Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21
A WOMAN OF NERVE.
She Had Habit of Shooting First
and Then Painting.

During the past summer a Star reporter
found it necessary, in one of his trips
through the West Virginia mountains to
take a wagon from the small town at the
railroad station, in order to reach a county
seat he was seeking. The driver of that
wagon was a character Lank and lean
and wiry, he was the color of saffron, and
there was a varying expression in his
black eyes which indicated that he could
be fully as bad as he could be good, with
ample capacity to be either, according to
circumstances. He was talky and interest
ing, and before five miles had been ira
versed he became confidential. In the
meantime his passenger had become
familiar and was calling him by his first
name.
by the way, Sam" he inquired, chow
did you lose that forefinger?'
The driver looked down at the place
where only half finger remained and
smiled.
shot off," he said sententiously.
"In mountain fight?"
kinder sorter that away"
it?" ~ ''' '" '''-' ''' VI
Thar wuzn't no other feller." he grim
ned.
No. Nc, Did you do it yourself?"
"Skeercely.''
He stopped, but he showed such an in
clination to go on with the explanation
that The Star man asked him for it,
well, yer see, 1t wuz this away: Bout
twenty ye'rs ago. that is. when I wuz
twenty-five 1 reckon l wuz the orneriest
cuss In these parts. I wuZ drunk most Nv
the time, and when l wuzn't, 1 wuz huntin'
round fer liquor to git drunk on. Fightin',
too, an raisin' Cain gener'lly; disturbin'
public worship on Sundays when thar wuz
any, and Dustin up the school in the
church house on week days. Nobody
couldn't do nothin' with me. an l got ter
thinkin' l owned the whole neck Nv woods
Il reckon it must have been goin' on fer
five err six ye'rs that away, an I wuz
gittin' wuss, when one winter a little slip
Uv red-headed gal come to town to teach
school Some said she come frum Pennsyl-
vany, an some said she come frunl old
Virginny, but that didn't make no differ
cree to me, and when she'd been thar
about two weeks, 1t come round time fer
me to go on spree, an 1 went, an the
fist place 1 struck fer wuz the school
house.
Il knowed the little gal wuz powerful
sassy, an she knowed I wuz powerful
ornery, but 1 wuz jist drunk enough to
ferglt all the sense / ever did have, in
ciudiE' NV a knowledge that the little
schoolmarm wuz mighty handy with a
pop-gun sort Nv a rifle she useter to tote
to school with her and bang away at SPUR
rels up In the woods after school.
When man gifts fool drunk thar amt
10 bigger kind NV fool" and Sam sighed
and laughed a little. 'Well. 1 struck the
school house long in the afternoon, jist as
the children was goin' home, an when they
seed me. they fairly went a whoopin'
leavin' the schoolmarm all by herself.
wuzn't lookin' fer that egzactly, but
thought I'd tackle her anyhow, an in
bolted an commenced yellin' like an Injin
an tryin' to pen her up in a corner, jist to
skeer her, yer understand
Yes, / understand" and the passenger
felt like knocking the driver out into the
road.
But. I reckon, didn't; that is not,yery
much" he went on, FER afore 1 knowed
what was comm, she grabbed that dern
little pop-gun NV hern and had it p'inted
straight at me. She didn't look SO purity
that away, an her red head looked like
ball NV fire, an somehow 1 stopped right in
the middle Nv the floor.
You'd better STOP says she. coldern
ice an hardern iron. Now hold up both
hands, says she, an somehow / put 'em
up almighty sudden like. Drop that left
one across your breast an keep 1t thar
says she. an somehow done that too, an
l stood before her with my right hand up,
an feelin' like I'd ruther be in Jail a dern
sight tn IN whar 1 wuZ. Then she made me
take solemn oath never to come inside
that school house ag'in, an I wuz glad
enough to do it. an thought 1 wuz gittin
off mighty easy.
T." Hold on says She ez I made move
like eZ eff 1 wuZ goin', an kinder GRIMM
at her; hold on, 1 amt through with you
yet. You've swore to keep out of this