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

rose again Oh The air, ami sent tnrOugi
her veins an icier chill than the bite
night wind sweeping III al the opei
door.
Forgetting all, herself, her Infant =
everything, save her father pershiug
overpowered by those bruics, Clars
caught downa loaded mn-ket frou,
its place against the wall aud rushed
out into the moonlight
There she stopped; what could she
do? The sohnds proceeded from the
; woods-they were dying 0ut-.pres
emily had ceased altogether. We'll
knew the horror struch woman those
ravenous brutes were slaking lhei'
thi,st with a victims blood A
nearer sound attracted her. Oppo
site three wolves were running race
over the snow. She raised her gun
aud fired. One Of the red tongued
monsters fell dead; the Others gal
loped forward the more ulad, eager TO
share the banquet OF their fellows
Should che re.euter the houae I
Yes, the mothers Instinct was strong
IN her bosom Laying down heI
weapon as uFcless, Clara crcpt with
in and straight to the fire place
where She kinhlea II blaze in the TX
peciation every instant OF feeling IL,
fclnich OF a savage in her hair. Bn
when the blaze suddenly illunincu
the apartment, IL was seen 10 contain
no enemy-no bcing be, les herself
and cinld. In hasten ng 10 her babe
after sounding The horn, she probsbI,
neglected ias,enng the door proper
| ", aud the risen wind hal blown il
open Hence the coldncss she had
experienced.
Morning came, and after honrs OF
such terrific anguish of mind as no
words Can describe. AT sunrise
Clara went forth half borne up bJ
the snow. half siikng into its frozen
depths, to seek for any traces OF the
midnight tragedy which had robbed
her OF her last protector. Her sad
mission was on too successful
Near the edge of the woods within
sight OF his home, appeared the re
voting evidences ef the combat, in
which Mr.. Vernon. after brave de-
tense had given up his life.
The tralnpleh snow was stained
with the blood OF man aud bea.i.
Three wolves lay dead within cir.
cult of A few ysrds--one beneath the
butt of well known muskel, which
had broken in TWAIN in dealing IT.
iinal blow. A pair of snow shoes
lay beside it. A fragment of skull,
thigh aud ankle bone we've all That re.
maincd OF her father. In gathering
these together, Clara discovered torn
fragment OF n letter 10 her.clf. in her
husbands hand writing. The col
leclcd remains she bore sacrcdly back
with her 10 the dcsoIated dwelling.
and buried them in The snow under
the little front window.
Oh, the days that dragged them
selves past There WAS no Lack oil the
necessarics OF life to sustain them ill
spring but Clara could not bear the
loneliness aud the dreadful, rccoilcc.
ton that oppressed her, and felt al
times MS 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 still crust on the snow quite
strong enough TO bear her weight;
she cni,tpniulutp1 thn hazartlnua mn
deriaking OF walking To The settle
meni, and ouly the thought OF expos.
ing her infant to the perils of such
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 her. She
started then sank back IN her Chair
sludiering, fully believing the ap-
pcarance supernatural. Mr.. Vcroon,
on his part was so struck by his
daughters strange aspect, thai he
could not immediately speak.
When he did speak and Clara
heard her fathers own voice, and ielt
his hand laid IN the old kindly way
on her head, she burst into tears, tho
first which had relieved her heart
through all lts dire agony,
After waiting until his daughter
had sufficiently regainod her compos-
ure, Mr. Vernon proceeded to qnes'
tion her as to the cause OF her con-
slernation.
This was told in few words and
then the father could'fnlly realize the
agony his daughter had gone through
MI vernon then felaled all ina
, had occurred TO him during his ab
sencc'
, The facts werc these; The day tina
n Mr.. Vernon went to the settlement, q
, man had been arrested for the com
: mission OF crime the reputation o
wv P'N - 'p' % e"''N'' W" ~