Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-09-09

cripple Fever aud the want Of proper sup
between rage and pain was well.ngh crazy.
! longed to strangle Lagniappe.
was alone in the horrible silence Of win
ter night. That silence, pregnant with half
uttered sounds whispered suggestions OF evil
ten tunes worse than the broad reality. Not
the chrp OF bird, not the stir OF green leaf,
only the soughing Of the wind across the
naked fat aud the river booming threaten
! ingly against the levee. There was no moon,
but pale watery light spread itself over the
sky. Soon l expected to feel the rain on my
upturned face.
Far, far of a negro began that iarring cry
that bears harsh resemblance to the Ger
man j0d6I. tried 10 hail him, but my voice
failed me.
Then it seemed to me that the thoughts in
my brain began to buzz like bees with an ever
dilatng and decreasing sound. God if
| could faint, or die !" l gasped.
There was a cracking in the dead leaves,
and looking up, saw Lagniappe. His sides
heaved, and foam hung on his lips. 1 felt for
my pistol there was still one cartridge in it.
| My hand was unsteady he wavered dzzily
before my eyes; but the shot sped true to the
mark. A sharp howl rang out on the still air,
and he fell quite close to me-
The sound sobered me. "Bagniappe" !"
| tTltu, III uOTTOT hl my OWL uttu, huU L uuIH
| the pistol as far as my arm could send it.
At my voice his largo eyes rolled, and he
wagged his tail feebly as he dragged himself
nearer and tried to lick my hand. Then a
| quiver ran through his body l felt him he
was still warm, but he was dead.
Well, boys, 1 don't mind telling you that l
criedlike baby. A moment afterward 1 heard
voices and footsteps. Lights flashed through
| the dark, and soon q crowd of people came
| L. Il a. IL
| them was sweet Anne herself, the dark ten.
drills of hair curling up with the damp around
her face, that bloomed like rose under the
shadow of her white hood.
'Aune !" 1 cried, bewildered.
Eyes, my dearest Jack" she said sit was
all Lagniappes work. He came running in
with your comforter and l knew something
had happened to you. Papa wasn't at home,
80 1 came myself, and we followed Lagn-
iappe."
~ done tole missy free er fo' times dat
could boss dis yer job myself but she'll hab
her own way er bust" was Abrams charac-
teristic rejoinder.
"And, oh, Jack !" cried Anne, 81 know
something dreadful is the matter with you"
Broken leg" managed to say.
"Well we must take you home as soon as
we can. And where's Lagniappe dear little
hero Jack, he's dead !"
4 ma 70 Cttt u ue. Annej bhlui ne came
running through the bushes it was dark, and
| / fired"
1 knew nothing after that. A merciful faint
ing fit saved me from the jolting of the rough
| litter improvised of rails and boughs on
which they placed me, Lagniappes dead body
| by my side.
was taken to The Oaks, and nursed back
to strength by Anne and her grandmother /;
hut always in the bottom of my heart lay the
| Il ~ Al.
The worst of it was, 1 discovered afterward
that Jacinthy's soma gay young bachelor
had borrowed my boots to wear to party ;
SO. after all, Lagniappe had been blameless.
I've been a fortunate man in my life, hap
| py in my wife and family and friends but
yet sometimes when l think of the look in
Lagniappe's eyes the night shot him Let's
talk of something gelse.-HdTper's Bazaar.
i sprOnpuneed