The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-03-25
WAYNE COUNTY, IND. MAR.

I'm purity sartin, if she's my
girl, I'd give her q good settlin'
down. muttered the housekeerer,
as Alice fitted past her, nearly
knocking q pan Of milk from her
hands. .Td show her who soas aud
who wasn't, mighty quick
Weapon in hand, the young girl
ran down the orchard path, now
hard and crisp with frozen snow.
her brain wholly centered upon
shooting q rabbit, something she
had never done alone. Uncle John
had taught her this art, aud quite
skillful. she had become through
much practice.
Reaching the spot on which she
had seen the rabbit some few min
utes before, she hastily cast her be-
witching eyes about her. She was
, disappointed, as no animal, large
or small, was visible.
With q vexed exclamation, she
turned to GO to the house, when
her gaze fell upon several brown
objects squatting on a limb Of an
apple tree.
After shading her eyes and look
ing closely for q short time. her
heart bounded for joy; for there.
not ten yards away, sat six quail
upon limb, each looking as cool
and Indifferent as the snow above
and below them, and as if defying
the little huntress so near, death
dealing weapon in hand.
There they sat, blinking and
winking their email eyes, as if to
say. You've only q rifle, and can't
kill more than one of US ; and each
seemed confident that that one
would not be he.
This limb on which the birds sat
was low, and between my heroine
and the tree-trunk.
Knowing that the rifle was load
ed, and feeling quite sure that she
would kill one bird with bullet,
Alice, just as coolly as any marks
man, raised the weapon, and a
sharp report instantly followed.
} The blue wreaths of smoke float
ed away upon the morning breeze,
as Alice stepped forward.
Did her eyes deceive her 7
Mercy! and dropping the gun. she
sprang forward, gasping: What
have l done-what have / done 2
For there on the snow lay form,
: motionless, with white face rem
! dered horrible by streams of blood
e flowing from She could not
I tell, for the truth flashed before
her instantly. aud ere she saw the
q wound, she sank down uncon-
. scious.
8 Uncle John and the housekeepel
y found her thus, lying near young
J. man whose head showed the track
o of bullet, his eyes staring vacant
ly, and his limbs stiff and rigid.
q Alice soon returned to consci-
n BUSINESS but the victim of he
q bullet was more unmanageable
d inasmuch as he showed no signs o
life until near evening, and that af
q ter much labor in the way of rub
y bing. pouring brandy down hi
ID throat, and so on.
e1 When he was able to talk, an,
as no one save Uncle John was in tn
" room, he feebly asked:
"a "Wby am here? 1t all seem
VI so strange-so very strange!
s. just family remember of being be
se hind tree, and of stepping aroun
Sc the trunk to see some quail upon
limb
IN Never mind now, youngste
OF You'll find out when you are we
er again. said the old man. noticin
i how much the talking exhaustc
p the sufferer.
ed But the young man continued
1t. 1t seems to me that just as
ng moved, a gun went off. and than q
I'D awful pain shot over the top Of n1
Sc head. / tried to stand up, b,
y, could not. l opened my eyes. an
" here, in the cosiest room imagil
able, l find myself sick man.
zs, you got shot, that's all,' r
lie, sponded Uncle John, beginnir
Ter to busy himself with poking the fir
DO you think ! shot myself ?.
~ ne did my gnn 60 off and wound me
ir. And the old man said he 's'pos'
so,' and then entreated the suffer
en- to remain quiet if he wished to g
,er well.
IN And the winter days went b
re the young man supposing he h'
his met with an accident, caused
.he his carelessness. He had nev
,re seen Allie, for she ran from t
room whenever he awoke frc
rn- sleep. She had seen him ma
lite times, however.
Convinced that he was slumbe
'er- ing, and that no one was keepi
Use him company, she would steal
pit to his bedside, and watch the e
lch pressions of pain fit over his p
ny lid face.
" She suffered, too. Suppose
should die! Then che would
"a. ~ a murderess, perhaps hung, or m
' 'ne be only sent to prison for life. S
'on didn't mean to do it-she did l
peu see him behind the tree.
adl Time and again she told I'm
and John, while clinging to his ne
or that she had been so wicked, q
90. so foolish; and would she be hur
on No. no: he'll get well; a
I'm. then he thinks he did it hims,
by carelessness. He doesn't KIN
all bit in regard to you, pet, and