St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-12-25

I'm ana Ihompy doing nothing but
looking picturesque, while George
Bradley lay on the dry grass at oul
feet and stared at her. didn't mind
it for she was well worth looking at
with her soft brown eyes and obstinate
mouth. And she was too old for any
such nonsense as flirting, else where
would be our old maids hall. The
| Herders would come over occasionally
for ii short time, but the baby usually
kept the n at home. They had good
many cattle, which they hired boy to
herd, and what with their farm work
and getting ready for the long, cold
winter, they were very busy all day
and very tired when night came.
| The long, mOnOtOnOus days dragged
by. told Thompy that the evening
and the morning were the first day
and all the others were just like it
She opened her eyes and looked shock
ed. She seemed to enjoy everything
and fitted about helping Mrs. Herdel
III neighborly way, playing with the
baby, analyzing flowers, aud just sit
ting still and watching the shadows
drift over the grass, and grew brown
and rosy.
For myself, | grew almost to hate
the long still days, and in spite of the
never-ceasing winds, days so alike
that you could not tell one week from
another or Monday from Saturday, to
long for November and our return to
the civilized world. September came,
and | thought of the changing woods
and autumn sound of wind among the
branches, and it seemed as though it
would be almost like Heaven to see a
tree. | said SO to Thompy, and she re-
sponded by singing:
Ger all the wide extended plain
Shines one eternal day!
| shall never forget one day about
the middle of the month. Mr.. Herder
had been at the shed near the house
stacking corn for the winter use of the
cattle. We could hear him singing
about the place all the drowsy after
noon, and now and again his wife
would call to him i'll her high, sweet
voice. George Bradley was in town,
and just about six the boy came driv-
ing the cattle before him. Mrs. Herder
was at our door with the baby in her
arms inviting us to tea. We all stood
there in the late sunshine watching the
SaheNiN 40 ONCl lnC
prairie, stopping to nibble the grass
here and there until urged on by the
boy, who rode n spiteful little pony.
As they came up, Mr.. Herder paused
III his work, and, seeing us, waved his
hand, let down the bars to the enclos-
ure and stepped back, holding in his
hand the hay knife with which he had
been working.
The cattle passed ill one after an
other, and only the big Durham bull
Mr.. Herder's special pride-stopped to
sample the straw. Mr.. Herder struck
at him with the fiat side of the knife,
and the next moment a horrible thing
was happening. The enraged animal
turned upon him, and, catching him OH
his cruel horns, tossed him high in the
air. | saw the boy dashing away across
the prairie for the help which it would
have been madness for him to have
| attempted TO give. heard Mrs. Herd
er's cry:
"My God, the brute will kill him ~
as she sank on her knees with look OF
agony on her face, the like of which |
pray l may never see again. Thompy
stood us if turned to stone, till, at a
cry from the defenceless man, out there
all alone, she turned, and snatching
the revolver from the wall where it
had been avoided so long, she dashed
10y us to his help.
"Arabella Thompson ~ ] cried,
clutching at her as she passed me,
"have yOu lost your senses Pn
She was gone! | sank down on my
knees, and buried my face in my
hands, lost all consciousness save of a
horrible sickening pain in the place
where my heart used to beat. | be
| lieve | knew something of the tortnres
of the lost in that space. do not
know whether it was long or short, it
seemed forever. The first thing OF
which ! became conscious was the
noise of voices IN excited question and
answer. | raised myself from the
| ground and saw George Bradley and
several others about the PROSTATE body
of MIR. Her;ier. He still lived, though
badly hurt, and they soon had him on
the bed waiting for the doctor to come
from the town.
They found Thompy unconscious not
| far from where the bull had died the
revolver was some distance beyond
where she had thrown it after shoot
ing. George Bradley brought her in
in his arms, and we could none of us
make enough of her.
GLOW did you ever do it, you, who
are so much afraid of firearms 2"
asked.
""There was nothing else to do" sh,
answered simply.
Glow did you aim ~ asked som,
one.
al didn't aim; | just shut my eye.
and prayed and then shot and threw il
as far as ! could"
| believe she was more afraid of thu
revolver than she was of that horrible
beast.
After that the two families got sor
of mixed up. Mr.. Herder, nursed 10y
us all, struggled slowly back to life
Mrs. Herder could not do enough TO
Thompy, and rs for that George Brad
ley, he acted as though she belonged t,
him.
began to realize about this tim,
that the prospect of eur model oil,
maids hall was growing beautiful,
less. 1t did not improve my tempe
when the cold weather began to threat
en- and we with whole mouth yet t,
stay. When November did come, i
found us fairly showed in, with II,
possible hope of escape. OF cours'
there was no use fretting, bat there wa
no excuse for the exaggerated cheerful
ness with which ThOmpy met this mis-
fortune.
The long winter days, hopeless anI
relentless, dragged by. There wer
two people, though, who did not flint
the days too dark, or the winter to,
long, but it is rather slow fun for
third party to watch the progress 0
the love-miking through a long DakO
ia winter.
When the late cold spring finally re