The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-09-25

twenty of us stopped at the gay hotel
at -; OF the kisses she used to let
me take, and the bushes they brought
to her cheeks-and l wanted to kill
Brown. He was a harmless young man,
with a lisp and an eyeglass, but 1 longed
to assassinate him.
This sort of thing happened more
than once during the season, and l felt
glad when it was gone and summe sent
society" flying to the woods aud glens
and waterfalls. I did not seek the
usual resort. I went to a wild out-of-
the-way place and tished persistently.
I did some shooting, too, and formed
a friendship with a certain Mr.. Briggs,
who was fond of sport, so he said,
though l never knew him to catch a
fish, or shoot anything whatever.
No one knew where I was. l knew
nothing of the whereabouts of any Of
my acquaintance. There were a few
ladies at the hotels, principally invalids,
for there were springs thereabout that
had a great medicinal reputation ; but
it was not TIE sort of place to tempt
"our set"
anticipated no unpleasant meeting
with people who would want to know
why Millyand 1 lad parted. And fancy
my establishment and horror when, n
evening, as l took my seat AT the table,
| saw straight opposite me a little, pale
shadow, which 1 recognized as all that
was left of Millicent Hood. Her portly
grandmother was with her, and the way
that old lady didn't look at me was more
dreadful than the most awful looks
could have been.
made a short meal that day, and 1
resolved to leave the place by the morn
ing train. Unfortunately, / oversight
myself. Wait a minute-was it unfor-
tunate? 1t seemed so to me for a good
while. l missed the stage at all events.
There was 10 other way of reaching the
cars, and l went out to spend the whole
September day with Briggs and our
guns. There was an evening stage also.
| intended to go on. on that.
Out in the, woods, and having pur-
posely lost sight of my companion for
a little while, / sat down at the foot of
a tree and fell to thinking of Millicent.
Poor little girl how worn she was
did she? But no-no-she had de-
clared that she hated me. All, there
was truth in Moore's song
"There's nothing half 70 sweet in life as loves
young dream :"
and | had awakened from it. l sighed
and rested my head against the old tree.
In moment more-crack, crack, crack
A terrible pain through my head. A
cry of "Oh, Lord, l thought you were
a squirrel - and l was dimly conscious
that Briggs had hit something at last.
he nau MT me.
/ came to myself after a weeks fever
and delirium, quite blind. My eyes
we're untouched, but the nerves had
been somehow injured. There was
something horrible in the surgeons
vague premises of Improvement in time;
and all l could say to the penitent
Briggs why didn't You hit a
vital part while you were about it
1t was a horrible time. l don't like
to think about it even now. L was not
sure how time passed. There was no
day to me-, and 1 seemed suddenly to
have been launched into a dark eter-
nifty.
One day I had a terrible longing for
fresh air, and as there could be no rea-
son for keeping me indoors, / ordered
my nurse, an old colored man, to set q
chair for me in some lonely spot where
strangers would not be apt to spy me
ont. He did so. There was a little
nook which / knew well, where no II
save some rural fisher came. Here |
babe him leave me, and return in an
hour. He obeyed:
"Ah," l thought to myself, were
Millicent my wife. 1 should have n
who wonld love me even now; one ON
whose truthful bosom l could rest my
weary head"
"Millicert! 1 whispered softly,
"Millicent Millicent !"
The name brought back sweet recol-
lections. l rested my head upon my