Year: 1877

nunQTeu uOliarS III Il would undertake
the case and an additional thousand if
gained. That was big fee-far more
than | had then made in all my plead
ing. 1t was tempting. And yet saw
that it was not perfectly clear--not en-
tirely honest. The probability was that
this William Acton was Philips child;
and it was not impossible that Philip
had married Betsy Totwood. Itstruck
me that Leban Sarfurt was a william,
and that he fancied that he had young
Acton so far in his power that he could
eject him from the title. But what had
particularly to do with that? If ac-
cepted client, 1 must serve him. I
had no business but to serve his INF er-
est. finally told Mr.. Sarfurt that I
would think the matter over. l should
probably have business in Shirton
during the sessions of the court, and /
would call on him then and examine
more fully. i could not take his retain
er until had further light. f.


But said he, 'will you promise not
1 W tstAt up lol iuO OllltI slut!


IT told him I would do nothing with
out further consultation with him." 9
Because, he added, IF you are for
me am sure TO win. Acton can't find
a lawyer that can hold candle to you.
know them ALL ee


"No matter whether / believed him
or not, did not feel battered.


1.-Two weeks later received letter
from Sarfurt, promising me 5000 if I
won.


"The 5000 was strong argument.
Was not law really game of chance.
in which the strongest hand and long
est purse must win? told myself yes.
Yes-and sat down and wrote reply,
saying that would take the case. But
1 did not mail it at once. That night l
put it under my pillow and slept over
it, and on the following morning I threw
it into the fire. / would not make up
my mind until had seen other parties
until l had been on the grounds. And
I wrote to Laban Sarfurt TO wait


1.-TWO weeks later narnessed my
horse to the wagon, and with my wife
and child started for Shireton. 1 had
been married two years, and our little
babe, girl, was a year old. our pride,
our pet and our darling. Shireton was
a distance of about thirty miles. We
had been having rainy weather for
about week or so. and it had now
cleared of bright and beautiful. We
stopped and took dinner at wayside
inn, four miles beyond which was q
stream which must be forded. The
innkeeper told me that the stream was
somewhat swollen from the late rains,
but that if my horse was trusty there
ccu.d be 10 danger.


ARRIVED at the stream, the Wampar
tuck river, found the water indeed
risen and the current strong, but saw
that others had recently gone over, and
resolved to venture. knew my horse
and had faith in him. Ny wife was
anxious, but she trusted my judgment.
A third Of the way across the water was
over the hub of the wheels. A little
more and it would have reached the
body of the wagon. l began to be
alarmed; feared 1 had left the true
track. Presently my horse stumbled
and staggered, having evidently stepped
on a.moving stone. The wagon swayed
and tipped. and the flood poured ia
upon us. My wife slipped, and in a
moment more we werc in the water.
With one hand grasped the harness
upon the horse, and with the other /
held my wife, 1 was thus struggling
when wild cry from her lips startled
the air. Our child was washed away.


''Oh, my soull cannot tell you what
! suffered during those moments. /
could not help our darling. VI i left
my wife she was lost. 1 clm,g to the
horse and elung to my shrieking wife
shrieking to God for mercy to her child.
In the distance, upon the bosom of the
surging flood, could see our little one,
her white dress cleaning in tie sun,
being borne swiftly away. A moment.
more, and saw man plunge from the
bank into the river. saw this much,
and then an intervening point of land
shut out the scene. The horse was now
rapidly nearing the shore, and ere long
my wife and were on dry land with
the horse and wagon. As soon as / was
sure my wife was safe, left her to care
for the horse, while / posted down the
river in quest of the swimmer and the
child.


"You may well understand that all
this tins L was frantic. / was a
machine being operated upon by a
surging and agonizing emotion. How
long or how far wandered I do not
know, but at length met man, wet
and dripping, with my darling in his
arms-my darling, safe and sound. He
told me that he had caught the child
within a few rods of the falls, and that
in landing he had cleared the abyss by
not more than two yards. lie was a
young man, not more than twenty-five,
handsome and stalwart. He said he
had seen my wagon tip, and was coming
to my assistance when he saw the child
washed away. Il threw my life into
the balance said he, with a genial
smile, 'and thank G. Il both the lives
were savedl


81 asked him how I should ever re-
pay him. He stopped me with an inn
ploring GESTURE:


'If you talk of more pay than have
already received he said If you can
rob me of the only solid reward / car
claim, mercy! if saving the life of such
cherub is not enough OF reward in it
self, than hard is the heart that Graves
more.' And with moistened eyes he
told me that he had child of his own
at home-an only child, of nearly the
same age.


"I asked If he would tell me his name.
With smile he answered that his
name did not matter-he was not sure
II