Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-11-28

WASAASt0L4uIxIA 0lI IH16 NlAOIOuS 0IlO
scientific treatment. 1t was evident that
the invalid was beyond the reach OF
medical skill.
The dying man was Henry Baker
whose father was the first white set
tier in those parts. Henry had married
q Shaker woman, who ran away from
home and faith, and happily settled
down e h junction OF the Tiogs
and C~owanesque rivers. Henry haG
made a clearing by cutting and burn
ing the magnificent pumpkin pine trees
some OF them which pierced the heav-
ems to a height OF $50 feet. straight as
an arrow, that, had they been at the
seaboard, would have made unparallel-
ed masts for briggs and schooners By
just peeling.
These forest giants encountered his
land. and the potash from the wood
ashes and the virgin soil, raised wheat
barley, Indian maize as almost nowhere
else. His rifle furnished the family
with meat Of the fines quality. elk,
bear. %veension, quail. partridge: wood,
cock. pigeon. duck and the like. and
brook trout were everywhere plentt-
full,
But the work Of Henry Baker was
finished and non knew 1t better than
he. There gathered around his print
tive bed his wife. his mother, his IL
year-0ld sOn, Samuel. and six younger
AAN III Gk00 W0vON SAAS1kk 0k1 q " o.
ave his eldest.
Son." he said, II am dying. I have
some things to say to you, who will
become the head OF the family when
am gone" Through binding tears the
boy protested. but the father said COM
f%ortingly:
Samuel, death is not more thar
birth. Such q natural thing, like taking
a drink Of water. Not to be dreaded
o feared. but to be met her0ically and
with trust. Go to the fireplace. take
out the fourth stone from the top on
the right hand side. There you will
And a bag with some money. There
The mount we owe the Connecticut
company for our farm. Deliver the
barley to Adam Harris distillery. ]
have arranged for 1t, take all the mon
ey and GO to the land once and get a
deed in fee. warranted by the Con-
necticut company. With the farm paid
for. you ought to be able to get along.
more purchase money to pay, you
should be able to make a good living
for your mother and the children"
Henry Baker ceased talking, closed
his EYE YEARLY and moved further up
on his pallet that he might better
breathe Inc catch q little Of the breeze
from the cooling pines.
Suddenly Henry Bakers eyes gleam-
ed with a strange. fierce light. like the
pickering Of a lamp about to &c out.
Raising himself IN his elbow. the sick
man shouted: Swear. son-swear to
me that your first duty in life will be
to mother and the children-my widow
and fatherless ones. Swear, that it
may ease my dying pillow"
Raising his right hand solemnly Sam
uel Baker said audibly. II do so wear"
The sufferer sank back, a smile Of con-
tent on his features. The mournful
sound of soughing pines came through
the holes in the side OF the house
which answered for windows. Tie dy-
ing man fell asleep and dreamed of
cooling springs and ice-and more ice.
Toward morning his fevor developed
into increasing temperature, till final
~ his parched, burnt-out spirit took
flight.
After the funeral services Samuel
set things to rights, delivered the barley
to Harris distillery, went to the land
office m came back with q deed In
fee simple to 200 are Of land, re-
solved that, IL 1t lay in his power, he
would provide for the family as his
father had wished.
the family Of Amos-Barton, which
was Of he pioneer number. But the
n striking feature OF 1t was their
daughter. Mary. She was IL, Of med
ium height. q face Of which every fea-
ture was Of ever att~ractiveness, a
1.-THE figure with the %suppleness of q
young panther. beautiful. olive complex
ion. long black hair which floated
from her shoulders, black eyes and q
smile which was the mar
vel Of h neighborhood. She was by
far the best looking young woman in
the community.
At church she had sat often side by
A&AA NrftH RnNo sAA.~S-hAf c--..-n n-V----
was like q young hickory. He had
accompanied her on long walks
through the woods. Not that she was
afraid. for she carried q rifle, and was
as good q shot az there was at the
settlement.
Her father had been q victim Of the
Wyoming massacre and her mother,
tortured t. invaltdism. had escaped
and moved her family to northern
Pennsylvania to get away from the
scene OF the tragedy which was never
effaced from her memory.
Mary Barton was q girl Of impulsive
moods. She was like an April day.
sunshine and rain. smiles and tears.
Gentle as a dove, and when reused like
a young catamount. And because of
this variable nature and the storms
swept over It. she was known in
the vicinity al "Bittersweet."
There were two boys in the Barton
family big enough to work the place,
including the eldest son. Amos, who
had a bad reputation in the neighbor-
hood. When horses were stolen, barns
burned or other depredations COM
mitted. wise ones would shake their
heads and say, II guess Amos Barton
has been out again. He was a mys-
ferrous person. who ordinarily slept
DAYTIME. as any might ascertain by
to see him. and what he did
nights was D~rOblematical
Amos wore q suit of conspicuous but
ternut clothes for best. once the prop
erty of an uncle. whose widow, on the
death OF that worthy. sent them on to
the Widow Barton, and @ they better
fitted Amos than any other member
OF b family. he appropriated them.