Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1896 — THE FAMILY STORY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE FAMILY STORY

A MAN’S VENGEANCE.

ftt T was a stiff climb from Pcngelly i 1 and the basket of fish Isaac Hocken -4» carried was heavy. At the top of ittae hill he was fain to Stretch himself ion the £rirf and rest his bent old track Against the low stone wall whieh intelosed John Tregon’s field. J “No use going up to the house: John f s mt market and the misses'll be turning •the place topsy-turvey,” he reflected. l“Wbat with spring eleanin’s all the [year round and the drivln’, Bertha has {had a terrible hard time. And they do jmy in the village—Well, well,” ho (muttered, checking himself, “it wasn’t [to be expected with her pretty face that uun’s her first sweetheart. Apd If Will jCorter deceived her, mebbe she'll think [the more of him. Jim. just dotes on her. plore fule. he! Bad wives are of no Account whativer, and supposin’ you tdo hap oh a good woman and it pleases [the Lord to take her, the year won’t (fill the emptiness in you she leaves beIhlnd. I ought to know,” and Isaac (heaved a mighty sigh. “I’ve burled fwives of both sorts—three of ’em.” Not a breeze stirred the lifeless calm; kind the midday sun poured fiercely down. Presently he sought the shade of n spreading tree which overhung .the wail a few paces from him. But (he was no longer solitary. Voices fell «n his ear—Bertha Tregon’s and that ,«f the man who report said had jilted her. “My poor Bertha! You've no cause to 'fear me. I know exactly how it was you forsook me for James Hocken. But X wrote whenever I had the chance.” “Not a single letter reached me.” “Because your mother waylaid the postman.” Despite the heat. Isaac ' shivered. Will’s insight was making clear much that had puzzled him. “Perhaps.j* What matters now?” 'asked Bertha in forlorn tones. “You • should have kept away. It would .have been kinder.’’ “And let you continue to think that I was false., Lookee here, Bertha, yon promised to be my wife-Jaefore’ ever Hocken courted you. And now you know* I’\e been faithful to you ” “I durstn’t break with Jim. Mother te set on him. Oh, why did you come? You'll get a fresh sweetheart, but Jim won’t. I feel he won’t. And I shall keep my promise to him.” But Bertha's love was unchanged, and to the breathless listener on the |thitiier side of the wall. Will's tender pleadings were the knell of his sou's

hopes. What girl who loved him could resist handsome Will Carter? * Gauut and grizzled, with weatherbeaten, strongly marked features, lie; /_had always known that Jim wasn’t one that a girl would fancy. And Bertha had only accepted him at her mother’s “ bidding, beiieying that Will was untrue to her. It was all so plain to him now. Poor Jim! Even a flower that Bertha had plucked was preeious to him. Hadn't he found a rose withered and dead in his pocket? And all liis love in rain! Isaac whipped out his handkerchief and mopped his face. Yet, if Will hadn’t returned But, contrary to his expectations, the girl was firm in her resolve, i “I won't listen to you,” she said -it last, roused by Will's upbraidings. “Jim isn't to blame—lie knew nothing of our sweethearting—nor am I. It didn’t enter my mind that mother might *ve got your letters. How should it? As if you alone suffered!” she faltered. “Let us part friends.” “Sweethearts or nothing,” said Will*, gruffly.

With the swish, swish of feet through the long grass, crawling to his knees. »l(i^lsaac peered cautiously over the wall. Bertha was running toward the bouse and Will Carter, with his head tiirown back, striding in an opposite direction.. "Bless thoJittie maid!” he ejaculated, ‘'tine time 1 was afeared for Jim. Slit she's got a good grip o’ things. Yes, plenty more sweethearts for Will.” ho chuckled, observant of the pose of his head. "And there’s but one in the world for my lad—Bertha Tregon. May my tongue be slit if I let out to him.” Rising, Isaac shouldered his basket and proceeded on his round. The old fisherman had been somewhat rash, however, in his conclusions. By her own admission, Bertha’s derision had been prompted solely by fear of her mother and consideration for James Hoeken. But if on reflection she were still willing to sacrifice her happiness, Will Carter certainly had'no intention of yielding to her weakness, j A flue seaman, of whom Pengelly was ‘ proud, for the last year Will had been »n I ward a yacht cruising in the Mediterranean. But for reasons best known to herself. Mrs. Tregon had discountenanced his suit, and, although he had every confidence in her, Bertha’s silence had inspired misgivings not easy to allay. Once more free, he had returned at the earliest date to England, •nd at Plymouth, where he landed, had Met a friend, who, among other items •f Pengelly news, informed him of her desertion, adding: “And she’ll be Mrs. Hoeken in a fortnight.” Determined to demand a full explanation from Bertha herself, Will made bo comment, bat his laugh was unmtrthful. And with rage in his heart lie liad hailed a passing cab, driven to the railway station ana taken the tram lor Wadebrldge. Thence he could walk to the Tregons’, But the house In view, in crossing the ’ Held, Will bad eapled Bertha lu the garden and, with a muffled ahoy! sped" to the tree that sheltered old Isaac. She bad swiftly joined him. Nevertheless, the shock of bta return was visible in ther white face, and her trembling Hits •would frame no welcome. Looking at Him imploringly, her blue eyes filled. And, long+ftg to clasp her In bis arms, the reassuring words which, whilst enllgliieiiing him, had chilled Jim’s father, did duty d»r the reproaches In? had Mine primed with.

But WilJj had taken Bertha by surprise, and between her dread of him and terror of her mother, who ruled the Tregon household with a rod of iron, lie rightly divined that she had caught at the readiest moans of escape which in her distraction had presented itself to her. Yet liis faith in her firmness was limited) the revival of fond memories would tents to lessen her mother's influence. And cunningly calculating that apparent indifference would further incline her to lie guided by his counsels later, he devoted a week to his friends and generally enjoying himself. His disappointment treated thus lightly, he succeeded iu deluding everybody, including Bertha, who shed bitter tears in secret that he snould be so easily consoled for her loss. The bare sight of Janies Hocken almost maddened her, and she had to hide her aversion to him and listen evening after evening to his dull talk. And iu another week she would be ills wife. The tree beneath Which she and Will had parted became her favorite resort. Here she could indulge in the luxury of a “good cry” unrebuked, and. grown desperate with the nearer approach of the wedding day, sitting on the gnarled roots one afternoon, she burst into a very passionate grief. " A face—Will's—appeared above the wall. ~

, "Ahay! Whativer’s the matter, Miss Tregon?” lie gravely inquired. **“Sliall I fetch Mr. Hocken to ’ee?” “1 hate him! I hate him!” she sobbed hysterically. “That’s bad,” said Will, sympathizingly. “Wliat’s he been up to?” “Up to! Isn't he old, isn’t he ugly, isn’t lie stupid? And—and—l liate him. Mother may storm, but I don’t care.” Will vaulted over the wall. *.*• * • * • On the day appointed for James Hockeu's nuptials the whole village flocked betimes to the church. /But neither bridegroom nor bride put fn an appearance, and by and by itvwas known that Will Carter and Bertha Tregon were missing, and that there would be no wedding at f’engelly that day. Weeks and months rolled by. and no tidings could lie gleaned of the graceless couple. They had clean vanished, leaving no clew to their whereabouts. Mrs. Tregon’s tongue sharpened to a dounble-edged sword, ready to slay friend and foe alike who alluded u> her daughter. And the dumb misery in Jim’s plain face was pitiful to see. Old j Isaac's heart ached for his spn. If he had only prepared him for the blow! To have him so imposed on! And with hjs expedience of womankind. ___ Curiosity was at length appeased. An acquaintance* of the runaways visited London and returned with a woeful story. She /had seen Bertha, who had confided to her that after being mar'ried at a .'registry office Will and she had decided to go to America, but while 7 looking in a shop window he had been robbed of ills savings, and that subsequently they were reduced to great straits. Then he had brought her the welcome news that he had obtained a berth on a steam launch, and the next morning bade her good-by to go aboard, since when she had never clapped her eyes on him. Mrs. Pegg also said that Bertha had refused to give her address. But Jim ascertained that she had met her at Rotlierhithe, and that was enough for him. “I’m off to London,” he announced when he came downstairs, after pacing tiie floor the livelong night. “I shall never rest until. Carter ans* me are face to face.”

“Thee be g fule, Jim,” his father, who bad been disturbed by his monotonous tread overhead, said peevishly. “If you must stir in ‘this business, find Bertha. It’d be a charity. For all her sharp temper, her mother's frettiu’ herself into the grave*. Take what money you want out o’ ray leather bag: only promise, lad,” noting the sullen fire in his deep-set eyes, “not to meddle wt’ Will.” “Trust me to find Bertha! But she would be destitute,” he said hoarsely. “And she may have become a shame to her kith and kin. And in that case no promise would bind me. father. I'd’ve his life if I swung for it.” But Pengelly was convinced that Will had betaken himself to “foreign parts.” And, rwalling this, old Isaac was encouraged to hope that Jim would be denied the opportunity of vengeance. Jim had been three months; his quest had been unsuccessful:, yet lie continued to hunt the principal thoroughfares, tramping north, south, east and west in turn. Big Ben had struck one; he was recrossing Westminster bridge to his lodgings when a woman crouching by a lamp post ahead of him fell forward in a.heap hastening his steps„-he endeavored to raise her. But. with the light falling on the pallid, hunger-pinch-ed face, a groan escaped hlqj,- Hi* quest for Bertha Carter had ended. At that moment a policeman came up. “Poor s&un she’s dead,” he said at a glance. "Better so than the leap into the water she was bent on. I’ve had my eye on her since She seemed dazed.” The body was conveyed to the mortuary and the verdict at the inquest was in accordance with the medical testimony, that death was dub' to starvation. Outwardly calm, his sole thought to avenge Bertha. Jim staggered out of the court. His inquiries for the mna who had robbed him of the one jewel he coveted, to cast It from him, at length elicited that a seaman answering to his description of Carter was homeward bound from Slnga(>ore. Thenceforth, knowing neither hunger nor weariness, he wgs watchful of hew arrivals at tlie docks. His desire for revenge was by now a monomania. And to-day 'he had a strange prescience that Will and he were soon to meet Self-absorbed, in

crossing the street, he wfls knocked down by a dray, and, stunned, conveyed to the hospital. On recovering Consciousness, his first request was for liis discharge. / “Not yet awhile,” said the nurse. “Bn? - you won't be dull. That poor chap yonder.” indicating a bandaged object iii a distant bed, “has been asking for you. You don't recognize-hijn? No wonder! He was brought in months ago—after t’ho fire in St. Thomas street. He was looking on. and a woman and some children appeared at a top window. The firemen were beaten back by the blaze below, and poor Will—he won't tell us his surname—couldn't withstand their cries, and hp climbed up the waterspout on to the roof with a rope, arid threw one end Jo them, and had actually lowered two of the children in safety when the walls collapsed. He was picked up so terribly injured that we had little hope of him. But lie lias done splendidly. If you—” But Jim was midway across the ward. Oli, heaven, to think that this poor mangled wretch was “handsome Will!” And so sorely misjudged! Leaning over the bravC fellow. Hoc-ken's emotion was'hard to restrain. “Don't give ’em my name,” whispered Will. “I'm maimed for life. And wouldn’t ’ve my poor little Bertha saddled with a helpless husband —not likely. To,. hnve happened just when the tide had turned!” he groaned. "Where Is she?” “She lias reached port before us.” said Jim, in a smothered voice. “Don’t 'ee take on, Will.” His own tears were coursing down liis rugged checks. “We’ll go Wflck to Pcngelly. I can work for both.” “You work for me? You ” “We both loved her,” Jim reminded hinw “If so be you’ll trust yourself to me. You will lie doing rue a favor." Feebly pressing the hand that gripped his. Will mumbled indistinctly; and hastily covered liis face.—Household Words.