Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1878 — MINE HOST’S STORY. [ARTICLE]

MINE HOST’S STORY.

“Well, yes, the Indians did get pretty dose to us, but I never heard of more than one being seen here,” replied mine host, an intelligent young farmer in the Town of L , one of the border settlements of Minnesota. “But there has been so much written about that terrible massacre that my story will seem stale, I fear.” I thought I saw a merry twinkle in his eyes as he looked athis wife, a very pretty little woman, too young to look matronly, but not too young to be the neatest, prettiest littlewiie““m the world. “ Oh, tell it by all means!” I urged, tilling ifiy pipe from the plethoric pouch which he offered me. “ Well—l will,” said he, after a moment’s thought, during which time his head became enveloped in a cloud of blue smoke; but I must be brief. You see, it was a much wilder spot about here than it is now. The village was simply a few straggling huts, yet improving rapidly. This house was just completed—the most pretentious dwelling for miles around; and where you see all those well-cultivated farm-houses was an unbroken waste of land. “ Carringsford—John Carringsford—owned this place then. He came from the East, where fortune had frowned upon him. Comparatively.poor in his native city, he was reckoned in these parts, where there was more land than money to buy, a perfect nabob. He was just the least bit proud of his position, putting on considerable style, yet he was a very good sort of a man at heart. “He had a daughter—a young lady of rare personal beauty and accomplishments. To tell you that Maud Carringsford’s hand was sought by nine-tenths of the young men about here, would bo repeating what you have already surmised. At first Maud treated her awkward aud bashful, yet true-hearted admirers, with chilling aisdain; but as time wore on she became accustomed to her new and wild, life, and she gradually lowered her aspirations to a proper level! “ Her father, however, was not so easily influenced. You know the adage :about teaching an eld dog new tricks. John Carringsford had not quite shaken off the dust of city life, and to marry his daughter to one of those country boors, as he termed them, was not to be thought of for a moment. You.oan guess he made it quite unpleasant for those young aspirants for Maud’s hand. They dropped off one by one, until only Charley Merriman was left. He was not frightened by John Carringsford’.'i dignity. He hau seen something of city life, although he never prided himself enough upon the fact to tell it Jie had been in tjie West long enough

to get some of the polish rubbed off, but he had not forgotten everything. He was the least objectionable of all Maud's suitors, but ho wore cowhide boots and flannel shirts, and all those sort of things, and John Carringsford couldn’t go him quite. “ Charlie understood all this, but he considered her too valuable a prize to relinquish without some efforts, and John Carringsford grew to like him after awhile for bis perseverance. No doubt he would have givon Maud to Charlie if a new aspirant had not appeared in the person of a very elegant young man named Silas Wheeler. “ Tnis new-comer was quite a curiosity about hero. He was got up regardless of expense, and to hear him talk one would suppose that he was abundantly able to buy the whole of Minnesota and the northern tier of counties in lowa. “John Carringsford was taken with him at once, and he was taken with Carringsford. He became a frequent visitor at Carringsford’s. It was not hard to guess that Maud was the attraction; neither was it difficult to see that John Carringsford was pleased that it was so. Ho gave Wheeler every encouragement, while Maud did not repulse him. - * ‘lt looked rather blue for Charlie Merriman. His friends pitied him, but he only laughed at them. “ ‘ Don’t worry about me,’ he would say, ‘ I am willing to wait.’ “ About this time the Indians began to be troublesome. Reports of their outrages were brought to us every day or two. Settlers, fleeing from a horrible death, came in singly, or by dozens and scores; and at night the sky to the north and the west of us was lit up by lurid glares, which told too plainly that the red fiends were at their desolating work. We made preparations to defend to the last the homes we had labored so hard to build up. “John Carringsford was as much alarmed as any one, and our common danger made him one of us. Not 80 with the elegant Silas Wheeler. ‘“lam not going to stand here to be scalped,’ said ne to Carringsford one day, when the rumors were more appalling than ever. ‘lf you want to risk your lives with these bumkins, of course I cannot prevent it, but I protest against endangering Maud’s life by such foolhardiness. “ ‘ What would you do?’ asked Carringsford, influenced by Wheeler’s words. “ *1 would marry Maud and take her to a place of safety.’ “John Carringsford did not reply immediately. Tne fear that this child might fall into the hands of the merciless savages had troubled him more than a little, and he had thought of this same plan a hundred times. After some reflection he said: “ ‘ Set the time, Mr. Wheeler.’ “ ‘ replied Silas. ‘1 would have liked a more pretentious wedding than we shall be able to have on so snort notice, but under the circumstances, it is useless now to think of it.’ “Charlie Merrtman overheard this conversation. He was coming to the house to contradict some false rumors of the morning, but hearing Mr. Carringsford and Mr. Wheeler in conversation, he hesitated about interrupting them. “ ‘So far along as that!’ he muttered, when he heard the plan; ‘I mast see Maud at once.’ “He slipped softly away from the door, and went round to the back of the house. He found Maud, and they talked long and earnestly together. Then Charlie hastened away. “Short as the time was, when the hour arrived, everything was in readiness for the wedding, m the presence of a few invited guests, Silas Wheeler led Maud Carringsford to the altar. " Probably not one person in that room thought of Indians at that moment. All eyes were turned toward the bride and bridegroom, and silence reigned there. Just as the pkstor opened his lips to commence the ceremony, a blood-chilling whoop smote the cars of the inmates of that room; and the next instant a hideously-painted savage leaped in through the window .screaming and yelling liko a thousand demons. “ The little party ytere taken so completely by surprise, that they lied panic stricken from the house, supposing thHt they were surrounded. “ When the men recovered from their momentary fright, they rushed back into the house, but the savage was gone. He had accomplished his object, however; pretty Maud Carringsford was a prisoner. So was Silas Wheeler.

“ ‘God spare her!’ prayed the father. * God save them both!’ ,Jl‘ After tMs outburst of prayer, ho turned to the men who stood about him, and shouted, •To the rescue!” “ At the end of another five minutes, a dozen mounted men were galloping away through the darkness, with John Carringsford at their head. “They searched all night, but found no trace of the savages, or of the captives. About daylight they rode back to John Carringsford’s. Charlie Merriman and Maua stood at the door. “ ‘ I have brought her back to you,’ said Charlie. “ joy was too great for utterance, but he wrung Charlie’s hand, and then clasped Maud to his breast. “Charlie was overwhelmed with questions, but he quietly answered: “ ‘ While you were planning I was executing. I had a good mile the start of you. Poor Wheeler! I fear we shall never see him again! I tried to catch up with him, but it was no use.’ “Well, we never did see Wheeler again. I don’t think Mand cared much for the loss, however, for She soon married —the Indian.” “ Good heavens!” I exclaimed; “is it. possible?” “ Yes,” replied mine host, “ His name was Charlie Merriman.” This revelation came upon me so unexpectedly, that at first I did not “ see heat?, however, and I laughed at Charlie’s ruse. , “What of Wheeler? Ido not quite see that yet.” “ He fled from the house the moment the supposed Indian appeared, mounting his horse and dashed away. By some strange oversight he took the wrong direction,and Charley chased him until he felt sure he would not venture back. I have since learned that he reached the settlement without mishap. 1 have no doubt he believes to this day, he was chased by a real savage.” ■ “ And Charley—does ’he still five about here?” I asked. “ I have been telling you my own story,” replied mine host. Allow mu to introduce to you Maud Carringsford Merriman, the heroine of the only remmiseenee of the Minnesota massacre that ended happily,”— Crick# on the Hearth. rr *