Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-23
JOHN BEDELL, U. T, L0YAL|ST,
BY z. W. THOMSON.

A black hearted traitor! You dare to tell
me that George Winthrop loves you! Son OF
canting. lying Ezra Winthrop! BY the Eter-
nal. IN shoot him on sight II he comes this
sider'
| While old John Bedell was speaking he
tore and flung away a letter. reached for his
long rife on Its pins above the chimney
place. dashed its butt angrily to the floor
and poured powder into his palm.
For heavens mercy. father! You would
not! You could not! The war is over. 1t
would be murderv cried Ruth Bedell, Sob
bling.
| Wouldn't II" He poured the powder in.
Yes. by gracious. quicker'n Id kill rattle
snake" He placed the round bullet on the
little square Of creased rag at the muzzle OF
his rife. "A rank traitor-bone and blood OF
those who drove out loyal men, He
| crowded the tight lead home, dashed the
ramrod into place, looked to the flint REST
there. old Sure-death-wake up, for George
| winthrop! and the fierce old man replaced
rifle and powder horn on their pegs.
| Bedelfs hatred for the foes who had
beaten down King Georges cause and i'm
posed the alternative of confiscation or the
oath OF allegiance on the vanquished was
considered ferocious. even by his brother
loyalists Of the Niagara frontier
| THE squire kind O. sees his boys blood
when the sky's red." said they in explana-
| ton. But their inference erred. Bedell was
] SO much an enthusiast that he could almost
| rejoice because his three stark sons had
gained the prize or death in battle. He was
| too brave to hate the nghting men he had
| so often confronted. But he abhorred the
| politicians, especially the intimate civic ene-
| mics ON whom he had poured scorn before
the armed struggle began. More than any
| he hated Ezra winthrop, the lawyer, arch
revoiutlonlSt OF their native town, VINO had
| never used weapon but his tongue. And
now his Ruth. the beloved and only child
lett 70 his eXlled age, had confessed her love
for Ezra Winthrops son! They had been
boy and girl. pretty maiden and bright
striphng together. without the squire sus-
| clearly so wild thing as their affection.
Ihe confession burned in his heart like veri-
table nre-a raging anguish of mingled
loathing and love- He stood now gazing at
Ruth. dumbly, his hands clenched, head
sometimes mechanically Quivering. anger
hate, love. grief. tumultuous in his soul
Ruth glanced up-her Iather seemed about
to speak-she bowed again. shuddering as
though the coming words might Kill. Still
there was silence-a long silence. Bedell
stood motionless, poised, breathing hard
The silence oppressed the giri-each moment
her terror increased-expectant attention be-
came suffering that demanded his voice
and still was silence-save for the dull roar
OF Niagara that more and more pervaded
the air. The torture of waiting for the
words--a curse against her. she feared-over-
wore Ruths endurance. She looked up
again suddenly and John Bedell saw In hers
the beloved eyes Of his dead wife. shrinking
with intoieraole fear. he groaned heavily,
flung up his hands despairin3ly and strooe
out toward the river.
How crafty smooth the green Niagara
sweeps toward the plunge beneath that per-
petual white cloud above the falls! From
Bedelfs clearing below Navy Island he could
SwAYlnR
ever rushing up to expand and overhang.
The terrible stream had profound fascina-
ton for him. with its racing eddies eating
at the shore, its long weeds, visible through
the clear water, trailing close down to the
bottom, It's inexorable. eternal, onward pour
ing. Because II was SO mighty and SO
threatening his stern soul reJoiced grimly In
the awful river. To hoat, watching cracks
and lodges OF It's Hat bottom rock drift
quickly upward; to bend to his oars onN
when white crests OF the rapids yelled for
his Life; to win escape by sheer strength
from points 50 low down that he some times
doubted but the greedy forces had been
tempted too long; to stake his life, watching
tree tops for sign that he could yet save
1t, was the dreadful pastime by which Be-
dell sometimes quelled passionate prompt
ings to revenge his exile. The falls is
bound to get the squire some day." said the
banished settlers. But the squires skifr was
clean butt as u Dickcrei and his old arms
iron strong. Now. when he had gone forth
from the beloved child. who seemed to him
SO traitorous to ho love and ail-loyalty he
went instinctively to spend his passion upon
the river.
Ruth Bedei casing at the loaded rifle,
shuddered. Her filial love seemed to have
died with those threats. Her fears were
deep. but she had not told all. George Win
throp himself, having made his way secretly
through the forest from Lake Ontario, had
given her his own letter. asking leave from
the squire to visit his newly made cabin
From the moment Of arrival her lover had
lvV,, roA .arf 10 6N vxytfh R..t 81
was strong In Ruth to give hope that her
father would yield to the yet stronger affec-
ton freshened in her heart. Believing their
union might be permitted she had pledged
| herself to escape with her lover II 1t We're
forbidden. Now he waited by the hickory
wood for q signal to conceal himself or come
forward.
When Ruth saw her father far down the
river she stepped to the Flagstaff he had
raised before building the cabin-his first
duty being to hoist the Union Jack! 1t was
the largest flag he could procure; he could
see 1t flying defisntly all day long; at night
he could hear its glorious folds whipping In
the wind; the old loyalist loved to fancy his
foemen cursing at 1t from the other side.
nearly three miles away. Ruth hauled the
flag down a little, then ran 1t up to the mast
head again.
At that q tall young fellow came spring
ing into the clearing, jumping exultantly
over the brush-heaps and tree trunks. his
queue waggling. his eyes bright, glad under
his three-cornered hat. Joying that her
father had yielded. he ran forward till he
| saw Ruth's tears
What, northumberland It was the
signal to come on" cried he.
Yes; to see you sooner. George. Father
| Is out yonder But no. he will never, never
| consent"
Then you will come with me. love-" he
| said. taking her hands
mo, no, / dare not" sobbed Ruth. "Fa-
| ther would overtake US. He swears to shoot
| you on sight Go, George Escape while you
| can! Oh, II he should find you here!"
But darling love. We need not fear. We
can escape easily. I know the forest path.
Butt then he thought how weak her pace,
1--WE might cross here before he could come
upr' cried winthrop looking toward where
| the squires boat was now a distant blotch
mo. no." walled Ruth. yet yielding to
his embrace. This IL the last time shall
ever, goodbye. my love. my love-"
But he clasped her in his strong arms,
kissing. imporing, cheering her-and how
should true love choose hopeless renuncla-
ton?
Tempting, defying. regaining his lost
ground, drifting down again, trying hard to
tire out and subdue his heart-pangs, Bedell
dallied with death more closely than ever
Often he could see the wide smooth curve
where the green volume first lapses vastly
on a lazy slope. to shoulder UP below a
huge calm billow, before pitching into the
madness Of waves whose confusion Of toss
ing and tortured crests hurries to the abyss
The afternoon grew toward evening before
he pulled steadily home. crawling away