The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-10
A PoAcKER'S DREAM.

!
iss been passed In prison. can talk
about it now; but there was a time 1
could not even think OF it without get
ting 50 mad that, if | had been one of
them foreigners, l should have got some
charcoal and smoked myself dead.
You see, it was all along of that keep
er, JenRins, and he was as black a
scuundrel as ever got people to believe
him all honest man. We always mated
eacn otuer, after something as hap
pened Que day. 1t was one eve
ming, and I was going home from
work-tnat was, doing up some one's
garden; for Pve always been a gar
dener, 'cept when l was ON the tread
mill. was going through the field that
is at the back OF Squire Watts pre-
serves, as he calls them-the old squire,
iHs his son thaps squire now-Wnen l
hears sort OF cry that sounded like
sHrlpw come out Of the wood. There
was only hedge between IL and the
field, and l scrambled through gapand
ran TO where the sound had come from,
and there was Jenkins and II young girl
had seen once before. He'd got mis-
arm round her and was holding her,
while she was fighting hard to getaway.
just as came uPsne gave another cry,
ana didn't stop to say anythiUg 10 HIM,
but just knocked him down, when he lay
quite sLill on tue ground, pretending TO
be stunned.
"ThanK you," she says, quietly, but
| trembling a Little. ii am very much
obliged 10 you," and she gives me her
manu-, smiled, says "Good evening"" and
goes quickly away.
AS soon as she was quite gone, he
picked himself up, looking as black as
| LnunGer, aud says he:
"Jem SmiIh, know you, and l shPn't
forget you. And sha'n't forget this"
And he touches his forehead Wnere
| I'd hit him.
81 nope you won't; and that it'll be a
lesson 10 you," says.
| And then, knowing as l was trespass-
ing, Thought it best to be Oft home.
After that, l never met him but he
glOWered at me, as mucn as to say.
I"WaiL biL."
| Tne name OF the girl was Mary Deu-
his, ana she was hOusemaid at the rec
| tory. often used TO meet her by accl-
dent; and as sne was always willing to
| stop and speak, l got into the way OF 60
| lug out on purpose to meet her ever,
evening. Sue Was bright looking giri,
with soft da eyes and soft dark hair j.:
! and she had great deal more sense
LAan any other gIrl l ever saw. Well,
one day she told ME that the keeper cha p
mad been following ner again, thai he
mad wanted to marry her, and When she
refused him had been ruue, and threat
/ ened to make her repent ii
| MARY" says |, "Pll tell YOU what
would be the best thing TO do. BE Mrs.
| Smith,"
And before she went home, we'd set
| lied 1T. Sne was to be my wife in a
month from that, and to come and live
AZ tue cottage with me and mother.
saw her DacK as far as the rectory gate i;
ana Wnen Sne mad gone in, l turneu
ROUND, and there was Jenkins looking
over the stlle on the other side OF the
| road. 1t wasn't TOO dark to see who it
was, nor yet TO see that he shook his ii +
at me.
We were married at the time we fixed.
and, as we rarely SAY Jenkins, we had
almost forgotten him before mauy
months were gone. We were very hap.
py for whole year, and then a little bit
oi baby came, that mother used to
make terrible fuss over. But after
That things began 10 20 wrong. had
three 10 work Ior instead of one, and
yet couldn't get near 50 much work as
use 10. People who used to have me
| egular to do their gardens took to hay
ing d different man when they could get
him, ana only puC UP with me when they
couldn't. tried W get other work, but
no one would lake me. l became sure
AZ last OF one LhiDg-thatWas that it was
| jenkins dong. lie had told d, tferent
! people that was one of the poachers
| who had been making good bags Of the
squirrels game OF a night.
I'D ,,I.A = h.
when it was broiling hot, l was gong
home at about II O'clock 10 get some
uinuer, through the very field where |
mad heard Mary call ouJ for help. had
been thinking about what l had heard
Vi people going out to America or Aus.
tralla, where they say IL is as easy a.
possible to get living, and was won,
lerlng whether we cOutu get out there,
when began to feel giddJ, the sun was
SO strong. l had some distance 10 WalE
yet, and SO looked round for some shady
pace, where could sit down Tor a fe "
minutes. On one side of me was the
| field, glaringly bright, with scarcely 8
foot OF shadow; on the other side was
the wood, and it looked SO cool and
shady under the trees that l wouldn'
| think about not having any business
there, but just goes ami gets through
and sits down there. went bang of tt
sleep IN about minute, and got dream
ing ali kinds Of things.
| l was wandering through forest, like
the 'squire's preserves grown much big
ger, wan gun in my hand, bent on kill
ing something TO take home to my wife
anu litGle one, because | thought they
were starving. But, though all kinds ol
strange animals ran past me, could moi
raise my gun to take aim. The place
seemed full of living things, but some.
thing seemed always 10 keep me from
| firing.
| AT last l came to where, from the
| branch OF Tree, hung line kind Of u
| ShJrt-nOrned deer or a rOeUuck.
| ."SUme one has been here and shot it, ,
| says TO myself, "and they've hung il
there, meaning TO come back and fetch II
III Il DAY or two. Well, whoever it be
longs w, Phi have it and take it home
sooner than they shall want food any
| longer"
| The next minute some one saws
"Wny, Tvs Jem SmithV
Jumps up win start. and there wa,
two Uf the gamekeepers Standing Iookint
at me-Jenkins and another. one as
aidRJ know the name of.
| $50 it's you, is it, smith p? saws Jenk
ms, with sort Of sneer-"it's YOU as
sets wires for the hares.u
mo. it isn't" says 1: "being here
doesn't make me u poacher,n
"Whats this, then?" says the other
and he picks up hare from mat w nc p.