Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-07-30
Is INDEPENDENCE IOWA, AY,JUL

or so. She left 'er dressed and COM
Portable, waitin' for Bytheway's re-
turn. She expected i'm to reach home
about 8 or o'clock in the afternoon.
I went in after midday an then she
was a-layin' the cloth for a Christ.
mas dinner. The room was very
clean, an she'd stuck some green
about and ornamented the table and
made it look all very nice, far better
than we poor people can do out here,
for Bytheway kept some of is hold
'abits, an she loved to make the
'ouse as swell-like as possible. I
thought she looked very pretty
though she was SO pale, and she 'ad
one of 'er old theayter flowers in 'er
brown 'air-it was pleasure for me
to see 'er.
"'Why, Mrs. Bythcway,' I says,
Merry Christmas
"'Merry Christmas, Wellbeloved,'
says she. An then turnin' roun'
sharp, she says, How soon do you
think Revnold can get home? He
was to leave Bracebridge early this
morning and walk out. I have q
plum-pudding for him. He knows
knothing about it. l wish he mas at
home.'
"She went an looked out of the
door, but the wind blew sharp from
the north an she come in with a
shlver. stayed with 'er a hour, 'av-
ing nothin' partikler to do, an left 'er
at very near o'clock. I'ad to come
from the door, you see, to that gate
an then along the road for half a
mile to my own path. I'd got very
close to the turnin' into my own land
when see Bytheway strugglin' up
the road through the snow. WAITED
for i'm.
"sAllo, Mr.. Bythcway,' l says, so
'ere you are at last. Any luck a
shootin'?'
II see in a moment e were hout O.
sorts. is face was swollen and red,
an he scowled at me very angry like.
"1Not d thing says e.
"Then e came on straight at me,
an seein' e were not safe to speak to,
1 got hout of the way an went 'ome.
"Poor Lucy says | to my wife,
She amt in for a Merry Christmas,
I'm afraid
81 watched i'm staggenn' along an
cussin' and swcarin' as e went, till e
reached the door. Then I see 'er run
hout, as well as she could, poor thing,
for twas very near, an 1 see i'm
brush 'er hout of lis way with is arm.
e didn't knock 'er down.
"'Poor Lucy!' says I, she amt in
for a Merry Christmas, Pm afraid
"Just then we 'eard the report of a
gun an both rushed to the door
There was nothin' to be seen at first,
but presently Bytheway ran out with
is 'and over is face. e threw i'm
self into the snow an lay there long
time; then e got up an ran down to
the road, and so off beyond Stony
Jannsey the Swede's there.
"'Well, says 1 to my wife, you an
l 'ad best go up an see what's be-
come of Lucy. This don't seem all
right
"The door was open when she got
there, an the first thing we saw was
Lucy Bytheway, holdin' in her bosom,
an groanin' an a great spot of blood
over the white cloth she 'ad laid; an
there, thrown down on the table,
crashin' and breakin' the crockery an
the glass, was Mr.. Bytheway's gun
with its muzzle within two feet of her
breast. kne wthen that she'd been
shot. We laid 'er on the bed. She
soon swooned away. Then we gave
'er brandy an then came time /
needn't describe to you. Invent away
an got such baby clothes as we lad,
an my poor wife she stayed there an
'elped that poor young creature to
fight with death for the life she 'ad
50 long hoped for. 1t was no USE
The mother never 'eard 'er own child's
voice. 1t never 'ad none. Do you
think, though, it had no voice here,
it may have one in 'eaven? When
she knew it wasn't living she said,
We'll, I'm goin' too, Mrs. Wellbe-
loved, remember this. He didn't
shoot me + He was vexed
and angry that he missed every shot
at Bracebridge. I asked him what
made him so angry. He had pushed
me coming in and taken away my
breath, you know, and I sat down on
the chair on the other side of the
table. When l asked that question
he looked at me, and you know itwas
very foolish and unkind of me to ask
such a question. He looked all on
fire, and then, with terrible oath he
dashed the gun down on the table
and you know he never meant it, but
it went off-and, oh! Mrs. Wellbe-
loved, good-by, good-by, dear-say 1
forgive him"
- Il
"That's the story of that 'ouse, sir.
You see why it amt cheerful place
for me to look hat Il What
become of Bytheway? He was found
when the spring came, ten miles off
in the woods, where he had frozen to
death, an hif you 60 up there to our
Orange 'all you'll see one tomb be-
side it, the only tomb about ere, an
here the three lies. Dinners ready,
sir"
Wachtel Singing While His Child il
Dying.
The Opera House is thronged with
IN expectant audience, for Theodore