The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-01-27


There was long silence.
BILL" said the woman, at last, now
that we're engaged and goin' to be mar.
ried, I've got to Tess up. You know
this spring we all thought Hatfield was
dyin' of consumption. Well, tried to
be good to him, brought him little
coolSin's, you know, an tried t. tidy up
his house bit. Well, he'd look at me
kinda funny all the time, sorta pitiful,
an yet l can't exactly tell how he
looked. took it JUS tn same as any
nurse would a fever patient-allowin'
fur him, y know. An one day he said
he wished could always. be aroun' tibet
little cabin O. his'n, an the words scared
him. an he looked out at the rainy
peach blossoms for long spell, red as
any lamp shade. Another time he said
1 was the kind of a woman that the
supreme intelligence intended the breed
to be-strong backed and soft handed!
Or somepin' like tibet. An then his
cough eased up and he TUX to work, and
didn't go no more. Two or three times
he came here in tn evenin', but mother
TUX care of him, an was allus picliin'
plums or cannin' peaches. An thet's
ALL"
Dudley laughed.
II amt afraid of pore Hatfield a-cut-
tin me out" he said.
But be nice t. him t'morrer," the
woman whispered, hastily. Hes a
pore, sad Teller, an harmless as"
Harmless as rabbit" Dudley fin
ished.
A few minutes before four the next
morning, while it was still black night,
Dudley drew up his rig at Hatfield's
gate. There was neither sound nor sign
of light in the shanty, so the driver made
huge noise and prepared to wait.
Scarcely 80 seconds passed before Hat
field appeared in the clothes he had worn
the night before. Dudley turned his
lantern upon the gaunt figure.
Go an git yer rubber boots" he COM
'em."
Hatfield obeyed Silently, and two min
utes later was driven rapidly toward
Titman lake. The horse was fastened
on the high rail and Dudley led the way
to the cove.
you've got the best gum" the man of
experience explained-"12- gauge ham
merless. Press down that little lever on
the left side an you cock her. No,
don't cock her yit. She's loaded!'
They had mile to walk The day
was gathering.
"S-sh-h!" warned Dudley. Were
purity nigh thar. Ye don't want t. skeer
'em! BY cripes, but ye're fool with
gun!"
did you say that you press this left
lever down to cock the piece-both bar
rels?" Hatfield gasped.
"Sure," whispered Dudley. "The
lakes yonder. Dye see it?"
Titman was ahead, showing up pearl
gray in the dawning, like the mist which
hangs over bog.
"S-sh-h!" warned Dudley. 'Thar's
flock down in the cove-hear 'em?
Well get bunch-fust shot!"
They crept on. Dudley turned at last.
his body bent behind an artificial blind
in the edge of the bluff over the cove
His arm was raised to further command
silence.
Hatfield was crouched, too. The
nerves of the man wrung a horridscream
from his throat, before the crash of the
gun.
That instant it seemed that the whole
lake ratified and clacked, but the sound
was merely from the cove where the
vast flock was rising. -. Hatfield saw
the other sink upon his gun, his chin and
throat blotch Of deep color.
Two or three hours later Hatfleld's
brain assumed command of surviving
faculties. He was two miles away on
the far shore Of old Silver. He was
harboring world of ancient pas
sion = that of killing himself. The
lake was there. but 1t did not APP
peal. The knife in his pocket Mortified
He wanted one more shell. Dudley had
given him two. but both barrels were
empty. There were innumerable shells
on Dudley's body. He started back, run
ming.
The place was changed. Dudley was
not there! Other hunters had come to
the blind. Hatfield searched on his
hands and knees for one dropped shell.
Thus he was found by those who required
him.
The twelve wise men adjudged him in
sane after many days, but the woman
who knew most, yet who had done no
wrong--remained to weep. - Chicago
Tribune.
The Nile Dam.
Sir Benjamin Baker, who built the
Nile dam, has just given out some new
figures concerning the dam and its con-
sequences. During the critical periods
for the crops-March to June-the sup
ply of water for irrigation was doubled
by the dam. The irrigation of rice, pro-
hibited in previous years, was allowed,
and the increase in value of land now
converted to irrigation is calculated at
over $25,OOO,O00.