Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-08-19

her husband returned. Iheyoune
lady, after consultation with hel
mother, readily assented to tbs
proposition, and promised to come
over during the afternoon. Hav.
ing accomplished her purpose, and
feeling very much relieved in
mind, Mrs. r -returned home
and spent the day in performing
the usual household duties
When the morning had passed a.
way, and the afternoon came,
and then the sun set without
bringing her friend, she felt no a.
larm, but thought that the latter
had decided not to come until af-
ter tea, when her father, across
the field, which separated the two
houses, would escort her. Accor-
dinghy the evening meal was eaten,
household affairs arranged and the
cook dismissed for the night to
her distant cabin in the :"quarter.
About nine o'clock, Mrs. R. be-
gan to teela little uneasy, as Miss
L. had not come, when a servant
came up to the house and brought
a note from her expected friend,
stating that she would be unable
to spend the night with her, as she
had promised, for her father, from
some cause or other, had positive
ly refused to give his consent to
the arrangement: After deliver
ing the note, the servant took bis
departure, and the brave woman
prepared to spend the night by
herself. Feeling that she had a
protector in large dog belonging
to her husband, she took him into
her bed room, and, after securing
the house, lay down and resigned
herself to sleep.
About II O'Clock she was ava
kened from her slumbers by noise
in the house and the angry growl-
ing of the dog, and discovered that
the hall door had been forced and
that some one was standing at
her room door seeking an entrance.
Speaking as loud as her fright
would let her, Mrs. r. asked i
"Who is there 2" A mans voice,
which she did not recognize, re-
piled by telling her to "open the
door" Again she asked the same
question, and again received the
same reply, the stranger adding
that if she refused he would
'sbreak the d-n door down" u
During this dialogue the dog, still
growing, crouched upon the floor
as if ready to spring. Thinking
to intimidate this man, who sought
her ruin, Mrs. R cried to him
that if he forced the door she
would. shoot him. Laughing
scornfully, the rufian threw his
weight against the light door, burst
it open and entered the room,
when, quick as thought, the saw
age dog sprang forward and fasten-
ed on his neck. The man aston
ished at this sudden attack at
tempted to kill the dog with a
knife which he held in his hand,
but unsuccessfully, and the power
ful animal dragged him to the
ground, still retaining his hold up
on his throat. Stunned at first
by this unlooked-for deliverance,
the woman in q few seconds re-
gained her presence of mind some
what, ran screaming from the
house, never stopping until she ar
rived at the place Of the LIS, where
her cries soon aroused the fami-
ly. Her tale was rapidly told,
and the. servants were preparing
to go to the scene of danger, when
suddenly Mr.. L. was missed, and
his wife almost at the instant, as if
struck by a sudden presentlment,
screamed, nMerciful God it must
be my husband! !y With a cry OF
horror, the party set forth, and
ran as fast to the house OF Mrs.
r. as the latter had run from it
a few minutes before. Arrived
there, they found the man still
| on the floor, and the dog still grasp