Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-02-23

WOAO ~ nAo Nuls
81 cursed the gum He heard
again: "May it prove a curse to
your
Other guns were firing all about
them; he heard the noise, he smelt
the smoke. Suddenly he awoke-
the noise Of the report Of firearms
was actually in his ears, and he de.
tected the odor of gun-powdcr.
He saw his wife on her knees in
the middle Of the room.
"What has happened?" he cried.
81 do not know" sobbed the poor
woman: 81 heard a noise; l am
frightenedw
Then they rushed together to the
garret, whence came "a sound of
groans.
Meanwhile 1 heard the boys 90
past my room and up the garret
stairs, probably in search of fishing
tackle. l called them back.
"Be careful, boys,"I cautioned
them, "about the lumber closet.
There is an old gun there that may
be loaded. Don't go near it,"
"All right" said Charlie. "Come
on, Will"
They went MP stairs.
Fishing is all well enough" f"
said the elder, "but I'd like shoot
ing better. What pity father won't
let us have guns"
He crossed the garret and opened
the door Of the lumber closet.
eyes, there the old thing is. I
don't believe it's loaded. What if
it is. Reckon l know how to man
age"
"Let's take it on the sly" said
his brother. "Let it out of the
window, and carry it to the wood.
There is a powder flask and bullet
pouch, too. We can get some caps
at the store, Charlie"
GA good idea," said Charlie, ad-
vancing toward the closet from
which his brother came, dragging
the gun after him. Neither Of
them guessed it was the gun that
had caused their sisters death.
"Let's have it, Will," said he, and
took it from him. Suddenly there
was flash, report, and horrible
scream from the little fellow, who
fell forward ON his face at the feet
of his elder. His PROSTATE form
was what his wretched parents saw
as we three rushed into the garret
The other boy stood, utterly un
able to move, clutching the weapor
that had caused all tins.
"May God have mercy on usl /
is the cursed rifle againw crie(
their father.
Then the boy found words.
81 swear | did not load itw ht
said. 81 swear did not touch tn,
trigger"
And still his brother lay dead a
his feet.
On the night before l had seen
sight that might have prophesied
this sad tragedy. Would to heaven
| had told of it.
The kitchen clock was striking
eleven. In a country house like
that people 60 early to bed. / was
reading, but had paused to listen to
the striking Of the loud-mouthed
clock. AS it ceased, fanoed
heard a football on the stairs.
opened the door. Slowly the noise
came nearer. 1t was the sound that
can come only from a bare foot.
The next moment | saw my host,
Rathbone, approaching me.
"You'll catch cold, old fellow" f"
said |. "Put on your coat"
To my surprise, he answered not
at all, but came slowly on.
Then | saw, for the first time, a
somnambulist.
For moment hesitated whether
to awake him. He was easily NOR.
titled and my catching him in such
a plight would prove disagreeable
to us both. Sol simply followed
him.
He went on past my door and up
stairs. At the garret entrance he
stopped second and then lifted the
latch and entered. was close be-
hind him.
Without the least hesitation he
advanced to the lumber closet. |
did not know the old rifle was there,
aud again | followed. The moon
light, streaming in through the
chinks in the caves and one broken
window, made the rlace quite light.
He turned the wooden button of
the closet door and drew out a bag
of shot, then powder horn and
last-the fatal gun.
At once / remembered it. Who,
indeed, that had ever seen it, could
forget the heavily chased mount
ings of silver, aud grotesquely
carved butt, the enormous barrel I?
With the recollection there flashed
upon me such a horror as | had
never felt.
Still | was powerles TO move. l
tried to cry out My tongue re-