Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-02-10
The Salvation
Of Daniel -. ~
M RS. TRAPAUD was in high good
wi feather; the bay mare and foal
By WlNlFRED D0LAN

RS. TRAPAUD was in high good
lyl feather; the bay mare and foal
haa fetched 100 OGDEN sovereigns be-
tween them. Moreover, she had only
given 80 guireas for the mare. Who
will be astonished, therefore, that she
found the news of her bargain quite
an agreeable adjunct to her breakfast
that morning?
Mrs. Trapaud was woman of some
humor; when her husb band died she met
a friend-a man also of some humor-
who knew as all the world knew and as
hide, that the marriage had been the re-
verse of happy. He looked at her weeds
with a compromising smile.
Got your divorce at last?" he said.
Yes, and In the higher courts, too,'
she replied
Mrs Trapaud was always equal to any
OCCASION
When TTapaud died his widow carried
on the work of his life; she continued to
breed his horses. Not so much, be it I'M
derstood, from any touching sympathy
with the dear departed as from sound
conviction that it was in her to make the
thing pay. And she did
1t was strange household composed
of antiquated serving men and women
who had been begotten and born on the
estate and in whom the last expiring
breath of feudalism fingered as though
dying hard. Trapaud left no heir, and
these farm and stable hands, these DO
nestle serving maids, were Mrs. Ira
paud's children. She dosed and phys
licked them when they required it, she
rubbed their backs when the rheumatism
got importunate: she scolded. she
praised. rewarded and blanchard they
loved her
But as in every fold there is one black
sheep. so in this patriarchal family
there was one strangeiing. Daniel-he
had no other Eame-had not been born
and bred on the estate he had not even
first seen light in the village: no. not
within ten leagues CT it, the sossips said
He came from practically nowhere; it
was so very far away. On winter nights,
when the evenings were long and dull,
the younger onc:-for age was a mere
matter OF comparison in the Trapaud
ehold-wOuld coax old Mrs. Good
heart to tell again the story of how
Daniel first came to the hail.
ut was a wild. black night, lest sich
one as this" the old housekeeper
would begin.
And the wind were bowling in the
chimbleys We knows" would interpolate
an irresponsible voice
''W'ill We niver lear to hould YER
tongue then and rot interrupt the
sto-y?" chorus of voices would protest
and then. Mrs. Goodheart having duly
allowed>herself to be appeased, the story
would drag out its slow. familiar ex-
istence. punctuated with 'ohs" and
'ahs' and "theer rows" that had become
sanctified by custom into sort of rite
But the reader who does not know what
500 days spent on midland horse farm
situated a good 20 miles from anywhere
on the map can be like would hardly an
preciate the:art with which Daniels his
tory was told, so we will offer a brief and
more modern up to day sketch that shall
state the plain matter in nutshell,
One Christmas eve quarter of a GEN.
fury ago the hospitable glare of fire
that not only could roast an OK, but was
actually doing so, attracted a little
ragged fellow who was tramping along
the high road In search of nights lode-
ing. One of the keepers found him in the
FIR plantation and dragged him after him
till they stood in the glare of the freight
before Trapaud, his wife, and the assem-
Died household. Questioned, the little
Fellow said his name was Daniel: he was
founding and had been put out to sery-
ice with drunken carpenter from
whom he had run away. He had cot as
Tar north as this in barge along tho
canals and had worked at whatever came
to his hand for all the food ard lo6oino