Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-07-28
THE WELDON ESTATE.
By ALFRED r. CALHOUN.
Copyright 1896, by American Prsss Associa,
ton
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER L
IL was some years after the great civ
II war. though that il was not long aft
cr can be inferred from the fact that bat
one railroad had as yet laid its iron
muscles across the great plains from
| the Missouri to the mountains. The cat
| tie herds Of the ranchers had not yet
| taken the place of the swarming black
hafalo on the tampaS. There were M
settlements along the rivers where nov
stately cities rise, and the only means
of conveyance and transportation we'
the saddle and the prairie schooner, a.
the great canvas topped wagons that
conveyed the immigrants goods and
| family wcrs then callrd-
II was an evening in early June. The
| setting sun was throwing "A shadow from
the giant mountains 10 the westward
over the clear tributaries of the Nilsson
| ri, when large train went into camp
| IN a valley that afforded abundant wa
ter ald pasture for their cattle and
hors, S. while the Slopes of the surround
| ng foothills We're covered with fu,l !,
only necessary u this time for cooking
purposes This was known Is DIR.
Blunchard's train
DR.. Blanchard was a handsome man
Of middle agc, who up To the time of
MS going westward had lived, a. had
his forcfa,hor, for many generations b, 3
fore him. near Wheeling and what Is
now West Virginia The civil war, III
| which the doctor did not take part
| though. unlike most of his family, his
| symulthivS were with the Cnion-had
| left him impoverished, and. what was
| worse. without friends where he Sh' Md
most expect them. his wife had just
| dicd-it might be said uf "A broken heart
AT the beginning of the war Mrs
| Blanchard had two brothers, Frederick
and Valentine Weldon. Frederick Vel
don. or Fred, ~ he was called, strongly
favored secession, and his brother As
strongly opposed IT.
| One night Valentine returned home
from Charleston, whittier he had ridden
on horrchack with his brother. The
| brother never r'turncd, but some months
afterNard body was found down the
| river which could not H. recognized cN-
cept by it, tattered garments. and from
| these II was believed Ia be the corpse uf
| Frederick Weldon. The skull was frac-
tured. and an impression went abroad
that hc had been killed by his brother
| This impression was strengthened hy the
fact that immediately after the disap-
| pearancc Il Frederick, Valentine, with
| his wife. two little sons and baby
| daughter, suddenly disappeared and was
| never heard e again in that land. Val
| entine had been advertised for. Through
| the death of his father, who died with
ont knowing that one If his SONS was
| dead, "A large estate was left u the two
brothers.
DIR. Blanchard'S wife was sister of
the WeldorS, but had been entirely ig-
| nored in her fathers will, fact that
no doubt added tu the unsettled condl-
ton f the Doctors mind and forced
him Ia ~ westward with his children.
These children were son Howard, II
this time tall, handsome young man I
two and twenty, and two daughters,
Alice and Clara, aged respectively IL
| and "a.
For the purpose II protection. mum.
Der II other wagons had Joined Dr.
Blanchari's train at Omaha. and be-
fore setting ont they had elected the
doctor 70 be their chief and man
known as Captain Brandon 10 b. then
gnide. Captain Brandon WAS tall.
brunzed man. with grizzled beard, one
eve, and a very quiet manner Though
evidently IN the prime Of life, his
hair was snowy white, which, added &c