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About The Sioux County journal. (Harrison, Nebraska) 1888-1899 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1891)
Deacon Raokins Daagbter. BY ELIZABETH BIGI.OW. "It's dreadful curious that minister's sons and deacons' (laughters should al ways be greater trials than other folks' f'::l"'rp?i. I woulln't hare believed wheu Sylvia was a child that sue would grow up to be such a thorn in your ide, Sister Sarah. But you'll have to Lear it, ns the Lord's will, and trust that she'll be brought sometimes to see tlie error of her ways." Aunt Dorcas rocked vigorously, and made her knit! ing-needles click with a will, as she always did wheu she talked uf Syl's shortcomings. Syl, who was in the kitchen making preparations for dinner, heard every word through the half open door as it was very likely Aunt Dorcas meant that she should; and Syl sighed heavily, for Aunt Dorcas was the power in the family, and now that she had taken aides against her, Syl foresaw grea'er trials in the future than she had yet en countered. Syl's trouble was that oldest and most common among maidens the course of true love would not be persu aded to run smooth. Its currei, ; was ruffled in the most common way, to , by her father's stern displeasure, and her mother's ceaseless fretting and coaxing. Years before, when they were both little more than children, she and Will Everett had fallen in love with each other, and the love had grown and rengthened as they grew to maturity, it alas! Will was poor, being only a : irk in the one dry goods store that i'limptonville boasted. He had his mother and little sister to support, too; i d, as I'limptonville people declared, hjul enough cn his hands without think ing of getting maried. Deacon liankin did not object to him because he was poor. On, no! the dea con was not as worldly as that accord ing to his own statement In other respects Will did not come np to his Idea of what his aou-iu-law should be. lie belonged to a secret society, and the deacon abominated secret societies. Silas Daggat, the proprietor of the dry goods store, agreed with him perfectly: he even had serious doubts as to the propriety of keeping in his store a young man who belonged to a secret society, and used to go to the deacon's house to ask his advice rnd talk the matter over, two or three evenings in a week when be first came to Plimpton ville and opened the store. Will smoked ,toa Silas Daggett did not smoke. He shook his head sadly over these shortcomings of Will'j and told the deacon of a great deal of good advice and warning thrown away upon the headstrong young man. Will dressed too well, also; he was ruining himself by extravagance. Mr, Silas Daggett was of opinion that f ully half of his salary was spent in that way. Countless other accusations, of a like nature, were brought against poor Will, aud from twice a week Silas Dag gett's visits increased to every night, and finally it became evident that his visits were intended for Syl, and the delight of Deacon Rankin and his wife knew no bounds. But Syl ungraetful, unreasonable girl! frowned upon the suit of Mr. Daggett; she even went so far as to leave the room when be called, and she had been caught walking with Will Everett after her father had forbidden her speaking to the misguided young man. ' Now matters were at their very worst; Silas Daggett bad proposed, and her father declared she should marry him. All her tears and entreaties had availed nothing, and at last she had got her spirjt up, and stoutly declared she would never marry Dim. Aunt Dorcas was sent for In haste; If anybody could conquer Syl's rebell ions spirit she could. But even Aunt Dorcas failed; the utmost concession that could be obtained from Syl was a jromise that she will never marry Will without her father's , consent She would not promise not to see or speak to Will, as they tried to nuke her. Silas Daggett is established in the deacon's boose as a boarder, that be anight have all possible opportunity for prosecuting his suit, and Syl and her hardness of heart . Syl began to think she should go wlM listening to it - Her patience gave out at last She abut the pantry door forcibly very forcibly; I might as well own that she stammerl it, for Syl was not an angel by any means. She hardly dared to go to put into the oven the biscuits she bad made, for sbe felt so angry that jhe was not at all sure that she should set say somethlnglmpertinentto Aunt Dorcas. But tt had to be done, so she ran out and whisked them into tat tea, hoftan.t9wt she might be as heavy as law boast, see A ant Dorcas was toaattheso. ' . TTkca she went Wok there was a tzUG P7 wmdow-Wiirs face trifcTJ wt3 and brard VtfctaMaV 1 - irra rst ksz job ' vt j,.c r be t Syl so that she trembled and could not speak. Will reached through the win dow and caught her hairls, and almost crushed them In his clas "Will you stand by m . Syl, when ail the world seurus and jeers at me for a thief, or will you decide that - your father's world! v wisdom is best after all, and marry that hon st, godly man, Silas Daggett r The fierce scorn In Will's voice told Syl, that whatever his new trouble might be, Silas Daggett vraa at the bot tom of it "What has he done now? Do tell me, Will!" "The stafe was robbed last night you hadn't heard of that ? The village is alive with it The safe and mouey drawer. Stevens paid Daggett five thousand dollars yesterday: be left it in the safe, intending, so he says, to put it in the bank this morning. Of course lie managad to make suspicion fall on me at once, and he has a warrant now for my arrest" Indignation got the better of Syl's fears at once. ' "How dared he? how could he? What possible reason could he give for suspecting you ?" "Oh, a good many. Ho is keen enough, you know, and 1 believe he has been planning this for a long time. A key was broken off in the lock of tlie money-drawer, and the other was found in the pocket of my coat, which 1 left in the store. Of course it's no ues for me to say that I left the coat in the store. Daggett says I didn't, and of course his word could not be doubted. Then I was out until after eleven o'clock last night, cud I can't say where I was; that is against me you know." "Can't? Why not? Don't mind me; don't think of me! Tell just where you were, and 1 will tell too! How can he prove you guilty when you are inno cent?" "If he can't prove me guilty, neither can 1 prove myself innocent, and the disgrace will cliug to me will cling to you, too, Syl, until you cast me off. I think you had better do it dear; I seem fated to bring nothing but trouble upon you." Syl's brown eyes flashed, and then slowly filled with tears. "Will, don't Ulk Uke that; do try to to have more hope and courage. Silas D iggett is a bad man, I know I was sure of it from the first; and he is sly and cunning, but we shall find a way out of this trouble, or, if not we will bear it together." Will was evidently not to be cheered, but Syl's courage made him ashamed of his weakness. Syl let him stay a few moments longer; she wanted to hear the details of thy robbery, and she could not let him go until she had in spired him with a little hope and con fidence, and then she hurried him away. She knew that it would not help her cause to have her father find him there. ' " ' " When he was ont of sight, Syl sat down on the window seat and buried her face in her hands. She had spent all her stock of hope and courage in trying to cheer Will. The future did look gloomy to her. Silas Daggett was so powerful and so unscrupulous, and her father would be sure to be on his side, and leave no stone unturned to prove Will guilty; as be said, it would be very hard for him to prove himself innocent Silas Daggett had woven a stubble snare. Syl knew him well enough to be sure of that She did not believe that be had been robbed at all, but had formed the plot for the sole purpose of ruining Will, and so winning ber or, rather her lather's money, upon which bis affections were firmly fixed. Some way must be found to outwit him, Syl said to herself, over and over again, as she sat there in the pantry window, but still no way suggested it self; and she had promised never to marry Will without her father's con sent, and that would never be given now. Syl gave way to despair at that thought, and cried until her head ached and the biscuits were burned to a cin der in the oven. The deacon looked at her red eyes when he came home to dinner, and hav ing, doubtless, a little pity for his daughter in his heart, fore bore to en large upon the subject of the robbery, as Syl expected be would; but he spoke at If there was no doubt of Will's guilt- Aunt - Dorcas and Syl's mother groaned in unison, and said It was no more than they had expected, and Silas Daggett had or Syl fancied that he had a look of complacency under the distress and anxiety that be assumed. Syl scrutinised him carefully at every opportunity, and was more firmly eon vlnced each moment that he himself was taw robber whom ha expressed such anxiety to bring to justice; and ones .' said, quietly, yet with a ssarcttag glanee at his tees: . "1 will do aU that I can to bring him to justice, Mr. Domett." A dark rad task rata at Iff. Da- Sfca98 Has bubst1 aaVIBffasa "Hksaw tiEVki tJxLlU Tory ri f CAeir--Jxrtti if. , v'.: conversation at the The key of the store door bad been in Will's possession, and that told against him. as the thief seemed to have en tered in that way: at least, according to Silas Daggett, though Deacon Ban- kin did remind him that somebody haa discovered that a window in the back pvt of the store was unfastened. And then that h?lf of the broken key found In Will's pocket! For herself, she had not the slightest doubt as to how it eamn there: but could tlie DllbllC ever be brought to believe that Silas Dag gett had been guilty of so base an act ? Tlie next few days were full of anx iety and suspense that tried her sorely. Will was examined and committed for trial. Syl began to feel that she must do something. She went down to the store one morning, with no deluiite Duroose in her mind, but with the hope that she might make some dis covery. Silas Daggett, who had grown more tender and devoted with every day Bince Will's arrest, was radiant with delight at receiving a visit from her. Nothing daunted by Syl's cold auss, he deseribed to her at great length the means which the robber must have taken to secure the money. "Hut I would like to see the window which father said was found unfast ened," Syl said, interrupting him. And be led the way to it, but at the same time assuring her rather nerv ously and with unnecessary vehemence Syl thought that it was impossible the thief could have entered in that way. (y I looked out of the window, which was some distance above the ground, and her eye was instantly attracted by foot-prints made in the yielding ground had frozen there securely. Somebody had climbed in at and jumped out of that window. The tracks ran down beside the building, and ended at that window. Syl said nothing, but it seemed to her that Silas Daggett must hear the loud, fierce beating of ber heart She flew home on the wind, and rush ed up stairs to Mr. Daggett's room, and found a pair of boots in his closet Hardly waiting to put a piece of paper around them, she hurried back to the store. ' But she did not wish to be seen this time, so she went through a back street, and stole slyly to that spot be" neath the window; and Silas' boots lilted exactly into the tracks! Syl had expected it, bnt she was wild with de ight, nevertheless. If Aunt Dorcas could havs seen the frantic hugging which she bestowed upon Silas' boots, she would have been more fully convinced that her prophecy would be fulfilled. But Syl's delight was a little dampened before she reached home by the reflection that the discovery she had made might not be considered sufficient proof of Silas Daggett's guilt She carried the boots to his room, with her heart divided be tween hope and fear. As she turned to leave the room her eye was caught by some bits of paper, which be had evidently used (n shav ing, lying on the bureau. Tbey were pieces of a letter, and Syl looked them over half curiously, half carelessly, un til she read something that made her heart beat faster. "Don't be afraid of a litUe job Uke that," she read, by putting two of the pieces together. "Doit yourself," was another. "In your coat, between the lining and the outside," on another. What if that meant the money? What if he had hidden the money in that way ? thought SyL She ransacked his closet and searched all his coats in vain; and then she sat down and delib erated, with what result will be seen by her next action. "I want you, and Mr. Daggett, and Sheriff Allen to go down to the store with me," she said to her father, at the dinner-table- "I have made a discov ery that I think may be of some im portance." : The deacon stared as if he thought she must have taken leave of her tenses, and Silas Daggett grew a shade paler or was it only Syl's fancy ? But they granted her request, after a little laughter and jesting about her "dis covery." Syl led them quietly around to that spot under the back window, where the tracks were. The sheriff opened his eyes wide at tight of tlie tracks, and said: "It is strange that these were not seen before. Here is evidently wheie the fellow got in." "Will you ask Mr. Daggett to step into them?" said Syl, quietly. They all laughed a little uneasily Anybody could tee now that, Silas was "Of coarse Mr. Daggett will not ob ject to doing so, if it will give you any satisfaction," said Mr." Allen. And Silas Daggett could do nothing but comply with the request," and it evident to ail that the tracks had by his feet , "But what doss that prove? What do you mean, Sylvia r aaM the deacon, afrGy, be evidently perturbed in soli yl; "only since Mr win probably ?Oxtat fc between the Mni&r -J wwaWBr OT Easy ?frMauy aboid est Syl treaUed icJilioDs Deceit's gained from the dinner table. sively that doubt Uf I1 He made no reunee, and when U- coat was opened the bonds and bank notes which he bd stolen from bin self were discovered. The letter by means of which Syl bad made ber disomy as found to w frnm friend of Silas, of whom he had ked eounsWi with regard to bis plan oi ruuu.n and thus securing I lUnkint heiress. I wish tht I bad 10 scribe the scene, especially the d.srom r,t..M th hmiest hiias. but I can on ly relate a little "asido" between Syl and ber father. uThismust be hushed up Sylvia hushed right uPr said the deacon, nervously. "Why, it would ruin me! I should be a laughing-stork! I-I' made so much of blm. What s re proach upon the church !" "Well, I will agree to say nothing about it-ince, of course, you will we that Will is entirely cleared from sus picionthat iR, on one conditio!) ; and if you don't agree to that, why. I shall feel it my duty to tell the whole story," said saucy SyL "And the condition is? saia the ues con, anxiously. "Why, that you give your consent to bit marrvins Will: and then you know that pretty cottage that you promised to give me If I would marry mus img gett, you must give to Will and me; and, pa" as the deacon was turning away "nicely furnished, you know; and, pa wait a minute-right away, you know." "I am clad I haven't but one daugh ter saidj.be deacon to hi msel f . '' W bat they say of deacons' daughters is true every word of it!" Sling m and Arrows. The casting of the die is always an impressive moment. Ibe least belligerent of men will come to blows when he Las a cold in bis head. "How's business? Oh, pickin up," as the collector of cigar stubs said to hit friend. A humorist is one of the few people who have no objection to being told they are the laughing stock of the com munity. Some men think nothing of jumping a contract, but it's a warm day when any one can jump a cold that he hu contracted. Just because the girls like to make eyes at the men is no reason why tb latter should expect ayes the propo sals of marriage. John L. Sullivan does not owe bis success (?) to talent; he is just one of those men who go steadily pounding along through life. St. Joseph News. The Shortest Sentence. We often read of a W-year sentence of a criminal, which I believe is tlie longest sentence that can be imposed while the present statutes are upon the books. Ninety-nine years being the longest time" for which one can be sen tenced for the commission of any crime, be never heinous, it is natural for one to inquire the length of the shortest sentence that can be imposed and yet be regarded as a criminal con viction. One hour, the verdict of a Maine court in 1869, is the shortest American sentence that has yet come under the writer's notice. This was greatly overshadowed In January, 1881, by an English judge, who sentenced a woman to five minutes in jail for hav ing married a man -without obtaining uivorce from a former husband. This was the shortest sentence on record. Endures the Cold. A learned professor of tlie Paris Academy of science has been making experiments which hare resulted in convincing him that the rabbit is of all living things the most capable of with standing a very low temDeretim. in. closed all night In a block of Ice a nh. mt was found next day getting on very comfortably and evidently not aware of anything very peculiar in his cir cumsUncet. In this regard tbe rabbit leaves lar behind our faithful friend the dog, though, accordint to the learned professor, sheep, goats and pigs goou second, tnlrd and fourth. New York In 2891. . ir . - m luuiuauu yean hen.U-"Tall m t....Lt. . . W 1 I n IHVYIA IB I. n a , - - must not forget that dinner will be an hour Alltnmftii Batvant U v rT , ' xea, mum." Telephone phonographic tign.il to ' , i'u rVpWV.J Dame-I see the air-ship from Mar ket street Jutn m. l. , . p UN WIIHIOW. Bring my husband's ii(nn. Iflff 9nmn -r Automatic fWniv. . rm, mum. Iame"ow touch buttons A. L. R. T.V.W.XIthinktUtwltesli we will want for dinner. Here come, my daughter on aer bl-wing flyer, ! in t Hm f.n JU" f Strvant-"Yee, mum. Cllftnt V- L. .. Wm. .... . ' mm m your - w jMuiiea you. Iwier-I know it But don't . maemhw is mi, i wm T8 sweine ease for yeu jUwyer-Wetl, that's tdvt ' . THE CARPBTERSATE. Twenty year, ago 1 commanded one of thevels.il Norae. f , ,it.rth line of Liverpool- M ;;,'iu the East India trade at .the"" ...a i about io tnaks my w ' I Lad been witb ber U gftt ft ti'Wlvt i an in chief mate, and ass more than pleated I . a rilled me Into their pn- H'V I n urn - .,tnitie i-nd offiered me the com maud of tbethlp. i ..a int lieeu married and It is needless to say U.at 1 cpted the firm's oCer, at tbe same Utue arranging to have my wife accompany me on the -i t,. favor to ask of you, ('apt . tr lturlineanie. the inoruiuu, tv'' " ninrtuer. when we were alone, i rviv uooii vour bonor to keep llio matter coiitWli-nUl,' v .. i ,.,! Mr liurli na-sine went 1 L n ri aim " ' " on: -My daughter Evelyn has become infatuated with one of my clerks, and i.. i.. i.a,i assurance to ask her I it: dm im ' i J:. hand In marriage, lie lias oeeuu (mm nnr emiiloT. and I have m-ii nothing of him since. My aaugu Ur lias taken tbe matter to heart, anu I have decided to send her out with von on a voyage, in hope tbe change of scene and the companionship of your wife and yourself may bring back the roses to her cheek. Anything you can do to assist in making her forget this wretclied iufatuatiou will be ap predated." i wi iitti faith In uir ability to cauae Miss F.valyn to forget her lover besides, as 1 had just entered the mar ried state myself, I could hardly be ex pected to sympathize with a plan for the separation of lws loving heart, but I promised to ca for tbe ship owner's daughter as far as was in my power, and tlie interview terminated. Tlie following morning my wife and I went abwd the Norseman, which lying at anchor in the Mersey. At nine o'clock Mr. I'.urlingame and his daughter came aboard. The latter was a handsome young lady of twenty- two years, but ber sweet face was pale and sad, and although she said nothing it was evident that the thought of leav ing home affected uer deedly. Farewells were over, the anchor was weighed, and Mr. ' Jiurlingame after apart ing grasp of tlie hand and a wbitpered admonition to 'lake good care of Evelyn," stepped aboard the tender and returned to shore. We were towed down the Mersey, crossed, the bar, and dismissed the tug pilot bore away for the Cape of Good Hope. Alter we were wtll under way all bands were called aft to choose watches. As the crew filed by, one of their num ber, a fine looking young fellow attrac ted my attention.. "Wio jwtbat young man ?" I asked pointing' him out to Mr. Eversoti, my chief mate. "Kenneth Gardner; lie shipped as carpenter's mate," was tbe reply. Just as the crew ranged themselves in a line a little abaft the mainmast the ladies came on deck and walked forward to where I was standing. As I turned to greet them I was startled by a tcream from Miss JIurlin game, and the next' moment 1 was holding her limp form iu my arms. She was at once taken below and soon re covered consciousness; but could give no explanation of her fainting (It. We were scarcely two weeks out be fore I noticed a great change in Miss Burliagame, The roses returned to ber cheeks, and she seemed well pleased with her situation aboard the Norse man. She went all over the ship, some times accompanied by my wife, and sonetlmes alone. Several times I no ticed her in conversation with tlie car penters mate, and my curiosity being aroused, 1 walked forward one day and got into conversation with him. I found Oardner an intelligent fel low, possessing a surprising familiar! ty with the rules of navigation and all matters pertaining to the merchant marine, I thought It a little singular that a man of his intelligence and ap parent ability bad no better position wan mat or carpenter s mate merchantman, and told him so. on a Mis reply was that his limited re sources had prevented hbi gratifying in any other way his passion for trav eling and teeing tbe world. The ex planation was not satisfactory, but a took into the handsome, manly iM convinced mt that whatever Mi reas ons were for being on tbe Norseman in his present capacity, they did not concern me, and I asked him no fur that questions on the matter. la sue time we doubled the Good Hope, ran tbe eastings down and crossing the Bay of Bengal, sight-' ed one morning the low sandhills and. of tbellooghly. We took aboard a Mi pUoLud were soon lying at an- r---" K uawn jieaco, about slevea lleslow Calcutta. I want ashore -WW1 DT SSV Vifa mmtA 3. ' PurinjheTyii, tfc, f M th.2ZSrWrt wiU 1 Mule tthaautter, M regretted Uat the ' W' the poor !, Old riigfcwi mi ta'tirtta oa the fickleness of weans. AtCaleattaw leaded a asm of jut for Melbourne that satettu ate. On the morning at the sixth day out tlie baro mentor hagam to faS rapidly. an J as the typhoon season srat at aaod I felt a little anxiona, although these was no indieutlna of daaayar la the cU-sr sky and the light breeae which fanned the surface of the Indian Ocean. About two o'clock In the afternoon Die sky to windward showed sign oft s gathering atom, oofaasjanal pride told me to crowd on at! sail so long as ti.. wind continued fair, kwt exneri- ence whispered that taw Uvea of It ship's crew, my wife and Miat Burlio gftme depended to a groat extant npou my seamanship and good Judgment I considered the matter a law annates, and then, summoning the chief maU sald- "Mr. Everson, call au hands take in tl light sail, send down Use studding- sail yards and booms, akyaail, royal and topgallant yards for and aft, and close reef the topsails and courses. lite mate, whose hair and beard were whitened by the ocean blast of forty years, regarded mo la aorpriM for a moment, than touched Ids cap and returned to the waist I could see U.nt the old salt doubted the advlsabU ity of the course I was pursuing. The orders for shortening sail were rapidly executed, and In law than twenty minutes the Norseman was all snug fore and sft In the aeauUme the horiton became overcast with a heavy bank of copper colored clouds In the thirty years I have followed the sea I have never sen the sterner ts ar ray iu a more terrific line ad battle than they were at 3:30 of tbe afternoon of September 15, 1870; ' The batches were carefully battened down and tlie watchent below to se cure what rest they might, aile 1 paced the quarterdeck, raailaai and uneasy. The breeze gradually am out and a dead calm ensued. V . Tbe ladies came on deck aidakafed me for shortening sail. . The barometer continued fattlBg, and 1 again ordered all hands called. A line of foam was approaching on the starboard beam. . . "Hard a port!" "Hard a port, sir!" responded the helmsman. . I seizv-d my trumpet and gave my orders. , ,r "Haul up your courses." The command was promptly execut ed, and the men started aloft to furl. They were loo late. "Down for your lives! DowaP The tidal wave struck us on our port quarter, breaking over the poop dees", accompanied by a fearful gust of wiud. Away went our courses, and Ibe top sails were literally Mown from Do bolt ropes. I looked for the ladies who had been standing on the quarter-deck. Merci ful heavens! they had been washed overboard, and I saw their agonized faces half a ship's length to leeward. With a yell to lower away the star board boat I plunged into the tea, at I rose to Die surface I heard a cool voice beside me - "Clieer up, Cap'n we'll save them sure. t , I glanced over my iboulder and taw tbe carpenter's mate. It seemed as though Providence had Intervened in our behalf, for after the first terrible gust the wind auhsided. We reached the ladies and looked around for the boa It was coming, the crew pulling like demon, while in the sheets sat Kverson, urging them so greater exertion. Uy the time we returned to the ship the cyclone had broken upon us in all IU fury, and fur three days we drifted ai inc mercy ot tae storm. On the morning of the fourth day tbe wind and .sea wont down, u damage to the Norseman wat quirii' reoalred, and we stood away for V'el bourn. t- if Upon oor arrival Kaxrib Gardner asked for his discharge, ,r Sa I could not weU refuse him. aC-J papers had been filled out I tdcz oeonston to thank tlie young maa ratly in be half of Mr. UuriragatoeL. i latiawtni that It would be to hie ajvaatage to return to Liverpool as sooa as possible, giving him at tbe same time a letter of introduction to mv nwaltiar. which contained a detailed dsatirlptlpii of the nllaiit conduct of Gardner in saving Mist Evelyn's Ufa. Tb ladies were ftora. steplng at one of the botefa, kJ I WCS to join them later In the dsp. 1 appeared about Hie o'clock. Mrs. TbocnUm suffering from a headache and Miss liurllmgame had gone for a drive. The youog lady eaase la half an hour altar aoeonpanbd by Kenneth Gard ner. Exchanging stwsUasa, tae latter placed in mr handa a duusanwit I opened it and was taken flat aback at the contents. It was a certincafs tigm t by a leading etarmean ot M1 uounw, stating that Hiram iioioi- wcrth and Evelvn that uay beta uakSi . w couaw, i gc I TOnldnTbala it the arid serai have couUnaed bad Jeetod. The iH' wm tot-lfaa rather Blared It oatiw oM meal reeeivakw answer at Cm Frswf n the peresa of Orjtafei Otsgson, w--babataaiatejHf(msMof (M daf the yswiMsa, of mtot-mm ETSi.wert .to- ByHya 3 ttt riy fcSr, tts fcbsrih UaJtrcJ wtj. MrtteaaM bat tar-Triapa, , nSktvSl kissed ihmn. and wouw y wirew
