The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-08-08

memper YET.
Hurry up hurry up" said the de-
teotive. II want to get to the station in
time to catch the night train. ~
"How long will yer be gone, Eph?"
said his wife. His aged parents stood
with their mouths open. They did not
understand it at all.
"Doan' know" answered Eph as the
handouts were adjusted to his wrists.
Then the men climbed over the fence
The stranger got on his horse and told
Eph to walk along in front Of him. He
also said that any attempt on Eph's part
to run would cost him his life. There
was no hsndshaking, no tears The
men moved off down the scorching hot
road, leaving the group standing as it
had stood at first. together. The old
man and old woman looked at Mandy
appealingly, but Mandy watched her
husband and the stranger disappear
In the woods. She stood there in the
sun with her head uncovered long after
they had moved out Of her sight. The
old man and woman went back to the
rear Of the house, and the children final
ly resumed their playing. Still she
stood there, looking. The sun continued
his travelling, and finally dropped be.
hind the woods in which her husband
had disappeared.
YES" she murmured, "that there's
Jim Dobson's work. He tole on Eph. :"
She shook her head several times,
looked down the road once again and
then passed into the house She pre-
pared the soanty meal without word.
There was a strange silence in the
house, as if corpse were near. The
children were put to bed, and soon tho
old man and old woman followed. Then
Mandy pulled her stool over to the open
window and looked out into the night.
She placed her elbows OH the sill and
rested her chin In her hands. The moon
came creeping up from behind distant
hill and shed its soft light over the
farm. Still Mandy gazed out into tho
night. Her face seemed as void of ex-
preston as the black oaks In the yard
The cold, hard stare was directed to-
ward the road, and there it rested i'm
moyably. The hours passed slowly
almost directly over the house. The
loud snoring of the old folks, the occa-
sional cough of ono of the children, the
chirp Of cricket and the croak Of o
frog were the only sounds which dis
turbed the almost perfect quiet.
'Twan't no harm nohow," she said
to herself. 'Ther law amt no right
to put yer in Jail fur maxim loney er
whisky" And the moon Travelled ON.
"He did it, that ther Dobson " And
again she relapsed into silence.
Soon sho arose and shook herself, as
If to throw off the chill of the night
air. She lighted the dip of tallow and
placed ii OH chair; then she reached
up over the door and took long rife
down from its resting place on pair Of
tree forks. She extracted the charge
with long rod, wiped the gun clean
and reloaded it. Then she placed it
back where she found it, removed her
faded calico dress and went to bed.
Her loud breathing soon told that she
was asleep.
In the morning she performed her
household duties as il nothing had hap
pened No word was spoken of Eph,
except by the oldest boy, who asked
once when pop nd be back. No one
answered him. The sun came ont again
in all its fierceness. Tho children be-
gan their play and the old people their
talk. When all We're busy Mandy took
the old rife down from the rack over
the door. She shouldered the weapon
with the strength and sleight of strong
man and started off down the road.
She seemed in hurry, for she took long
strides like man. Her body swayod
In tune to her step, either from the
weight Of the gun or habit. She passed
several persons with the usual saluta-
tion, "Molnin!" She looked neither
to the left nor to the right. Finally she
reached lane where the hazel bushes
skirted tho road. She walked more
carefully then. She peered into field
through an opening, but did not seem
satisfied, for she continued her walking.
She stopped again shortly and looked
through the bushes. In the field, about
90 PAGES distant, was man patiently
hoeing his corn. She poked the rife
through tho bushes just as the solitary
laborer Strengthened mp, took OFF his hat
and wiped the perspiration from his
face with his shirt sleeve. She glanced
along the barrel of the gun. There was
a sharp report, and the man fell over in
furrow. The blood flowed from a
hole In his temple
Then Mandy replaced the gun on her
shoulder. She walked of down the road
without word. When she arrived at
her home, she put the rifle in its resting
place and went about her duties.
In tho afternoon the rumble of road
wagon was heard below the house. 1t
came nearer. All went to the door to SEQ
who it was The wagon stopped before
tho house. All knew the driver. 1t was
Bill Bucker, the constable. As he climb
ed over the fence all in the house started
out to meet him.
Mandy, want ger ter go with me
fur ther shootin of DobSon. "
The woman's face was as immovable
as 1t had been when she sat at the win
dow the night before. Eph's father and
mother and the children looked at her
fxedly.
"All right, Bill, I'll go with yer. "
and with this she climbed into the
wagon.
Zach, " she said to the oldest child,
''yer 20 over TO yer Aunt Minerals an
tell her to cum round an look after yer
all. ;" The wagon ratified down the road,
and the children and old people looked
after twill Withers Douglas in
Louisville Courier journal.
abtori" '.4Htt isSDbsr Caught,
CHICAGO, Aug s.-7.James X. SIratton. >
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