The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-08-16

o. clamOrS Rll grow still.
Jntil the portals close again, and leave us toling
~ Il On in pain
II carss.n that tls-Szay islong--v vss- road il
L. weary that iead' there7
L sd then with beating heart await the opening Of
n the Golden Gate.
i !. 4 FLASH OF LIGHTNING.
My name is Hunt. Yes, sir; Anthony
= Hunt. am settler on this western
Fairie. Wilds Yes, sir; it's little
: dse than wilds now, but you should
a sye seen it when and my wife frat
nOved up here. There was not house
. within sight for miles. Even now we
Z hive not downright good ones. To ap-
2 peciate your neighbors as you ought,
D 81, you must live in these lonely places,
safar removed from the haunts of man.
, What am about to tell of happened
ten years ago. I was going to the dis
+ tsDt town, or settlement, to sell some
fifty head Of caffeine creatures, sir,
sever you saw. The journey was a
more rare event with me than it is now;
and my wife had always plenty of COM
missions to charge me with in the shape
Of dry goods and groceries, and such like
things.
Our young child was a sweet little
gentle thing, who had been named after
her Aunt Dorothy. We called the
child Dolly This time my commission
included one for her-a doll. She had
never had a real doll; that IS, a bought
doll only the rag bundles her mother
made for her. For some DAYS before
my departure the child could talk of
rDthing else-or we, either, for the mat
ter Of that-ior she was a great pet, the
dsrling of Us all 1t was TO be a big, big
doll, with golden hsir and blue eyes. 1
never forget the child's words the morn
ing was starting, as she ran after me to
the gate, or the pretty picture she made.
There are some children sweeter and
Fettier than others, sir, as you can't
but have noticed and Dolly was one.
she called out me; ''and please bring it
very soon."
I turned to nod eyes" to her as she
stood in her clean Whitley brown pinafore
against the gate, her nut-brown baiI
falling in curls about her neck and the
light breeze stirring them.
"a brave doll, answered, "for my
little one-almost as big as Dolly"
Nobsdy would believe, dare say, how
full my thoughts were Of that promised
doll, as I rode along, or what nice one
meant to buy. It was notoften 1 spent
money in what my good, thrifty wife
would csll waste; but Dolly was Dolly,
and meant to do it now.
The cs tile sold, went about my pur-
chases, and soon had no end of parcels
to be packed in the saddle-bags.
Tea, sugar, rice, candles-but l need
not weary you, sir with telling of them,
together with the calico for shirts and
nightgowns, and the delaine for the
children's new frocks. Last of all, 1
went about the doll, and found beauty
1t was not IS big as Dolly, or half as
big but it had faxen curls and sky-blue
eyes; and by dint Of pulling wire you
could open or shut the eyes at will.
"Do it up carefully" said to the
storekeeper. "My little daughter would
cry sadly if any harm comes to it."
The day was pretty well ended be-
ore all my work was done; and, just for
famoment or two, hesitated whether
hould not stay in the town and start for
home in the morning. 1t would have
been the more prudent course. But I
thought of poor Dolly's anxiety to get
her treasure, and of my own happiness in
watching the rapture in her delighted
eyes. So with my parcels packed in the
best way they could be, mounted my
horse and started. 1t was as good and
s1idy a horse as you ever rode, sir; but
niht began to set in before l was well
nae away from the town it seemed as
lift were going to be an ugly night, too.
Again the thought struck me-should
turn back and wait till morning? 1 had
nv brace of sure pistols with me, and
decided to press onward.
1 The night came on as dark as pitch,
and part of the way my road would be
piteb dark beside. But on that score l
had no fear; 1 knew the road well, every
inch of it, though 1 could not ride so fast
"a should have done in the light. 1
was about six miles from home, l sup-
pose. and knew the time must be close
upon midnight, when the storm which
had been brewing broke. The thunder
roared, the rain fell in torrents; the best
Icould do was 10 ride onward in it.
All at once, as rode on, cry star
tied me faint, wailink sound, like the
crv of child. Refining up, sat still
and listened. Had I been mistaken
No there it was again. But in what
di,octiop / could not tell. couldn't
saa thing. 1t was, as have said, as
dsrk as pitch. Getting off my horse,
kt about, but could find nothing. And
while / was seeking, the cry came again
the faint moan of child in pain.
Ren began to wonder; l am not su-
pArst;tious, but 1 asked myself how it
W. possible that child could be out on
IL orairie at such an hour and in such
an;cht. No; real child it could not be.
TTnon that came another thought
no less welcome Was it trap to him
dr. me on my way and ensnare me?
here might be midnight robbers who
vo,,ld easily hear of my almost certain
S5a home that night, and of the money
Ishould have about me.
don't think, sir, am more timid