Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-09-11
Was it a Suicide.

Jack Bancroft and | were old friends.
| had known him from his babyhood,
and loved him for the excellent qualities
of heart and brain which he possessed
to an uncommon degree. Jack was one
of fortunes favorites, while well my
lines had not fallen in altogether pleas
ant places; yet through all the changes
of my changeful life we had remained
firm friends.
One day he came into my study which,
by the way, was parlor, dining and bed
room all in one, and declared | must
take holiday, and accompany him to a
place in Jersey where he had spent a
portion of the previous Summer. l,
nothing 10th, accepted the invitation,
only too glad to get away from the swell
tering heat of the city, and the next
evening found myself an inmate of a
large farm house near Port hurry. A
quaint old house it was too, surrounded
by magnificent shade trees. An old
fashioned garden filled with a prOfusion
of roses that made the air almost over
towering with their perfume. How l
feasted on fresh eggs, milk and other
delicacies! But my own special enjoy
ment of that Summer outing has nothing
10 90 Win my story.
For week or more we wandered
around all day long with guns and fish
ing rods shooting harmless little birds,
and catching fish or two. One even
ing we We're seated astride a rail fence
when Jack suddenly raised his gun and
fired. The report from the gun was fol-
lowed by cry of pain.
'By George!" exclaimed my friend, Il
guess / have shot some one."
We bounded over the fence, and made
our way through a field of clover toward
the spot from whence the cry proceeded.
Under tree we espied girl, small and
slim, with gypsy-like face, shaking her
brown hand and moaning piteously.
"Are you hurt badly, little one?" l
asked, STOPPING to examine the hand
that had received the charge of shot.
"Not very much, sir. But oh, it fright
ened me so, l wasn't doing any harm,
only just lying in the grass to rest" she
replied.
-Poor little thingm said Jack. 81 am
to blame, l am very sorry. Where do
YOU live? l will take you home and
dress the wound. / am something of a
surgeon" he explained, turning toward
me.
The child hung her head and made no
answer to the inquiry, which he repeat
ed.
81 don't live anywhere. / run away
from Aunt Becky. She's a hateful old
cat, and beat me till l couldn't
stand it any longer---then | ran away.
You needn't ask me to 60 back to her,
for won't. My hand doesn't hurt much.
Even if it did, it isn't as hard to bear as
Aunt Becky's beatings."
She uttered the words in a breathless,
terrified way, and gazed at us defiantly,
as if to assure us that she would resist
any attempt on our part to lead her back
her.
"Poor little waif," said Jack, tenderlyi
"we don't want you to return to Aunt
BECKY" Then to me: Suppose we take
her to the tavern where we lunched yes
terday. There | can dress the wound
and get her something to eat"
When she was convinced that we were
inclined to hefriend her, we had no diff
Guilty in inducing her to accompany us
to the tavern, about mile distant. On
the way there, the girl, half child and
half woman, told us that her name was
Alma Lake. one was an orphan ana
had lived with her aunt as long as she
could remember. She had worked hard
all her life and had always been harshly
treated. Nobody had ever spoken kind
. ly to her except her old grandfather, who
died the year previous. Aunt Becky was
glad when he died, because he had to be
waited on just like baby, and she
(Alma) often wished she could die, too
and lie in the graveyard beside her dear
old grandpap.
When we reach the tavern Jack
dressed the slight wound and ordered
supper for our protege.. Before leaving
her for the night we made her promise
to remain at the taveren until we called
the day following.
The wounded hand progressed favora
bly, and in a weeks time was entirely
well. Then the landlady, whom Jacl
had named the Countess of Blessington
told us she was willing to keep Alma
for the Summer season, providing sht
would agree to take care of the children
and keep them out of her way during thu