Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-10-14
WAITING TO SHOOT
BY EDMOND 8. LINCOLN.


clation.I
Gerald Maxwell. being Threatened
with pulmonary trouble. de 'ided to
give up business. go west and live IN
outdoor life Taking his family with
him tu Kansas. he lnughr a farm there
and entered up,'n the work Of raising
crops. He succeeded In rp-eStabliSh.
ing his health. family nf children
grew up about him his wife was con
tented IN his western home and the
MaXw"lls were considered the hap
pi"st people Of thar region. Moreover.
they were greatly h"invrd for their
kindlinrss 10 their ueiohlIurs
One dav n nti"h hlnr owning n farm
on the opposite side of he road from
the MaXwplS died. and his family
moved away. A few months lnter the
closed farmhouse WIS re"p"nrd. aud
an III favored man WAS seen moving
about the place He had bou-ht the
farm aud. hnin. ba helor. had gone
to live alnre on Il His mime was
Stunt He came from Kcnru"ky. was
about forty wears did. wore his hair
and heard long never apparently comb
ing either the one or the other. and
was IN all RESPECTS Il dSagreeabIe
looking person
Mrs Maxwell r"ali-i"I that the fam
lily comfort depended LARGELY on their
neirhborS. WIS great Disturbed nt the
advent Of SuntZ Her husband made
light of her fears Ard. indeed. for
tire the neighhcr gave them no trou-
bic. As matter OF policy Mr. Max
well went over md made his acNuaint-
ance. and Mrs Maxwell invited him
to supper, !e accepted the invitation.
but said very little during the meal
The only person present who seemed
to arouse his attention was Caroline
Maxwell. the oldest daughter. aged
twenty.
Not long after this Stuntz Joined
Miss Maxwell on the road and walked
with her. She treated him civilly.
though she found 1t difficult to do so.
After that whenever he saw her out
OF doors he would make some excuse
to be with her One day Mr. Maxwell
was astonishpd at receiving IL call
from Stuntz for the purpose of asking
for Caroine's hand. The father con
cealed his disgust as we'll as he was
able. saying that any such match
would be- impossible. Caroline when
she heard Of the proposal refused to
again speak to the wooer.
From this time forward Stuntz spent
Iot
unces for the Maxwell family. He
contrivpd that his cattle should get
within the Maxwell fences and tramp
down the crops: he shot Tommy Max
wells pigeons; he appropriated the
Maxwell fruit. These were only the
simple methods he used to trouble his
neighbors: his more complicated ones
were too disagreeable to catalogue.
The result of the whole was misery
to the Maxwells. There was too much
self restraint In the family to make
any complaint to the farmers living
near. but 1t was not long before the
condition leaked out. and many were
the mutterings against Stuntz.
One day Mr.. Maxwell was obliged
either to surrender his manliness or
protest at the shooting by Stuntz OF
the household dog. beloved by all the
Maxwell family Stuntz went into his
house to get his gun to Kill Maxwell
whose wife. terrified. dragged him
within doors and locked him In.
That night Mrs Maxwell begged her
husband to move away from the home
where they had been so happy and
could still be happy were II not for
their npighbor. and. since she was sup
ported by all the children. he was
obliged to consent The next morning
Stuntz was seen sitting on his porch
with his gun In his hands. evidently
watching for Mr.. Maxwplrs appear
ancp. Mrs. Maxwell first saw him
and before her husband was aware Of
Stuntz's position had locked her hus-
band in his bedroom.
The weather was hot and murky,
ragged clouds passing overhead. Dur
Ing the afternoon a dark mass or
cloud appeared above the southern
horizon Mrs Maxwell. looking out OF
a window. saw 1t. She also saw Stuntz
sitting with his gun across the road
not 200 yards away. or the two she
dreaded Stuntz the more. though she
kept her eye on the cloud. Presently
1t assumed the shape of an immense
balloon. She let her husband out OF
confinement. showed him the cloud. and
the whole family went to the cellar.
f,I tr.y hn t,aI
cloud and didn't see it. Furthermore.
he. being from Kentucky. had had no
experience with Kansas cyclones. On
came the pillar Of cloud. gyrating like
a top and humming like a mighty cat
aract. Stuntz heard the sound. but did
not know what 1t was. He was afraid
to get up and go to the other side OF
his house for fear his neighbor might
slip away and he would miss an op-
portunity of shooting him.
Then suddenly Stuntz. amid mass
Of whirling timbers which second
before had been his house went up
into the air Whiriing like teetotum.
turning thousand somersauts. he
was carried with the rapidity of can
non ball for a mile and half. then
dropped to the ground from an alti'
tude Of several hundred feet.
When the Maxwell family emerged
from the cellar they saw neither
Stuntz nor his house. His gun was
living with broken stock In the road
The cyclone had cut swath covering
the Stuntz house and leaving their
own unharmed.
1t developed later that Stuntz was
man much to I've feared In every way
He had been In numerous shWning