Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-04-05
COPYRIGHT. 1893 BY oAARLES. KING.

Ine Of tho men Drummond bids him
inquire. All eagerly await the reply.
AT last 1t comes:
"No dust on tho back track, sir, but
lomething that looks like it far to the
Iouth. We think it may be some Of our
fellows coming back, but it IS too faint
and far to make II out YET"
The corporal is the speaker. his reso-
nant voice contrasting strongly with the
feeble accents of his immediate supe-
rior, the wounded sergeant. I,>~-
Then / have somsthing that must
be told you, lieutenant. something Miss
Harvey already has en inkling of, for
she has met and known my'dear moth
or. II this pain continues to increase,
and fever sets in, l may be unable to
tell it later. Somo of tho men thought
1 had enlisted under an alias, liouten-
ant, bur t2cy were wrong. Wing is
my rightful name. Ny father was
chief officer of tho old Flying Cloud
in tho days when American clipper
ships beat the world. The gold fever
seized him, though, and he quit sail
ing and went to mining in the carly
days OF San Francisco, and there when
1 was little boy of 10 he died, leaving
mother with not many thousand dol
lars to take care of herself and me.
You will have your brother to help
you were words ho spoke tho last day
of his life, and even then noted how
little comfort mother seemed to find in
that fact. 1t was only few months
after fathers death that Uncle Fred,
from being an occasional visitor, came
to living with US all the time-made
his homo there, though seldom within
doors night or day. lie was several
years younger than mother. Ho was
the youngest, it seems, of tho family.
the baby, and had bccn pettcd and
spoiled from earliest infancy. I soon
found why no came. Mother was often
in tears, Uncle Fred always begging or
demanding money. The boys at school
twitted me about my gambler uncle,
though I've no doubt their fathers gam
blod as much as he. These were just
before the early days of the great war
that sprang up in 1851 and that we boys
out on the Pacific coast only vaguely
understood. Sometimes Uncle Fred
came home drunk, and l could hear
him threatening poor mother, and things
went from bad to worse. and one night
when | was Just 13 1 was awakened
from sound Glccp by her sore. !. In an
instant I fl3w to her room, Cal hing up
as l ran fathers old bowie knife that
always hung by my door. In the dim
light saw her lying by the bedside, 4
man bending over and choking her.
With all my strength 1 slashed Mt him
Just as he turned. I meant to Kill, but
tho turn saved him. He sprang to his
feet with an oath and cry and rushed
to the washstand. had laid Uncle
Fred's cheek open from ear to chin.
"It was long before mother could
check the flow of the blood. 1t gobcred
him, of course. and made him piteously
weak. For days after that she nursed
and cared for him, but forbade my en-
tering the room. Men came TO see him
insisted on seeing him-and she
would send me to the bank for gold and
pay theiF claims and bid them go.
At last he was able to walk out with
that awful slash On his thin white
face. Once then he met and cursed
me, but I did not mind had acted
only 10 save mother. How could / sup
pose that her assaiIant was her own
brother? Then finally with sobs and
tears she told Inc the story, how he had
been their mothers darling, how wild
and reckless was his youth, how her
mother'ss last thought seemed to be for
him, ana how on her knees she, my
ewn motAer,. promised TO take care of
poor Freddie and shieldhim from every
I'll, and this promise sherepeated to me.
bidding ms help her keepjt and to con-
c#al as far as / could heR Brother mis-
deeds. Foe arfew months, things went
little better. Uncle Fred gDt q ccnn-
mission in 2CalifcEniaregiment toward
ths1cIose of tho war and. was sent down
to- Arizona. Then, came more tears
and trouble / ctlldn t understand it
all then, but +! do now. Uncle Fred
was gambling: again.. driving on her
for means tanmeet his losses. The old
home went under tln, hammer, and VIC
moved down toSan Diego, wherefatheE
ha6 once invested and had left o little
property. And thur came the news
thaE: Uncle Fred hatg been dismissed, all
on account of drink and gambling ard
misrepresentation Of funds. Miss Har-
vey' knows all about this, lieutenant,
for mother toEdlher and had reason to.
And next came forgery and we were
stranded. We.hearM that he had gone
after. that wiah,awaSon train to Texas.
! gdt- employment ona ranca, and then
mother married again, married o man
whs. had long, befriended as and who
could give her a comfortable home.
Sheis now Mrs. Malrolm Bland OF San
Francisco, and Mr.. Bland offered tc
talse me into his store. butt loved the
opan air and independence. Mr.. Blanc
and Mr.. Harvey had business relations
| ard when Uncle Fsed was next heard
fran he WIS starving ta death, ht
said. actually dying He wrote t.
mother FROM Yuma. Mother wired mt
togo to hinaat ontSs, and Ibid. He was
considerably out ut elbows. but in ne
desperate need YET. Just then Mr.. Har
vey offered him a good salary to taxi
charge of his areight train. We al
knew howEhat must have been brough
about, anG felt that it would only b
a matter of time when he would rol
his new employer. He did and wa
discharged. hat Mr.. Bland made th
amount good, and the matter was hush
ed up. Then he drove stage awhile am
then disappeared. Mother has wri5tel
me time and again to find him or fin
out what has become of him, and
| promised I would leave no stone un
turned. Tell her / have kept my word