Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-11-06

anG l had Waded through all tn
newspapers and other reading mat
ter to be had at the little Adirondack
hotel at which I was staying.
The landlord, Mr.. Carpenter, was
jolly old fellow who was noted foj
his sprightly stories, and he did hi
best to entertain his guests and keel
up their spirits as they sat on thu
broad piazza of the Wayside house ant
watched the steady downpour.
did not join the group on tn
veranda. If there is anything I par
ticularly dislike it is to listen to tn,
chatter of lot of people who arr
trying to delude themselves into tn,
belief that they are enjoying lif'
when the face of Nature is ankl,
deep with mud and water, and it i!
still raining as if it never intended tt
stop. So / stuck to my room anc
burrowed my way through books
week-old newspapers, patent medi
cine Misunderstanding that would
help me i'll measure to forget thu
abominable weather.
But on the evening of the SECOND
day, when it grew suddenly colder
and roaring wood fire had beer
kindled in the open fireplace in the
big sitting-room, I was one of the
first to gather around its cheerful
blaze.
Now, if ever, was the time fo1
storytelling, but the landlords roper.
tory seemed to be about exhausted.
mo use asking for any more funny
storles,' he drawled out with depre-
catory shake of the head. "These
two wet days have pumped me dry,
so to speak. I can only think of one
more story, but as there isn't any,
thing comical about that one, I don't
suppose you'll care to hear it,"
''Yes, go ahead" shouted several
voices at once.
Give us story. by all MEANS"
urged one of the ladies. II can al
ways sleep better if I have a ghost
story or some exciting adventure to
60 to bed on
WELL, began the landlord, re-
f1ectively, II don't think this comes
under the head of ghost story nor
even story of adventure. I'll have
to tell it, and let you classify it for
yourselves. The climax of my story
came ten years ago when I was keep
ing hotel in my native village,
which I will call Eden Center; but the
beginning dated back many years be-
fore that, to the time when the Peeks
were the nabobs of the place.
Squire Peek, with his wife and
only daughter, lived in a big white
house on hill in the outskirts of the
village, and naughty, housekeeping
old chap he was when I first knew
him. He always seemed to consider
himself and his family a little above
the rest of the folks in Eden Center
and when Lucinda Peek grew I'D, al.
though she was by long odds the best
looking young lady in the place, and
While the young fellows were all
half daft over her, none of them real.
ly had the courage to make love to
her for fear of arousing the wrath OF
the stiff-necked old squire.
AZ AAo' oAC WIZ CiIeu IL was an
outsider, and the ruthless way in
which his aspirations were nipped in
the bud by Lucinda's father held
forth very little encouragement to
the others. He was a young COLLEGE
student, named Henry Randell, who
had come to Eden Center to spend his
summer vacation in earning some
needed money. Though dependent
wholly on his own earnings, he was
bravely working his way through
college, it seems, and he got a iot
keeping the books and making up &C.
counts at the village store daytimes
and at night he gave lessons on the
violin and other musical instruments
he was first-class singer, too, and
soon after coming to the place he
started singing school, hiring the
schoolhouse and charging a regula,
fee for the lessons, which he gave
every Thursday evening.
1T was at the singing school that
he made the acquaintance of Lucinda
Peek, and it was a clear case of love
at first sight. He was manly youne
fellow, and when the rest of the bows
saw how matters were shaping. there
wasn't one of them but wished hin
well. :
But the course of true love run,
uncommonly rough sometimes as the
poet tells about, and when youne
: Randell walked boldly up to the bis
house on the hill with Lucinda one
evening, and asked her father for he1
hand in marriage, it was said thai
the naughty old squire drove hin
from the house with the dires1
threats and curses that one mar
ever poured upon the head of anoth
er. 1T. was then near the close o:
his vacation, and Randell was com
PEELED to return to his college with
out again seeing Lucinda.
s'1J was said that letters addressed
to Lucinda in young sRandelr S hand
writing came after he went away, bu1
the postmaster, who was q friend ant
seort Of dependent Of the squire, saw
to it that none Of them ever reached
her. Finally one Of the letters re
ctiyed after RandelI had left. the
place, was returned to him, 80 I've
heard, with the notation across TIL
face OF It thar the person to whom
& svas "a dressed was dead.
: IS was 9 cruel and wicked thing