RECREA TION. 



309 



and pouch toward me, and, leaning back, 

 related the remarkable story of his life, 

 which is here given in his own words. 



CHAPTER I. 



ALLEN MEETS A STRANGER. 



The story of my misfortune dates 

 from my birth, as that was the greatest 

 evil that occurred to me. My parents 

 lived on a fine farm of 500 acres in the 

 Wyoming valley of Pennsylvania. 



My mother died in giving birth to my 

 only brother, who was t8 months my 

 junior. She was worshiped by my 

 father, who was inconsolable with grief 

 at his loss and he almost hated the sight 

 of his younger son, who was the inno- 

 cent cause of his grief. My father 

 never married again, and from a happy, 

 prosperous farmer, became an irascible, 

 taciturn, negligent man. 



I was a light hearted, careless boy, of 

 an affectionate nature, the terror of the 

 schoolmaster, but a favorite in the 

 neighborhood, and fond of outdoor 

 sports. 



My brother, on the contrary, affected, 

 no doubt, by my father's hostility, devel- 

 oped characteristics opposite to my own. 

 He was morose, narrow minded, but 

 shrewd. He early exhibited what I re- 

 garded as miserly instincts, though my 

 father declared they were those of a 

 financier. However, I lavished the love 

 on him my father refused ; though he 

 was as indifferent to the love of one as 

 he was to the dislike of the other. 



My father's hostility never seemed to 

 distress him and I have often seen him 

 regard our only parent with a sneer of 

 contempt which, as he grew older, was 

 openly expressed. Strange as it may 

 appear, however, the two became almost 

 inseparable, later in life, and the long 

 neglected farm, under the energetic 

 management of Stephen, who had 

 gradually taken hold of affairs, took on 

 a period of prosperity never before 

 equaled. 



By the time Steve was 18, he had 

 acquired such an ascendency over my 

 father that I believe the latter feared 

 his younger son as much as he had 

 formerly hated him. 



For myself, I was content to let Steve 

 and father manage the farm, provided I 

 had sufficient to eat and decent clothes to 

 wear. In fact, Steve resented any inter- 



ference on my part, refusing to allow 

 me to assist them in the drudgery of 

 farm work. 



About this time an incident occurred 

 that completely revolutionized my habits 

 and changed the bright summer days of 

 my careless, happy life into one long, 

 dreary, rayless night of pain. 



One crisp September morning I took 

 my gun and started down the valley 

 with the intention of shooting some 

 grouse. I walked slowly down the 

 road that ran through our farm, thinking 

 of the future, for I had gradually been 

 awakening to the state of things exist- 

 ing at the farm. Like Esau I was being 

 crowded out of my birthright by my 

 brother, who, since he had affiliated with 

 my father, was regarding me with a less 

 friendly spirit than formerly. 



" It is time to assert myself and claim 

 my proper place in the family as the 

 elder son," I muttered. " I shall as- 

 sume, or, at least take an equal share in 

 the work, no matter how distasteful it 

 may be." 



In this mood I turned into a path that 

 led to a small creek running through 

 our grounds. I followed this until I was 

 aroused from my reverie by a low ex- 

 clamation. I paused, and saw a move- 

 ment in the bushes opposite, that fringed 

 the edge of the creek. 



" Some tramp," I thought. I was 

 about to pass on when I determined, 

 owing to my resolution, to assert my 

 proper place on the farm, to order 

 him off. 



Crossing the stream I came in the 

 rear of the bushes, and, to my surprise, 

 discovered my brother Steve, lying flat 

 on the bank, gazing into the water. 



" What are you doing here ? " I asked. 

 Springing to his feet with a startled 

 exclamation, he confronted me with 

 clenched fists and white face ; while he 

 fairly hissed — 



11 What are you doing here ? you good 

 for nothing idler ! What do you mean by 

 spying on my movements ? Get away 

 this instant, or I will have you thrown off 

 the place ! " 



As I gazed, speechless with astonish- 

 ment, at his trembling figure, the 

 Dutch obstinacy I inherited rose within 

 me, and tossing the gun to the ground, 

 I threw off my jacket, rolled up my 

 sleeves, and planting myself before him, 

 said : 



