Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-03

SYNOPSIS.

SYNOPSIS.
Story opens December 81, 1856. at
Mason's Corner, near Boston, Mass,
introducing the reader to the queer
country people of that place and Of
marlborough Center and West East
borough, both nearby. Quincy Adams
Sawyer, a young lawyer, from Boston,
is staying at Deacon Abraham Ma
sons for an indefinite time, and by
his courtesy to the deacon's daughter.
Hulda, and the other young women, he
tncurs the hatred of Obediah Strout,
the singing master, and Ezekiel Pet
tingill, young farmer who loves HUI
dy. Strout's enmity grows from day
to day, but Quincy has firm friend
, in Hiram, the man of all work at
Deacon Mason's. Quincy visits Uncle
Ike Pettingill, a retired Boston busl-
ness man and an eccentric half her
NIT, who is also the uncle of Ezekiel
Pettingill. To him Quincy bears a
letter from his father. the Hon. Ma
thaniel Sawyer of Boston. who is an
old friend, Uncle Ike. Quincy grows to
like the old man despite his eccentri-
cities. Strout fails in an effort TO en-
Z list Ezekiel on his side in his war
against Quincy. He gets Bob Wood,
the village bully, to insult Quincy, who
promptly thrashes Wood and offers to
whip Strout Quincy calls at the Put
nam home. finds Indy absent and re-
ceives from the simple old folks a
story of the family, together with the
information that he has caused a mis-
understanding between Hubby Mason
and Ezekiel Pettengill He decides to
go and live with Uncle Ike and leave
the Masons alone. Quincy then takes
Hulda for a little ride and tells her he
is going to leave. They are thrown
from the buggy and Huldy's arm is
broken. Ezekiel's sister Alice, has lost
her eyesight, and her brother brings
her home. Uncle Ike yields to the en-
treaties of his niece and nephew and
goes to live with them at his invita-
ton Quincy also takes quarters at
the Pettengill homestead, where ne Is
received by Ezekiel OH friendly terms
After a visit to Hubby. during which
she apologies abjectly for her part III
& ais troubles, Quincy returns to his
tocm and is surprised to find a letter
from Indy Putnam. in which he asks
y aim to call with regard to IL business
nlattol. Another letter from his faith
n tells him that Dim Sawyer, dying
in the Eastoorough poorhouse. may be
his rEcle the black sheep OF the
y Sawyer family. Miss Putnam asks
Quincy for adv ice as to investing her
money and he refers her TO n Boston
firm. He visits Mrs. Putnam, who
TO leave her fortune to Alice Pettin-
gill He then visits Jim Sawyer at
the poor house and discovers that he
is his (Quincy's) uncle. The man tells
him where to find $4,000 in government
bonds he has hidden and Quincy gets
the money. In Boston he tells his
father of the affair and learns that
Miss Putnam has beer, to the elder
Sawyer.
CHAPTER Xv.-(Coptinued.)
II heard" replied Quincy. that a
man named James Sawyer was in the
Peterborough poorhouse. | wrote to
my father, and in his reply he told me
what have just said to you. If you
are my uncle, father says to do every
thing can to help you, and if he had
not said so | would have done it any.
way"
at is all true" said the man family
Il squandered the money my father
eft me. l married sweet. young girl
Ind took her. to the city. tried to in
troduce her into the set to which
Dnce belonged. 1t was a failure.
was angry, not with myself for expect
ing too much. but with her because
She gave me too little, as | Their
:, thought We had two children-a boy
named Ray and a little girl named
4 Mary. after my mother
my grandmother" said Quincy.
James Sawyer continued: 81 tool
to drink. I abused the woman whose
only fault had been that she had loved
me. ] neglected to provide for my
family. My wife fell sick, my two lit
tie children died, and my wife soor
followed them. ! returned from a de
bauch which had lasted me for abou
a month to find that | was alone in the
world / fled from the town where We
had lived, came here and tried to re
form. ! could not. fell sick ant
I they sent me here to the poorhouse
j have had no ambition to leave.
knew if did it would mean the same
old life. | am glad you came. 4 can
not tell you how glad. l do not wisi
for any assistance; the town will care
for me as long as | live, which will
not be very long; but your coming en-
ables me to perform an act of justice
which otherwise / could not hav'
done"
Tell me in what way I can serve
You" said Quincy, "and it shall b.
DONE
Look outside of the door," said thu