The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-08-25

ed me my go'd-Reed did not want
to touch it. l had given HIM a dose
Of it by letting him sleep in the same
room with it l told her to stow it
away somewhere, as Reed and / were
going to look about the ranch little
before breakfast.
| marched Reed off and we looked
about the place.
| saw that he had excellent land,
but it was poorly cultivated, Signs
of shiftlesSness were seen IN every di-
rection. The fences were not what
they should have been, the barn was
dilapidated. the animals were lean
and hungry looking, and l was soon
satisfied that Reed did not relish hard
work, his house was large, unpaint
ed structure that stood in an open
field, with not tree or shrub about
it.
While we were returning to break
fast after this inspection of the prem
ises. said to Reed:
Tell your wife that we are going
to Nevada City after breakfast
ITO Nevada City, cried he; turn
ing pale and quaking with alarm.
"You don't intend to deliver me up?"
Calm yourself" ssidI; Il have
business there and shall do you no
harm. Tell your wife we shall be
back to night and also tell her that
| shall be your guest for some days"
Il shall do rs you say was Reed S
reply, but he did not look very com
Portable.
After breakfast Reed harnessed his
team and we left for Nevada.
On reaching Nevada [ told Reed to
drive directly to the court house.
He turned pale.
1T is all right" said |. I'VE are go
ing to see about that mortgage; it is,
of course, on record
We found ii all right. After sell
ing my dust and drawing some money
that | had deposited at the local
bank, | went with Reed to have the
mortgage released.
But it is almost impossible for me
to pay you all this money stammer-
cd Reed.
Never mind about that-that will
be all right You will pay-you will
work it out"
[ remained five days at Reeds
ranch thoroughly studying it. Dur
ing the time / went to Nevada City
and drew some more money, also
took out to the ranch an assistant to
Reed, a countryman of mine from
lnn,. froaly nnnonI u Nn1vlt
| told this man that Reed was an old
friend of nine to whom l had lent a
considerable sum of money to give
him fresh start IN the world; that
Reed was a good enough fellow, but
little inclined to be lazy and shift
less, therefore | wished him to push
him in the work on the ranch, as l
desired to get my money back as
soon as possible. | also told Reed If
there was any soldering on his part
it would be reported to me.
The next year all the ground was
fenced and brought under cultivation.
l frequently visited the ranch, ana
the next year began to get back my
money. I now began to have very
good opinion of my robber, as he had
now become very industrious, and
was in many respects fair sort Of
man. Now that he had got start in
the right direction, he seemed anxious
to go ahead. He began to feel a
pride in his ranch and all its surroun
dings, and took great interest in eve
rything. / had not found it necessary
to keep Kempt over him after the
first year.
All was going on 50 we'll that in
another year or two Reed would have
been able TO pay me every cent he
owed me, when an accident happened
to him. While going home from Ne
vada one day, his team ran away,
throwing him out of his wagon
against tree, crushing in his skull
and instantly killing him. l was in
Fall Greek when heard that my
robber was dead | at once went
down to the ranch and married the
widow-not right away, you must
understand, for she thought a good
deal of Reed. l comforted her and
took care of things on the place until
a proper time had expired
Now you know how / met my rob
Der, and how | got my revenge. To
this day Mrs. Waldow does not know
when and how | first became acquain-
ed with her first husband. She still
thinks it was at Cold Water, Mich
Instead of three hundred acres IN
Nevada county l have three thousand
acres in Oregon.