The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
OF the Back
Woods.
LOVE AND BRAVERY.
The Story That Farm House
Trophies Tell.


>. town far from railroads. in northern
New Hampshire. There had been a
time when the gay summer boarders
who annually found their way to the
place in which she lived, awakened dis
:, content in her heart and longing to
see the great city. For a While. the
old farmhouse had seemed lonely and
the people dull, so that when an invita-
ton came one winter to visit in Bos-
ton, she had accepted. The noise and
confusion, the endless excitement the
3 strange people the dirt and dust the
damp air and the muddy streets. made
her brain whirl and her heart sick, and
tnere was lnexpressible ioy when the
old stage coach brought her back to
the little white house that stood at the
crossroads, guarded by veteran ma
pies
How restful and homelike the sitting
room looked, with its ancient fireplace
rough floor and old-fashioned chairs
HOW delightful it was TO look out of
the back window down across the nea-
dow, where the cattle were grazing, and
then on to the blue mountains. which
rose Enthusiastically to the skyi What a
Welcome sound was the loud eackle of
the happy hens, or the painful Quack
OF the startled ducks! Mabel was a
napier and wiser girl. She was like
a ray of sunshine In the house. and
as she moved about "helpin mother,
her song rivalled the thrill of The
thrush in the lilac bush outside the
window The neighbors all seemed so
kind and interested. 1t was such a
comfort to meet plain, honest unaf-
fected people. Even Sam Jones, who
had called regularly Sunday evenings
org toF
ferent to her. and she saw something
in the kindly, bashful eyes that she
mad not noticed in the young men
Whom she had met in the city. Her
plain, simple life and Sans cornpan-
ionship grew dearer to her each day
as time wore on
But in spite of all MabeIs happiness
and her determination to live and die
in Greenwich, one great burden rested
on her heart, which she could not lift.
That burden was terrible fear of fire
arms. a.
To begin with, Mabel's father had
some fondness for guns, but his affec-
ton for the implements of death was
as nothing when compared with the
passion her brother, Cliff. had for guns
of all sorts. AS result, the house
was a veritable armory. Hardly a
corner in any room was without its
deadful occupant, There We're guns of
all sorts and all ages. Over the fire
place hung well-made muzzle-load-
ing rife, with an octagon barrel Ger
man silver trimmings. and a handsome
stqck,..,w with a. cheekrest cut ufipn it.
Above the door leading out from the
kltchen, was 12gauge double barrel
ed, Misunderstanding. shot gun. and in
the corner near at hand stood an Old
army fnusket, that had been bored out
smooth for shot. Scattered here and
there were other guns. There was an
ancient single barreled queens arm,
with funny trigger underneath the
paFreli a 20-gauge fowling piece, old
and rusty; a long snTall-bore squirrel
rifie, that had come from South Caro-
lima; not to mention the gun with the
splintefed stock; the heavy target rifle
with a clumsy telescope sight; a brace
OF horse pistolsi a pepper box revolver
that. Cliff had picel1 an in a trade, and
numerous other relics
Andto make Mabel's fear more ter
llble, the weapons were nearly all
loaded, and she was continually COM
ing upon them Unexpectedly. She
begged ner brother to keep the guns
empty, put ne stoutly refused, saying
thaI there was no telling when deer
would bolt into the field near the
house, a hawk pounce down upon the
mems, or FOX attempt TO make off
with q tat duck. He explained that
the rlne ABOVE the fireplace was for
oeer; the shot gun over the kitchen
door forhaWks, and the old musket in
fne. eernersciose by, for toTess There
was no special reason why the other
guns should be loaded, but -Cllftspro-
.ested against uhloadlng taenl, SIX plain
ing;
er know tney re loaded. Wnat, Ner
Iralo NV tner guns tnAt am
lu1eu as kllis oeople
But TINS ill1ornnallon' instead ol qulle es
ims Mapel lear only asslras aleo ~.
she was so thanKtul mat s7anl tdlftn' i
ike guns. As Time wore on me sup
ply Of arms gradually increased, Each
ran Drought parues OF hunters To- the
mouse VINO olsplayed thelr modern
pfeech-loaders before GIN $ cnNlous
eyes. AZ last the temptation became
TOO great, ana before long German
machlIle- mace, Dfeech-ioading shotgl1n
was aaqea 70 lne loI. IIteh ueef pc
gan TO be plentiful Ihey got TO rum
ming around the house elf pegged
away at three OF four with The old rifle
wsleh hung over the fireplace, but had
Ialed 10 stop any OF thtm lie came
10 the conclusion lhat one bullet WASH t
enough 10 stop a deer and that ne must
have a repeater. A little later on, an
old Spencer war carbine arrived on the
scene. 1t shot bullet as big as a
man thumb, and Mabel looked with
horror at the big hole il had made
through a hemlock plank at one huns
dfed yards, while Cliff told her exult-
antly that ii would kill mile off. And
the cartridgesl They We're seen lying
all over the house, Cliff kindly remind
ing Mabel that they wanted TO be ham
Nled mighty keerful," as they We're
Mable to explode 1t wasn't easy to
load and unload the carbine so the
magazine was kept full all the time.
When Mabel learned this, her heart