Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-07-19

lOoo, al CCiIiuCu CAPCCColICy VI
seeing her wronged parent appea
in pursuit. Her nervousness AM
apprehensions of impending dan
ger were increased by the delay il
crossing the river, and the even
proved that they were notunfound
ed, for even while a boat from tht
opposite shore was pulling over ii
answer to the Lieutenant's signal
the old planter, accompanied by
one of his negroes, made his ap
pearance on a horse splashed with
mud and fecked with sweat and
foam. He drew up in twenty
yards of the fugacious pair, and
eyed them sternly. The Lieuten-
ant sat motionless in his saddle,
and without moving muscle, re-
turned the uncivil stare. Sud
denly the irascible' old gentleman
raised his old double -barreled shot
gun and fired at the Lieutenant,
no word having been spoken on Ell
ther side, except by the daughter,
who, as she saw the gun leveled,
cried out in an agonized voice,
"Father!" 1t was probably the
first time he had ever attempted
the life of a human being, and in
his anger and haste he wavered
and missed the mark. His charge,
of ball or buckshot, whis-
tied harmlessly past the Lieuten-
ants head, but the old familiar
sound aroused the lion in his ma
ture; he forgot the merits of the
quarrel and who was his antago-
MIST, and as the latter, with a furi-
ous oath, deliberately cooked the
other barrel, and again leveled it,
he whipped out his long revolver,
md fired with a quick but deadly
aim, acquired by long practice.
The old man was shot through the
heart. He dropped his gun, threw
up his arms, reeled in his saddle,
md fell headlong to the earth,
imp, lifeless andquivering mass of
mortality:
With dilated eyes and nostrils,
he unhappy girl gazed horror
struck upon the scene; the Lieu
;enant spoke to her, but she an
'wered not, nor seemed to hear
lim; then, with a piercing scream,
Is if she had hardly before real
zed the awful features of the
ragedy, she closed her eyes and
ell fainting into her lovers arms.
When at length she regained con-
ciousness, the Lieutenant proceed
d. to straighten the body of his
ate antagonist upon its back, COM
'osed it's limbs, and spread his
White handkerchief over the face.
If course, a dead man was not
Isually of much Importance in his
yes, he had seen so many of them,
'ut he regretted much that this one
hould be the father of the woman
le had chosen for his wife. He
ould not shut his eyes to the dis
greeable consequence that the
aemory of this dreadful tragedy |
must ever hang over them like a
loud, shutting out the sunshine
rom their married life. He at.
empted to address words of con-
olation to the lady, but she
xed her'eyes upon the dead body
f her father, and broke into the
lost piteous lamentations over
ne sad spectacle, accusing herself
being the cause of his death;
nen turning suddenly upon her
'ver, she upbraided him in the
terms with having tempt
/ her to ruin and slain her IA
Ter. 1t was vainiy he reminded
er of her former fears of pur-
lit, and repeated declaration that
er father would kill them both;
was vainly that he declared his
,adiness to blow his own brains
1T then and there as an atone
lent, and protested that he had
red upon her father only in de-
nee Of his own life; she would
ot listen to him; she saw him on
@ the red-handed slayer of her
re, and love was changed to hor-
II and detestation. She bade
i'm begone and never see her
ore, nor think of her, and then
amounting, rode suddenly away
the direction of home without J
lrning to look back.
Slowly and sadly the Lieuten-
1t stepped into the boat awaiting
in, and made his way to the east |