New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-01-14

that one OF my character should find
fault with anybody following the same
line of business that had occupied my
attention for half q lifetime and that
/ should begin to criticise my master
for crimes that had many times COM
mitted. I doubt very much il ! should
have troubled myself In this way had
not Miss Stetson commanded my re-
spect and confidence. She was too
pure and good to fall a victim to such
villains. There was a sacredness about
her love for Mr.. Goddard. even though
it could never be contaminated in mar
riage, which made her ten times more
beautiful and lovely in my eyes. Il
such a love had been mine in early life,
4 should never have drifted away from
an upright and honorable life.
She was not to marry him. That she
had settled in her own mind, but she
was consecrating her young life to him.
The dread of the leper in him was an
effectual barrier to their union, but she
loved him none the less. Her pale face
and sad, lustrous eyes revealed this
even to me- and I blessed her for it.
Her love was Of nobler type than
the ordinary, but the pity Of it was
that my master was not worthy Of it.
My feelings did not exactly undergo
a Transformation. Apart from his re-
lationship with Miss Stetson, l still
liked and admired my master. He was
a skilled master in his profession, a
man with many virtues and genial
qualities, one whose kindness in the
world had done much to make others
happy. He was in reality my beau
ideal of a criminal. man who pur
sued his unlawful work without i'm
bruiting his own nature. master Of
his profession and not a slave to it.
But when it came to question Of
choosing between my master and Miss
Stetson unhesitating sided with the
latter, one whose virtue was no less a
powerful factor in attracting me than
her utter helplessness in the hands of
two such men.
DR.. Squires had enlisted my dislike
from the first, and through varying de-
grees Of feelings had reached eli
max in positive hatred for him. I
would thwart him in his aim even
though it compromised my master in
the doing. had convincing proof
that he was all I ever imagined him to
be. 81 .5.e
1 soon became spy in the interest
Of Miss Stetson and in a sense traitor
to my master. This underhanded pro-
cedure displeased me, and several times
i was on the point Of applying for a
position in the Stetson mansion. But
this would remove me from the base
Of my supplies. could not obtain the
material so essential to conduct sue
,cessful warfare against the two men.
i would have to play the traitor for a
time at least-a role. be it said to my
credit. that never acted before.
I strove to make myself liked and
trusted by her, for knew that the
day might come when it would be very
important that she should believe in
me and have confidence in my wis
dom. Although nominally mere but
Ter, | knew that my master had praised
) me to her and had made her look upon
me as something more than common
servant.
Meanwhile an accident that nearly
proved fatal to her enabled me. to in
crease her friendliness for me- While
riding one Of the horses which John
said needed exercise, a feature of my
old life as groom that had not totally
abandoned, this adventure occurred
1t was a quiet, peaceful morning
and was cantering down the highway
thinking deeply Of the strange circum-
stances which had so occupied my
mind of late. heard the clatter of
feet in the distance, and as they seem
ed to approach rapidly and increase in
volume | turned my head to see the
cause. . .wn the old country road a
horse was flying, throwing up clouds
of dust and swaying the rider irreg.
ularly from left to right. turned my
horse and waited a moment to let the
daring rider pass.
But as the running steed rapidly
doomed up out Of the showers of dust
his feet were creating I saw that the
rider had lost all control of the ami
NAL and was uncertainty retaining his
seat in the saddle A moment later
my heart gave little bound of fear
when realized that the rider was a
woman and that woman Miss Stetson.
She was unattended, as she often was
in her morning rides, and along the old
country road there was little chance
/ of her attracting any one who could
help her. N h.
The horse was painting and snorting
with the violence Of his exertions, and
by the way he swung his head and neck
/ knew that he was liable to cut up
any dangerous trick to unseat his rid
er. AS they approached within a few
rods of me caught a glimpse of the
white face Of Miss Stetson. She was
nearly overcome with fright and exer
ton, and her appealing eyes stirred mp
every latent power within me.
let the raging horse pass. for any
attempt to stop him short in his mad
career would result in his ninging the
rider to the ground. Then, whipping
up my own horse, ! started in pursuit