Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-10-27

on the soft grass, and I told her all my
plans and dreams, and | told her also
that / loved her. We were scarcely
more than children, but it did not mat
ter. Our hearts were already those of
nan and woman. And. she, my little
Lilly, promised to be mine, if papa
would give her to me- promised, at least
to be true to me forever. | had my
mothers wedding-ring on my little
finger, and put it on Lilly's hand. 1t
was the pledge of our afection-the seal
of our betrothal-that and the kiss |
gave her.
We sat in the trembling shadow of
the tree branches, sorrowful yet happy,
grieved by our approaching parting, re-
joicing in our love, when suddenly there
arose before us figure so horrible that
I have no words in which to paint it. 1t
was that of an insane negro, who be-
longed to a neighboring planter, and was
known to have escaped from hut in
which he had been confined, and to be at
large somewhere in the woods. He was
half naked, and armed with a great
horse pistol. His eyes were the eyes of
a wild beast. They glared upon us
with vindictive fury. He muttered be-
tween his teeth:
.sDevils, devils, devils But I'll kill
them. l can kill devils-a white one.
and black one-l can kill them BOTH
Then, as Lilly shrank affrighted be-
fore him, and as |, finging myself be-
fore her. strove to shield her, he aimed
his pistol at US and fired The bullet
grazed my arm and entered Lilly's
breast. She gave one agonized scream
and fell forward, the blood yelling over
her white garments.
/ dead = howled the maniac, as he
saw the sight; '.dead I've killed the
white devil Ha, ha I've killed the
white devil p And away he strobe to
hide among the tombs.
Whittier he went cared not. L
knelt beside Lilly, vainly endeayoring
to staneh the blood that flowed from the
wound She was perfectly insensible !;
her breath came in short gasps; soon it
seemed to cease altogether. | felt her
heart | could discover no pulsation.
dead p | screamed, as the maniac
had screamed before me- dead! dead
dead y
strove to lift her in my arms, but
my strength failed me. ! felt my sight
| and hearing leaving me. saw'in mo-
a ment more that the blood was tricklins
down my own sleeve. | remember moth
: ing more.
f When | recovered my sense was ly
! ing behind great fat stone, with ranl
|. grass and tangled bushes quite coverin!
me. 1t was close to the edge of tn
e road, and outside the wall two negroe
/, were talking.
Dead" said one. pretty youn
e creature
y ..Yes, dead" said the other. 1.-The
'e took her home on that old gate wit
5: grass and moss laid over it. She We
u all covered with blood. Dem var Fail
ID bros has killed one more Grey at las.
rs "Sure he did it ?" asked the other.
Is s.Yes,' was the answer. dat ga
l Penny, owned up she let little Missy {
~ long wild him. Colonel had insulte
him, and he told him he'd be revenge
ly Took her down to the graveyard to ki
G. her. He'll get hanged for dat, sartt
le. sure"
de The negroes moved away. | stagge
ng ed to my feet. The horrible position
ne which stood dawned upon me. | W
anxious to die, but not on the scaffo
er as the murderer Of my darling ILL
ny And l had no hope that my unsupport
he statement would convince any one IF Il
IS horrible affair.
n0 The instinct of self-protection gre
l0' strong within me. crept away. | h
in the awful swamps, as runaway I
wo groes used to do. After while esca
~. ed from the State. changed my nal
and worked at any rough and comm
Ill work for daily bread. I led a life
)h, which | dread to look back; a life
i've privation, misery. friendlessness.
you life haunted by the face of my lit
true love, and by the awful doom Il
"a hung over my own head
SO At last there were rumors Of W
let Men were called for to make food
me powder The North and South W
ing engaged in wild struggle. ca
der nothing for the cause. bat | saw
ing prospect of life that had some obj
the in it before me. of companionship W
| brave men, of an honorable death.
ton became a soldier. was one of the n
re- who fought through the whole campai
my, and only in the last battle did | rece
Win a serious wound.
oi 1t was overall the fighting, all
~. turmoil. Peace waned her olive bran
y lay on my pillow in crowded ho'
'ns' tai, conscious that private Smith
spoken of as brave man. | was
hi'e vate Smith. What lay before h
heM death or recovery. I knew not, | ca