The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-06-29

enough in you to let you do as you
please
| He looked bit disappointed when
came down so easy-or perhaps twas
my imagination that made me think
so-but he didn't take back water. i
suppose it would be all right in a min
ute if / would say the first word, he
continued, but I'll go gray and daft
first
He was about half crazy. He had
| to go somewhere he thought so he tele-
graphed to a brother Of mine who runs
some sort of factory in New York,
| asking if he could find him some work,
and receiving a reply prepared to go.
went with him to the station. His
mother and younger sisters were left at
home weeping.
II shall never forget that afternoon,
not if 1 live thousand years. The air
seemed dead. 1t was only by an effort
that one could breathe. l wished that
John wasn't going away. but I didn't
tell him so. He'd had my permission
my arm.
want to speak to-her.'
out, calling the girl, who was lolling in
the hammock, apparently writing. She
came forward to meet him. They talk
ed together for only minute, and then
he clim mbed into the wagon. We went
on a mile or so before he spoke. Then
he said, I asked her if she wanted me
to stay. She didn't answer. told her
that if she would just say that she
wanted me II wouldn't go away, but
she wouldn't say it, His chin dropped
to his breast, and not another word was
uttered till we came to say good by at
the train.
After the train had gone went to
the store to buy few things, and then
started for home, feeling good deal
down in the mouth. Clouds were piling
up in the southwest, but the air was
more Oppressive, If possible, than ever.
l let the horses jog along easy for they
were wet with sweat. In consequence
of this moderation / got caught. The
clouds came UP with astounding rapidi-
ty. The storm was nearly upon me be-
fore l had taken any particular no
tice of It. Well, / had but one thought
in my mind then-to get home to mother
and Mary, our little girl, so / did not
seek shelter.
Then in an instant, like a mighty
avenging arm, cloud dropped to the
earth, and what followed was confu-
sion. I have no clear recollection of
how it was done. but I found myself
in field, fully a mile from the road.
/ was uninjured in body. The horses
and wagon were gone and have never
seen them since. My purse, suppose I
had not put 1t we'll into my pocket, and
1t had droped out upon the seat, was
also gone. 1t contained precisely $12
and one cent. / remember the sum, for
had been engaged in counting II when
the storm fell.
We'll, started for home as fast as
could leg 1t. The first house came to
was heap of ruins, and there was a
girl sitting upon the end of a board with
her head tied up. I passed on without
word. I figured that IL John wasn't
good enough for her, Johns father was
not under any obligations to waste time
Cabling with her. There were ruins
all along the way. 1t was as IL the face
of nature had been pounded with a
club. And found things no better at
my own place. Everything was reduce
ed to kindling wood and my wife and
daughter"
mot dead?" broke in the canvasser.
mo, but near 1t, my boy. There prob
ably never were two females worse
scared who lived to tell the story. They
were In the cellar and 1t took me two
hours to dig them out. We went to
neighbor's to sleep that night. and the
next morning came down here to see
about getting things cleared up, and my
boy-well. they tell me went over like
a log when saw John standing by the
place where the front door used to be.
The girl was with him, her head stilI
tied up. He had q bandage about his
head too.