Omaha daily bee., 1874-05-04
WILLIAM AND SUSAN.
A Very Mournful Texas Ballad,
run in" for Convenience.

ONC III luC AOhC Otol OlotC, III
calm night, all snug and shady,
side by side i'm converse safe. Twas
on old man Browns plaza; stars
were Frightening all the skies, and
the moon above the plaza was just
upon the rise. Twas the hour for
love or liquor-calm, sweet hour in
early June; love nor wine will
never flicker on such a night with
such a moon.
Susan was as fair as Hebe dressed
in all her Sunday clothes-fairer
than her cousin Phoebe, who is
fairer than the rose. AS for Will
liam-never wildwood sheltered
youth more stout and hale; he was
from his very childhood what the
Texans call a whale. There they
sat for hours talking of their joys
and hopes and fears; talking of
their loves, and chalking out their
plans for all the coming years.
Talked also they of their marriage,
limiting at a distant day, when a
little crib and carriage might per-
chance come into play.
Thus they sat, her hand in prison
not a prisoner harsh or stern-for
it was merely locked in his'n, as his
lips were pressed to her'n.
But, alas! the course of true love
smoothly runs, oh never, never!
Hearts enlinked in old or new love
o o or late must sigh and sever.
Oh that in a sea of rapture, where
the heart most sweetly floats, fate
PIRATES sure to capture half Our
joys and cut our threats!
Hark!-the smell of shot and
powder rises like a funeral knell!
Louder! louder, and still louder
rumbles that h~eart-rending smell!
Susan's sybil soul prophetic knew
that rumble meant but ill-knew
that old man Brown erratic was
upon the hunt of Bill! Bill, the
lode star, whom she follows,
withdrawing, caring not: now
she feels that $50 We're poor pay to
see him shot.
Oh, the earnest love of woman!
Little for itself it seeks; it is not a
thing uncommon for its flame to last
six weeks!
All at once a DOORS busted close to
where the lovers sit-William had
got up and busted, but it was too late
to git. Ere he dreamed of flight or
fear once, or had time to cut and
run, old man Brown made his ap-
pearance with his double-barreled
gun. Susan's knees shook fast and
faster. Williams also shook, it's
said, till they tumbled down the
plaster from the ceiling overhead.
Susan screamed, her dark hair
flying like a meteor streaming far,
to her feet and crying,
"Please don't shoot, o cruel pa"
But that pa, 80 cold und cruel, swore
he'd send Bill to that CLINE where
there's too much fire and fuel for to
have a pleasant time. Then he
raised his shooting iron, raving
much and swearing more, till the
air was blue-but why run or thus
how he swore? What, Oh,
what was William doing: While
thus raved the old galOot! seeing
what was brewing, she was
on the shoot.
"Hold, rash pa" cried the daugh.
ter; all unheeded were her cries, as
also the sweet salt water streaming
from her lovely eyes. Standing
there i'm all the rigor old man Brown
now aimed his gun, pausing ere he
the trigger, thinking maybe
Bill would run. Bill though was
not of the cattle which neither dare
nor do; but, once showed into a bat
tie, he was sure to see it through.
Never since the siege of Illum was
suspense felt more profound; for a
moment more and William had
been made to bite the ground.
Quickly drawing his repeater,
which he carried two or three, cock
ing it at shortest meter, drew a
bead on o. NJ. B. Few things swift
as lightning r there? Swift thus
came the pistols roar, and poor
Susan's hapless father lay their vel.
tering in his gore! Williams sure,
unerring bullet-an internal slug,
and he waltzed right up the spout.
And the coroner, living nigh
him, came; but William didn't run,
feeling sure they'd justify him in
the deed that had done, which they
did; for papa's fury, Susan, weep
ing, told it Ger, and to William
said the jury: "Go, my son, and
shoot no more"
Here my muse must stop and
tarry; all she knows is in this lay;
whether Bill and Sue will marry,
she is not prepared to say. But as
Bill-who is no joker with stocked
cards, you Understandable that
game Of leaden poker played a
square and honest hand.
Should he, when there Is no
traces left of his unerring shot, meet
Sues hand with but four aces, he
will no doubt take the pot, for Sue
knows that her pa was able, and
had done it with a rush, with his
full to sweep the table had not
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