The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-15

me colo, hard stare was directed to-
ward the road, and there it rested i'm
movably. The hours passed slowly.
| The moon crept on and on until it was
almost directly over the house. The
| loud snoring Of the old folks, the occa-
sional cough Of one of the children, the
chirp of cricket and the croak Of a
frog were the only sounds which dis
turbed the almost perfect quiet.
" 'Twan't no harm nohow, " she said
10 herself. ''Ther law amt no right
10 put yer in Jail fur maxim money er
whisky" -. And the moon travelled on.
He did it, that ther Dobson. And
again she relapsed into silence.
Soon she arose and shook herself as
if TO throw off the chill of the night
air. She lighted the dip of tallow and
placed it on chair; then she reached
up over the door and took a long rife
down from its resting place on pair OF
tree forks. She extracted the charge
with a 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 brcathil = soon told that she
was asleep.
In the morning she performed her
household duties rs if nothing had hap
pcued 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 out again
in all its ferceness. The children be-
gan their play and the old people their
talk. When all We're busy, Mandy took
the old rifle 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 IL a hurry, for she took long
strides like Il man. Her body swayed
i'll tune to her step, either from the
weight of the gun or habit. She passed
several persons with the usual saluta-
ton, ''MOrninr' She looked neither
10 the left nor to the right. Finally she
reached a lane where the hazel bushes
sllirted the road. She walked more
carefully then. She peered into field
through an opening, but did not seem
satisfied, Tor she continued her walking
She stopped again shortly and looked
through the bushes. In the field, about
20 PAGES distant, was Il man patiently
llD-4-'-- Ills tOIi bJilc ljOhCtl lliC Ii-It
through the bushes just as the solitary
labOrer Strengthened up, took off his hat
and wiped the perspiration from his
free 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 off down the road
without IL word. When she arrived at
her home She put the rife in its resting
place and went about her duties.
In the afternoon the rumble of road
wagon was heard below the house. 1t
came nearer. All went TO the door to see
who it was. The wagon stopped before
the house. All knew the driver. 1t was
Bill Bucller, the constable. As he climb
ed over the fence all in the house started
out to meet him.
Mandy, 1 want yer ter go with Inc
fur Their shOotin Of Dobson. -
The woman 5 face was as immOvable
* il had been when she sat at the win
dow the night before. Eph's father and
mother and the children looked at he1
fXedly.
All right, Bill, I'll go with ger, y
and with this she climbed into the
wagon.
Zach, " she said to the oldest child,
yer go over to yer Aunt Minerals an
tell her TO cum round an look after yeI
all. " The wagon ratified down the road,
and the children and old people looked
after it.-Will Withers Douglas III
Louisville Courier-J Ournal.