Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-05-28
M Is OLE LILA NY.
The Fatal Shot.

land there could be hone faircr or more state.
Iy than Coran Castle, Suffolk. There lived
Squire Coran, q fine specimen of the olden
school-stcrn, rugged and unbondipg rs ono
Of his W oaks, yet, withal, genial and kind
ly. Tho mcancst peasant on his estate walk
cd briskcr when he saw the squire, and smiled
for five minutes after hearing his merry
ssIino morning; first rate Weather !"
Nearly forty years had passed since tho
squire Ibid his fair ~girl-wife' in the vault Of
tho Corans-ncarly twenty since he had Blu.
.ried by her side the ono son of their short
wedlock. Yet Coran Castle was not desclate.
The I" heir" though he lad died young, had
lived long enough to leave a widow and two
orphan babes to his fathers care. Tho or
phansi we're not grown up, and the, m Of
Hugh and Emma resoundcd through tho cas-
Tie, shouted ii" tho full, cheory voice Of the
hearty.old man. Dearly did he love them
both but Hugh was somewhat wild ano way
ward and would sometimes thoughtlessly
shwart his girand.sircs inperious will. One
Bore subject ever lay between them. The old
squire was agiant in stature and strength;
bis youth had been signalizcd by fcats of
prowcss and daring, of which he never wea.
ricd to boast. Hugh Coran, on the contrary,
had small tastes for field sports, and, being
small and Delicate in frame, constantly took
to himself; his grand fathers careless SCOTS
about "lady-mcn" and "dcgeneracy."
Not half a mile from Coran Castle was a
laIge tract Of heath and moorland, very wild
and lonely, and at that time infested with
highwaymen. 1t was necessary to cross this
district to,rcach the %neighboring village of
Wrettcl. One day, in tho winter time, Hugh
Coran had occasion to 60 to this village. He
did not return when expected, an@. dinner was
served without him. Just as it was over, he
oame il, cxcusing his Hardness by saying
that suspicious characters had been seen on
the moor, and, therefore, he had waited for
companions on his homcward journey. His
mother was about to commend what to her
seemed but prudence, when the squire. broke
into Q storm Of invcctive at IIugh's "cowar.
dice" When had he feared any mortal man
least of all, a midnight robber7 The
moorland offered no shelter for q band of high
waymen, and he took shame that one of his
race dreaded encounter with any single foe.
Old as, he was, he would ride over Coran
Moore alone at midnight; and no hand should
harm him or touch his purse. He blushed
yes, that was the singing word-for tho
dast Of the Corans of Ccran. l9
In vain did Hugh answer gently that he
did'not think his courage would fail if put
usefully to the proof, that he owned he had
but little of the reckless daring of the ancient
Corans; but still he thought-he modestly
said he thought, for the youth was no brag.
gart-that he would risk his own life to save
another's. But the squire's last words were
too much. His blue eyes flashed, he threw
down his knife, left his dinner unfinished,
:and his mother and sister in tears.
He did not show himself all that evening.
Late at night a messenger came from Wrot-
: tel, bearing tidings Of the sudden and dan.
gefous illness of an old friend Of the squirrels.
The man who brought tho letter went on
with another to a more distant neighbor.
~ shall go at once," said the squire to
Emma and her mother. az must see him
again ID life"
"Then Rogers will attend you z" suggested
the widow, timidly.
Ono; Latymer Coran was no court popin.
Jay, who could not take care of himself; he
was not afraid of the dark towards were un-
known in his young days"
Squire Coran went to his room to prepare
for his journey. Boosting never strengthens
'ono's " courage, and he took great care that
a'is pasto' ~as in coed order. At another
time, notwithstanding the reality of the dan
ger, he would not have taken the pistol but
now no loaded it with deadly precision, and
flsad it carefully in his great-ooat pocket.
Emma ran to call her brother to saw GOOD.
ebye, but she found his door looked, and could
,get no answer.
"Let him %alone,,' said her grand. father
"let him alone example is better than pre.
soept," and SO ho rode away.
There was only a cloudy moon; but the
stout-hearted traveller knew his road, and was
as little likely to miss his way on the moor as
Is q street Arab to lose himself in London
Hissthoughts went before him to his diving
friend, and his indignation with Hugh slow.
Hy faded from his.mind. when. inst aa q oloua