me all he could. |
was left for a time in charge of the London
house while he went to the country tO use
bucu persuasion us ne possessed, DlG ne
came back only with the thought that !
must give up my dream. The idea drove
me nearly wild, for | knew that she was
as sorely annoyed rs l, and for me to de
Bert her was a very poor showing of gal
lantry. At last / yielded and wrote her
that for her sake it was best that we for
get each other, as our marriage could take
place only in direct opposition 10 her IA
lher's wishes, and that would tend to make
her most unhappy woman.
"a few days afterward l suggested to
my father that drop my studies for that
year and take trip TO New York. He
was much pleased with the idea, thinking
that it might be beneficial to me in my
business life to see how the western world
moved, and also that my mind would be
diverted ! was passenger ON the first
vessel bound for America, and after what
was then thought short voyage landed
Mt New York. That was in the early fall
of 1S43. | was to stay in America until
the next summer, and not being idly dis
posed l turned my mind toward some
business. Nothing seemed to meet my
fancy there, and 1 went to Chicago. A
fur trapping expedition was just starting
put for the upper lakes, and |, more to see
the country and be active than anything
else, joined the party. We were out all
winter.
haooy,a ~, 4o,,cyb ,x-e;oo H., ~, 4, l,oor