Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-03-22
SAVED BIZ \ FL ASH OF LIGHTNING

My name Is Hunt. Yes, sir; An.
thony Hunt. am a settler and drSVei
on this Western prairie. Wilds? Yes,
sir; it's little else than wilds now, but
you should have seen it when ! and
my wife first moved up here. There
was not house within sight for miles.
Even now we have not many neigh
bors, but those we have are downright
good ones. To appreciate your neigh
bors as you ought, sir, you must live
In these lonely places, 60 far removed
from the haunts of men.
What am about to tell of happened
ten years ago. l was going to the
distant town, or settlement, To sell
some 90 head of cattle-fne creatures,
sir, as ever you saw.
The journey was more rare event
with me then than it is now. and my
wife had always plenty Of commissions
to charge Env with in the shape oil a 49,
I goods aud groceries and such like
things.
I Our youngest child was sweet little
thing, who had been named after her
aunt, Dorothy. We called the child
Dolly. This time my mission includ-
ed one tor her-a uoll. She had never
had real doll; tina, is, bought doll;
Gully the rag bundles her mother made
Tor her. For some days before my de
parture the child could talk of nothing
else or we, either, for the matter OF
that-for she was great pet, the dar-
ling of US all, 1t was to be q big, big
doll, with golden hair and blue eyes.
shall never forget the child's words
the morning l was starting, as she ran
after me to the gate, or the pretty pic
ture she made, There are some chil.
dren sweetler and prettier than others,
sir, as you can't but have noticed, and
Dolly was enc.
| "a very great big doll, please,
daddy" she called out after me; land
please bring 1t very SOON"
| l turned to nod yes TO her as she
stood in her clean whity-brown pima.
fore against the gate, her nut brown
hair falling in curls about her neck and
the light breeze stirring them.
"a brave DOLL" | ans wered, "loI
my little one-almost as big as Dolly"
Nobody would believe, dare say
how full my thoughts were OF thai
promised doll as | rode along, or what
a nice one | meant to buy. 1t was no,
often spent money in what my good,
thrifty wife would have called waste,
but Dolly was Dolly, and / meant 10
do It now.
The cattle sold, went about my
purchases, and soon had no end OF
parcels to be packed in the saddle
bags. Tea, sugar, rice, candles-but
need not weary you, sir, with telling
OF them, together with the calico for
shirts and nightgowns, and the delaine
Tor the children's new frocks. Last OF
lail. went about the doll-and found
beauty. 1t was not as big as Dolly,
or half as big; but it had 1sxen curls
and sky blue eyes; and by dint of pull
ing wire you could open or shut the
eyes at will.
"Do it up carefully said to the
store keeper, my little daughter
would cry sadly ii any harm came
TO it."
The day was pretty we'll ended
fore all my work was done; p al re
for moment or two h na jus
whether should not stay in = SLATED
and start for emo in the no me town
would nave been the 1rning, l
course. But l though .nore prudeE
anxiety to get her tr1 'oi poor Dolly
ture in her deli, watching the rap
my parcels ~ 1hted eyes. So witt
they could .cked in the best wa.
and startP be, mounted my hors
1t We i.
as yo' d as good and steady hors
to- ever rode, cir; but night bega
y ,et in before / was well away fror
he town; it seemed as If it were goln
ito be an ugly night, too. Again tn
thought struck me-shoud | turn BAG
land wait till morning. had III
price of the cattle, you see. sir, in m
: breast pocket, and robberies, aye an
u urders also, were not quite unknow
things on the prairie. But i had m
brace of sure pistols with me and d
cided to press onward.
The night came on as dark as pitcl
land part OF the way mi road would
-ipitch dark besides. But on that SEQ
had no fear; knew the road we
Ia Ievery inch of it, though | could n
ride so fact as l should have done
%. the light. l was about six miles fro
home, suppose, and knew the tin
must be close upon midnight, VIII,
y, the storm which had been brewll
,ss broke. The thunder Poared, the IA
. fell in torrents; the best could do W
cs to press,onward in it.
s on All at once, as l rode on, a C
ne startled me; faint, waiting sound, Ii
x the cry of Ia child. Heigning up,
~ sat still and listened Had / be
ed, mistaken No there ii was agal
w But in what direction | could not te
a. l couldn't see thing. 1t was, al
Cd, have said, as dark as pitch.
do Getting off my horse felt about, b
a.: a., could find nothing. And while l "
seeking the cry came again-the iai
- moan of child in pain. Thel
began to wonder. l am not supers
tious, but asked myself how It "
possible that child could be out
tie prairie ut such an hour and in su
night, No; real child it could l
san be.
ii Upon that came another thought
sd one less welcome. Was it trap
hinder me on my way and ensn'
me? There might be midnight r.
ID bers who would easily hear Of i