The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-02-19
At last, as REYNOLDS was returning

| ana opened nre.
When all the chambers of their re-
volvers had been discharged, the result
of the action thus far was seen to have
been fatal to Reynolds mule and Garth's
horse, while the two men were slightly
wounded.
They renewed the fight on foot,
clinching and wrestling for the mastery
Then Garth slipped and fell, mis-
antagonist falling upon him.
With a yell of triumph Reynolds
drew his knife, and prepared to wipe
out all scores with death stroke.
At that moment Lottie Garth came
riding up the HILL and with one glance
she took in the details of the scene, and
realized her father danger.
Without pausing to dismount, she i'm
plored Reynolds to spare the life of the
PROSTATE man.
Her fearful eyes, her outstretched
arms and her agonizirg accents might
have melted heart of stone, but they
could not change Phil Reynolds heart
of fire.
He only saw in her appearance another
cause for triumph, a chance to intlict
another pang upon his hated adversary.
With one sure and powerful stroke he
drove his heavy knife to the heart of the
man beneath him, and John Garth's
fighting days we're ended.
Lottie Garth shook and bent in her
saddle like sapling in strong wind,
and it seemed as if she would fall from
her horse; but she recovered herself,
and tiercely faced the murderer as he
rose from his bloody work.
"Phil Reynolds" she said, and her
voice rang out on the mountain air as
clear as a silver bell, "you have muir
dered my father, though l begged you
to spare his life. As sure as God let's
me live will kill you for this deed"
Reynolds was fairly cowed for .
moment. Perhaps he felt the enormity
o his crime; perhaps the words and
4one of the orphan girl cut him to the
quick.
He made no reply, but picked up his
pistol, and hastily began to load it, as If
he meant to complete the work of exter-
minating the Garths, and at the same
time to get rid of witness. But Lottie
turned and galloped away, and was soon
out of his reach or sight.
Lottie Garth did not expect that the
SLAYER of her father would be punished
by law, and he was not. He was ar
rested and held to bail, but was never
brought to trial.
The feeling was that such a feud must
have such an ending, and that it was a
matter of little consequence whether
Reynolds killed Garth or Garth killed
Reynolds, though there was more
sympathy with the latter than the
former, on political grounds.
The girl gave her testimony at the
inquest, saw that her father was properly
buried, and then babe farewell to her
few friends in the neigborhood, after
putting the Garth farm in the hands of
an agent to be disposed of. 1t was I'M
derstood that she had returned to
Indiana.
1t was some six months after the death
John Garth that q stranger mad e his
! appearance in the settlement. lie was
4 boy, beardess and with curling locks,
but active, intelligent, and able bodied
lie said that his name was Ben Seliew,
that he was from Barren County, that
his father had been killed in the war,
ard that the recent death Of his mother
had left him an orphan, with his own
way to make in the world. just then
he wanted farm work, and he easily
found it in the settlement, as he was
neither afraid nor ashamed TO work.
He proved to be a good harvest hand,
| aud made himself useful in thatspecialty
10 several farmers, but finally accepted
the offer of Phil Reynolds, who proposed
to give him home for the winter and
small allowance of money, in return ioi
| his services
Phil Reynolds was overjoyed at the
acquisition OF his new farm hand. The
ex- bushwhacker was a lonely man, and
he lived alone, with the exception of
such chance negro servants as he could
pick up, and they had peculiar ideas Of
| independence since their emancipation.
Ben Seliew professed and proved him
sell to be capable not Only of doing field
work, but OF preparing the meals and
| kttpluH lUc III AS llC
offered to make himself generally useful
for Il small stipend, he was god-send to
Reynolds.
The stranger from Barren County did
his work well. He was active and will
ing. To use word peculiar to that
region, it would be hard to find more
"biddable" boy. Phil Reynolds had
not been so comfortable and so well
cared for in years, and he regarded Ben
i5eiicu ,05 only SO . treasure hut as
absolutely necessary 70 his existence.
thus affairs proceeded smOounly OH
the Reynolds farm, until the owner was
taken sick, about a month after Ben
Selew mad accepted his employment.
1t vas strange illness, and the neigh
borhood doctor could make nothing Of
it. The sick man complained of unac'
countable pains, and became so weak
that he was obliged to take to his bed.
The physician, unable to make salts
factory diagnosis of the case, dosed his
patient with various drugs, by way of
experimenting upon their effect, and
the symptoms became aggravated, until
Reynolds sank into an apparently hope
less decline. .... .........
Ben Sellew attended him with the
utmost faithfulness, preparing all his
food and giving him all his medicine,
and he showed the deepest concern when
a medical consultation had decided that
there was no hope for Phil Reynolds.
Ben was charged with the duty of break
ing this sad news to the sick man, and
he did it tenderly.
eff there is anything on your mind"
said the boy, "perhaps you had better
clear it of"
"I have been a hard case" replied
Reynolds, "but there is only one thing
th Of raallu hofhera me- I killed lnhn