The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-11-11
A STORY
OF FACT
BY RUTH GRAHAM

Don't leave the porch, children
Mamma won't be gone long"
These words were spoken by II moth
er to her two children-a boy and a
girl aged respectively seven and four
years-and the story which follows Is
true.
The aduge Truth Is stranger than hc-
ton" arises from the fact that In the
latter the author must introduce Il GER
tain plausibility or he will be accused
Of lack Of the inventive faculty. Such
Incidents as this one are seldom taken
for motifs for stories because they are
too improbable.
The mother had not been gone long
before man came along, threw u sack
over the girls head and ran away
with her. When the mother returned
she found her daughter gone and her
boy crying.
The neighborhOOd was searched high
and low, the police were notified, and a
posse was organized to hunt for the
passed. but the little girl remained un-
heard Of by her parents. Her mother
never saw her again.
Evelyn-such was the childs name
WAS carried to unknown parts by the
man who kidnapped her. but why he
had taken her must remain Il mystery,
for she was too young to understand
his object After a time he gave her
to a family who treated her WELL but
abe was finally taken to wild region
In Kansas and sold to persons there,
They kept a tavern beside Il road along
which travellers passed at Intervals,
though in such country guests were
few and far between.
One night traveller stopped at the
house, ute his supper and WIS shown
to his room. That night Evelyn was
awakened by shrieks which grew faint
er and fainter. as IL coming from some
one who was being overpowcred The
terror stricken child lay awake the
rest Of the night. In the morning she
was told that the travellers had gone
on. After that for awhile the family
purse seemed to have been replenished
Evelyn by this time was old enough
to know what was going on about her
and gradually came to realize that she
was living In den Of robbers and
murderers. 1t was not always neces-
sary to kill their victims. but when 1t
was they did not hesitate to do so. .aas
One day the child was standing at
the door crying. Three woodchoppers
came along and asked her what was
her trouble. ~ She gave them, her con.
tidence, telling them how she had been
taken from her home and bad finally
fallen into. hands of those whose deeds
made her shudder. They took her
away with them, landaOn the ainforma-
ton she ha' given Il posse was organ
lied, and the lair of the murderers was
raided. Some. .of them escaped. but
others were captured, tried and coli
vlcted." ;s,' ga7s5 a.lUr.1GC Al>.3+
This sounds for all the world ikea
fairy story OF little girl who was
held by an ogre and just before she
was about to be eaten up was rescued
by woodchOpper frQ
After this Evelyn was claimed by a
woman who said she was her mother.
Evelyn denied this. but, since she had
no home. went to live with the woman.
But she remained here only year, at
the end Of which time the woman drove
her out to shift for herself.
The poor child was now twelve years
old and devoted herself to making her
own living. But all the while she new
er gao up hope that she would find
her parents and her brother The
brother meanwhile was growing to be
n man. He remembered his lost sister
and would have made efforts to find
her if he could have got any clew.
Unless a child is kidnapped for ransom
and the parents are called upon to pay
1t there is little hope Of its restoration.
No child of four years Of age is capa-
bic Of acting in it's own behalf.
Evelyn, when she came to a mar
riageable age, was courted and became
wife. This was the end of her troubles.
for she lived happily with her husband.
Forty years passed. Evelyn was now
woman over forty four. The brother
from whom she was snatched was
nearly fifty, One day he took up
newspaper and there in brief item.
read his sisters story. Recognizing 1t
ms such. he at once wrote her
Evelyn Immediately made prepare.
lions to go to the brother from whom
she had been separated so many years.
The parents had been long dead, and
this made her only the more eager to
join him.
One day cab was driven up to the
house to which Evelyn had journeyed,
Her brother was expecting her, but
was inside the house when she arrived
Before she entered he heard her speak
to the cabman. s.
"Mother's voice." he said. 1T must
be Evelyn" a---
Who can depict the feelings of this
brother and sister. who when torn
apart We're little children. now united
on their approach to old age: Their
case was not that of brother and a