The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-06-03

by his father. who had been a scholar
and gentleman; the companionship of
lovely and loving women, and the dig
nifty and responsibility of his position
no mean advantages, according to my
way of thinking.
THAT summer they were a good deal
together, bnt Wylie was making a crop,
working twenty or thirty negroes ON his
mothers place, and could not get off
every time Jack wanted him. Occasion
ally they passed day in town together,
and then Jack appeared at home.in the
evening, bright and CHEEKY, and free
from the 'malarial headache that so dis
tressed his sister.
"The summer wore away and October
came. 1t was just one week from the
time fixed for Jack to set off for the law
school, when one fair Saturday morning
Arthur Wylie rode up to the gate and
called him. He had business in Belview
and wanted company. Jack gaily joined
him, and Anita, from her chamber win
dow, saw them ride away together
They spent the day in town, and started
out in the early evening. 1t was lovely
weather. The atmosphere seemed full
of golden sparks thrown out in wanton
superabundance from the sun Iolling on
a pile of yellow clouds. As they passed
Judge. Hughes house, Annie (who is
now my wife), with three or four other
girls, stood chatting at the gate She
says they all remarked how handsome
the boys looked. They sat and managed
their horses with that easy grace only
acquired by the habit of horsemanship-
Jack, slender, graceful, his hght-brown
hair and clear blue eyes making him APP
pear efeminate except for the nascent
mustache which Swallowed his lip, and a
certain air of masculine gallantry; Ar
thur, BROADER taller, and darker, sun
burned and strengthened by his acquaint-
ance with wind and weather, but NOT
roughened and bearing himself like a
knight in beautys presence. -- .lia
About mile out they overlook old
Flanagan in his cart, as drunk and as Jolly
as an Irish lord. When they came
alongside he lifted a jug and hiccoughed
out, Come now, take drop
Arthur was passing on, but Jacks
comic sense was touched. Lifting the
Jug to his lips he said, Here's to Irish
independence, Mickey. Bad luck to the
queen
that brown jug, for with one taste of it
from being full of fun and merry good
humor, Jack grew heady and boisterous,
would keep along by Micky Flanagan,
alternately teasing and humoring him
and taking many pulls at the wicked
Irish Jug, in spite of all Arthur's urging
him to let it alone and come along with
him.
ut was the vilest OF vile stuffs, and
Jack was soon drunk and quarrelsome.
when they were little more than
half way home they overlook Hawkins,
neighbor, surly fellow, who made his
boast that he wouldn't stand foolishness
from anybody Some resentful memory
of this must have stirred in Jacks befog-
ged brain, but exactly how what oc-
CURED came about nobody knows-he
could never remember. Hawkins told
his lawyer the boy bullyragged and
abused him. that he would fight, and
struck him first-very likely; that Ar
thur took hold of him (Hawkins) as he
was furnishing Jack, and that he acted
in self-defense. When those whe could
testify Ia farmer and two of his mem
came up, Jack lay prone in the road, his
clothes torn and soiled, an unsightly
figure, in drunken stupor, and little |
farther on Arthur Wylie, resting on his |
elbow, blood gushing through the bosom
of his shirt and settling in a CHASTITY pool
in the dusty road. Hawkins was riding |
off One of the men was dispatched for |
a doctor, whose house was very near; the |
other, an old negro, who had spent many |
Saturday afternoon selling rabbit traps |
and fishing with these boys. With many |
quaint CALCULATIONS of grief and horror |
he lifted sMarse Arthur out of the high |
way and into a more comfortable posi- |
ton. The doctor came, calm, cool, pro-
fessional. By the dim light of lantern |
busy, with the appliances of his art. An |
examination soon discovered Jacks in |
iuries to be superficial. and then impo-
tent skill exerted itself to stop the aw-
full torrent that was draining that other |
life.
@The cool, deep stiffness of the autumn
evening was on the face of the woods |
which closed in around the little valley. |
Night settled down. 'JackP called the
dying boy. You don't want to see him,
do your the doctor asked. Yes he an
swered, smiling, 4 do
SBut Jack was beyond the reach of
BILE to rouse him, they carried him to
where his friend lay, and dropped him in
a helpless heap beside him.
Lay him close to me. Put his head |
here and they raised it to that true
breast.
Jack, Iwant you to promise me some
thing. Never to do this thing again.
Will you, Jack ? He did not wait for
~, o,,s.uox H. oo,,II Mt boxro a1~,,aokaH
one. "Doctor,' he continued, don't let
him feel badly and reproach himself
about this. He was not to blame. He
lid not know what he was doing.
know all about it. Tell him l said So
He closed his eyes; all but the doctor
kneeling by his side, thought he was
gone. { The harvest moon showed her
white face above the trees, and glided
up the clear dome overhead, sending
down a sympathetic radiance which.
prematurely the face lying
so pale and still below. 'ra1
Pray for me, DOCTOR he murmured,
family.
L can not, was the answer, 4 must
keep trying to do something for you.'
Then, Uncle Simon, 1 know you can
pray.
eS, thank God, master.
Say the Lords Prayer with me, and
the two voices, one hoarse and broken
with sobs, and the other low and falter-
ing, blended and rose in that all compre-
hensive petition.
"Sighing deeply he whispered: 4 wish
could have been at home with mother
and the girls, but maybe it wasn't best <
HE had been cropping with his. hand
about the breast pocket of his coat, and
at last drew out photograph and tried
10 slip it into the doctors hand, but his
own trembled SO that it fell, face upper
most. 1T was Anita's. Tell her he
yasped.
bad news has swift wings. A crowd
lad gathered. Arther lived one hour
and twenty minutes aftePhe was stabbed.
The coroner was summoned, and it was
o'clock in the morning before the body