Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-12-27
A MODERN DIANA.
ny naNnsr m'eAFFrr.


1T seems funny to me-" remarked
Mrs Clark, ''thst Di doesn't act like
other girls, instead ofchasing into the
woods with gun"
Her lord and master to whom the
remark was addressed lolled lazily in
an old-fashioned hickory rocking
chair, and laid aside the weekly paper
to answer
"Well, what could you expect, when
you named the girl DianaY" he said.
"Wasn't that lady huntress? And
didn't she scandalize the rest Of the
gods and goddesses by taking her
bow in hand and tramping around in
the timber after deer?"
Deer, indeed" responded Diana's
mother, sit is morelikely that she was
gossiping with one Of those disrepu-
table Sibyls who used to hunt those
parts. So far as Disna's name is con-
cerned, she never would have taken to
hunting if you hadn't encouraged her
to go With you when she was a child.
And when she was IL you bought her
that little gun, it was easy to see that
she had the fever from you"
Judge Clark resumed his paper
with cautious air and Vouchssfed no
reply. 1t was true that he, an ardent
sportsman, had encouraged Di, when
she was little girl, to go with him on
his trips after quail, prairie chickens,
ducks and jacksnipe. And after she
grew up she took so naturally to the
sport that the Judge was secretlyverv
proud of her skill. She learned all
about the habits Of not only the small
game, but the birds and animals in
the woods, marshes and fields. She
could tell any of the common birds by
their flight, at long distances. She
knew the different trees, the plants,
the flowers and vines, and altogether
she had a knowledge Of outdoors not
possible to be gathered from books.
She was a good shot, too. 1t had
come naturally to her, for her father
was an expert with the shotgun 1t
gave him the greatest pleasure pos
sible to take some man along with his
daughter and give the lady the best
opportunities; but after Diana had
killed half a dozen birds straight, sim
giles and doubles, the affable shooter
would begin to wonder where he
came in. He would notice that the
Judge was shooting right along and
not extending any more courtiesles
to his daughter than he would to any
good shot. Then light would break
in on his perception and he would be-
gin to try to catch up with his COM
panions in the number of birds. But
invariably, with the slight advantage
gained from the start, the girl would
keep ahead, and at the end of the day
the father and daughter would have
the biggest bag.
Then the judge would chaff his
companion about letting woman
beat him, much to his daughters en-
barrassment, and the man would Of
course promise to do better next
time.
On the day that Mrs. Clark gave
voice to her remark about Diana the
| girl was three miles from the little
county seat town driving rapidly to-
ward what was known as the Hodge
farm. Quail were reported as being
very plentiful there, and she was hur-
sIrying on to be certain Of getting into
some Of the bevies before they we're
shot into and scattered. She was
driving a sorrel pony, and in the cart
was her fathers old pointer, Rex.
Her gun was 16-gauge, six-pound
cylinder and splendid weapon for
the purpose, She was girl of as
many moods as an April day and with
muck the same charm. The dog was
as anxious to get to the fields as she
was and evinced a determination sew
eral times Of jumping out of the cart
.fHndlkagrYipe ahead. But tho sharp
IA