Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-06

by the water trough. Hatfield paused sud- derfy. He had walked for an hour. walked swiftly to and fro. between the barn and the shed. He almost ran indoors, lit his lamp, placed it beside the mirror in the kitchen, and shaved with clumsy haste Then he bathed outside at the cistern and attired himself in clothing of rare taste and quality, but which hung tragically loose There was an irrevocable sorrow in the large ness of that suit of year ago. The hills had not added unto his flesh. When all was done, he left the house and hur- ried up the road in the direction Dud- ley had taken.
 A slip of the moon had dawned In the far southwest. The rectangular clot of shadow ahead was the white cottage with green blinds. As Hatfield ap- preached words softly spoken reached him. He crept into the elder shrubs which obscured the roadside and mads his way forward until his suffering eyes caught a dim view of two figures at the gate, the figure of man and oi a woman (whose voices he knew) in lovers embrace.
 What was that noise?" the woman asked, intensely, drawing quickly away from the ether
 ..Nothin' but 8 bunny in tn brush" :" Dudley whispered, amorously. We're goin' out after game to-morrer-me an Hatfeld-pore devil, looked so lonesome as druv by this evenin thet just had t ask him t come along
 There was a long silence.
 eBill,' said the woman, at last, now that we're engaged and goin' to be mar ried, I've got to 'fsss up. You know this spring we all thought Hatfield was dyin' of consumption. We'll, tried tc be good to him, brought him little cookin's, you know, an tried t tidy uE his house bit. Well, he'd look at me kinda funny all the time, sorta pitiful i an yet cant exactly tell how he looked. I took it jus tn same as any nurse would fever patient-allowi fur him, v know. An one day he said he wished could always be aroun thet little cabin O his'n, an the words scared i him, an he looked out at the rainy peach blossoms for long. spell, red as ally ldulp xAdOCllSi I1AliO AAS s'sAt0 I was the kind of a woman that the supreme intelligence intended the breed to be-strong backed and soft handed! Or somepin' like thet. An then his cough eased up and he tuk to work, and didn't go no more. Two or three times he came here in tn evenin, but mother tuk care of him, an I was allus pickin' plums or cannin' peaches. An thet's all.'
 1 Dudley laughed.
 T ain't afraid of pore Hatfield a-cut. tin me out" he said.
 .'But be nice t him t'morrer," the woman whispered, hastily. He's s pore, sad feller, an harmless as"
 Harmless as a rabbit" Dudley fin. ished.
 A few minutes before four the nexi morning, while it was still black night Dudley drew up his rig at Hatfleld's gate. There was neither sound nor sign of light in the shanty, so the driver made a huge noise and prepared to wait Scarcely 30 seconds passed before Hat field appeared in the clothes he had worr IhO AlSAt DOlOA 1)uo1Cy 1uAhSo HIS lantern upon the gaunt figure.
 ssCo an git yer rubber boots.' he com. manded, laughingly. Cant do 'thous '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 gun" the man oi experience explained" "12-geuge 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. We're purity nigh thar. Ye don't want t slyeer 'em! By cripes, but we're fool with a 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 wonder. 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. '1Thar's a flock down in the cove-hear 'emi We'll get bunch-fust shot!"
 They crept on. Dudley turned at last 1 his body bent behind an artificial blint l in the edge of the bluff over the cove His arm was raised to further comman, | silence.
 Hatfield was crouched, too. Tn l nerves of the man wrung horrid screan 1 from his throat, before the crash of the l gun.
 That instant 1t seemed that the whole lake rattled and clacked, but the sound ] was merely from the cove where ths s-nuf f7r,sa1x ,zrsa q Ii zfsasg fifaYA sc sx