Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-02-01

despairlng sense or the lnadequacy OF
narration, which must proceed by Sc
| quences, to the task of portraying his
tory, where things are always happening
simultaneously. 1t is like trying to
draw house with one line.
Mrs Peytee was standing up to dance
with the bridegroom and was near the
open door. AS the neutrality-suspicious.
squeaks issued from the fiddle a man,
in her own phrase, "lunged" through
the door, threw an arm violently around
her waist and-was knocked down by
the bridegroom. Mrs. Peytee was not
the woman to throw away any cards fate
in the course of the game put into her
hands. She flew into the arms of the
colonel, who had risen precipitately from
his seat by the fire, crying piteously up
on him, her Cousin Charles, for protec-
tion. One of the young Hardness, not too
sober himself, alas! recognized in the in
toxicated intruder his long lost brother
i'm the Texas penitentiary he had been
when last heard of-and, suddenly fired
by that ardor of blood relationship al
ways so easily awakened by those intrud-
ers known as kin by marriage" he
fell upon the bridegroom with blows.
The brother rose and proceeded to take
his own part as well, and in seven sec
onds from his entrance all the men in
the place were in one wild melee and
the women were huddled together as far
off as they could get, some screaming,
some fainting, while Mrs. Harkins and
Dade stirred by a different spirit, loud
ly called upon Art and Bill and ''you,"
Hank, to be ashamed of themselves, and
to stop their "scandalous' behavior in
terspersing their adjurations with severe
comments on the male sex generally and
individually and with some very sound
abuse of the whisky, which was indeed
at the bottom Of the trouble. There was
something comforting to the other wo
men in their accustomed air through all
this, but even their wrathful equanimity
broke down when the sound Of a pistol
shot rang out. 1t was fired by the youn.
ger Harkins boy, who only aimed at the
wall and was merely carrying out his
youthful ideas of what was fitting.
A few minutes before the row began
Charley had stepped out Of doors with
the other young man to look at the
moon. She was so tired of him that she
had then invented an errand to get rid
of him for Eve minutes and had sent
him to look i'll the buggy for a suppositi
tious fan. Just as the shot was fired she
appeared, white faced, in the doorway,
much nearer the indistinguishable com.
batants and peacemakers than any Of the
other women:
go back, Miss Charley! For Gods
sake, go away!' Harry cried out, his
voice saying deal more than his words,
but Charley didn't go back. She only
dropped on her knees and screamed
Harry, Harry" and Harry let go tho
Harkins he was holding and sprang to-
ward her and lifted her away from that
doorstep and with that they both dis
appeared.
1t is to be supposed that Charley had .
not noticed that her father was in quite |.
as much danger as her lover. To tell the |
truth of course both she and Harry had /.
each whipped up tho sense of the 9TH
er's danger for their own dramatic pur-
poses. | have no doubt but the colonel |
objected to Charley being shot, but he |
Dnly snatched the pistol from the Har- /
kins boys hand and did not feel con /
strained to abandon the business in hand /
for her sake.
By the time she and Harry We seat |
ed on the wood pile-and it was Il very |
short time-peaCe was restored and the .
improbable prodigal sent off to pri- .
vate apartment in charge of his mis- !
guided brother, but Mrs. Peytee's agi-
tation ON this occasion, like Charley's
OWN, was Of an unCommOnly enduring
nature. She had too much astuteness to
make a nuisance of herself, and as cv-
cry one else Strengthened up and tried
to pass over the late unpleasantness as .
the most natural thing in the world, /
preparatory to getting away as soon as F
possible, she, too, seemed to strive to
appear at ease, but she kept near the
colonel with an air Of dependence upon
his protection and a subtly conveyed
sense of safety in his shadow which he
found very touching. She showed a dis
eliminating Judgment, too, as to where
to turn, that pleased him and raised his .
idea of her intelligence. Evidently she |
did not make the mistake of consider
ing little rheumatic stiffness as help. .
less old age The colonel conceived the /
notion that it would be a pleasant thing !