The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-12-13

rose again Oh the air, aiid sent througl
her veins an icier chill than the bite
night wilma sweeping N at the opel
door.
Forgetting all, herself, her Infant :
everything, save her father perishiug
overpo wered by those bruics, Car,
caught downs loaded mu>ket frou
its place against the wall aud rushed
out into the moonlight
There she stopped what could she
do? Tue solnds proceedeu from III,
; w0ods-they were dying out pres
emily had ceased altogether. We'll
knew the horror struch woman those
ravenous brutes were siaking thci'
dist with victims blood A
nearer sound attracted her. Oppo
site three wolves were running race
over the STOW. She raised her gun
and fired. One Of the red tongued
monsters fell dead; the Others gal
loped forward the more mad, eager to
share the banquet OF their fellows
Should she re.euter the house
Yes, the mothers instinct was strong
IN her bosom. Laying down her
weapon as useless, Clara crcpt with
in aud straight TO the fire place,
where She kindlea y blaze in the TX
pecfaiion every instant OF feeling tic
clutch OF a savage in her hair. Blu
when the blaze suddenly illumincr
the apartment, il was seen 10 contain
no enemy-no being be. les herself
and chId In hasten ng 10 her babe
after sounding The horn, she probsbI,
neglected fastening the door proper
| ", aud the risen wind hal blown il
open Hence the GOODNESS she had
experienced.
Morning came. and after hours Of
such terrible anguish of mind as no
words can describe. At sunrise
Clara went forth half borne up b,
the snow. half silking into it's frozen
depths, to seek for any traces OF the
midnight tragedy which had robbed
her of her last protector. Her sad
mission was on y too successful
Near the edge Of the woods within
sight OF his home, appeared the re
voting evidences Of the combat, in
which Mr.. Vernon. after brave de-
tense had given mp his life.
The trnInpleh snow was stained
with the blood OF man aud beat.
Three wolves lay dead within cir.
cult Of A lew ysrds-one beneath tho
butt of \ well known muskel, " hicii
had broken in TWAIN in dealing lis
final blow. A pair of snow shoes
lay beside it. A fragment of skull, u
thigh aud ankle bone we've all that re.
manned OF her father In gathering
these together, Clara discovered torn
fragment OF letter to her'clf. in her
husbands hand writing. The COL
lectcd remain. she bore sncrcdly back
with her TO the dcsolnted dwelling.
and hurled them in The snow under
the little front window.
Oh, the DAYS that dragged them
selves past There was no Lack OF he
necessarics OF life to sustain them Till
spring but Clara could not bear the
loneliness aud the dreadful, rccoilcc-
ton that oppressed her, and felt at
times as IL SHE was going mad She
would have been glad Of the sight of
a red coat or an Indian, so he did but
bear the human form, so separated
did she seem from all her species. A
little rain had fallen aud frozen, max
ing q stiff crust on the snow quite
strong enough 10 bear her weight
she contemplated the hazardous nm
dertaking OF walking 10 the settle
meni, aud ouly the thought OF expos.
ing her infant TO the perils of such a
journey had deferred her SO ong.
On the filth day after the tragedy
toward night fall, Clara Sydney SAT
by the hearth, leaning her head on
her hand. Tho babe lay. sleeping in
her lap. Suddenly the door opened
and her father stood before hor. She
started then sank back IN her chail
shudiering, fully believing the ap
pcarance supernatural. Mr.. Vcroon
on his part was so struck by his
daughters strange aspect, thar he
could not immediately speak.
When no did speak and Clara
heard her fathers own voice, and Eel
his hand laid in the old kindly way
on her head, she burst into tears, tn,
first which had relieved her hear
through all It's dire agony.
After waiting until his danghtc
had sufficiently regaincd her compos
ure, Mr.. Vernon proceeded to ques