The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-02-11
WAITING TO SHOOT
BY EDMOND 3. LINCOLN.
copyright, 1909. by American Press Asso.
citation.

:, yNOpyTlSll(, 1SUS, ny AIIlcIlCdA 1TeSS ASSO.
ciation.l
Gerald Maxwell. being threatened
with pulmonary trouble. decided to
give up business. go west and live an
.2outdoor -Hfp.s Taking his family with
him to Kansas he bought a farm there
land entered upon the work of raising
crops. He succeeded in rc-establish-
ing his health. family Of children
grew up about him.,hi wife was con-
tented III his western home. and the
Maxwells were considered the hap
piest people of that region. Moreover.
they were greatly beloved for their
.kindliness to their neighbors.
One day neighbor owning a farm
on the opposite side of the road from
the Maxwells died. and his family
moved away. A few months later the
closed farmhouse was recpened, and
an Ill favored man was seen moving
about the place. He had bought the
farm and. being a bachelor. had gone
to live alone on it. His name was
Stuntz. He came from Kentucky. was
about forty years old. wore his hair
and beard long. never apparently comb
ing either the one or the other, and
was in all respects a disagreeable
looking person.
Mrs. Maxwell. realizing that the fam
ily comfort depended largely on their
neighbors, was great disturbed at the
advent of Stuntz. Her husband made
light of her fears And. indeed. for /"
time the neighbor gave them no trou-
Bile. AS matter Of policy Mr.. Max
we'll went over and made his acquaint-
ance. and Mrs. Maxwell invited him
to supper. He accepted the invitation.
hut 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 walket
with her. She treated him civilly
though she found it difficult to do so
After that whenever he saw her ou
Of doors he would make some excuse
TO be with her. One day Mr.. Maxwell
was astonished at receiving cal
from Stuntz for the purpose of asking
for Caroline's hand. The father con
cealed his disgust as well rs he wa:
able. saying that any such matcl
would be impossible. Caroline whel
she heard of the proposal refused t.
again speak to the wooer.
From this time forward stuntz spen
all his leisure time arranging annoy
ances for the Maxwell family. 81
contrlyed that his cattle should sc
within the Maxwell fences and traml
down the crops; he shot Tommy Max
wells pigeons; he appropriated tn
Maxwell fruit. These were only TN
s,mnle methods he used to trouble nj
; neighbors: his more complicated one
wore TOO disagreeable to catalogue
Tho result of the whole was miser.
70 tho Maxwels. There was too nue.
self restraint In the family to max
any complaint to the farmers iVlh
neor hut it was not long before tn
condition leaked out. and many wef
the mutterings against Stuntz.
One day Mr.. Maxwell was oblige
either to surrender his manliness G
protest at the shooting by stuntz
tha household dog. beloved by all %
MAXWELL family. Stuntz went Into n
hon.e to get his gun to kill Ma3wel
whose wife, terrified. dragged I'LL
within doors and locked him IN.
That night Mrs. Maxwell begged a.
-. "a n move away from the hon
where they had been so happy an
corId still be happy were IT not Il
their neighbor, and, since she was ~
norted by all the children, ne W. y,
obliged to consent. The next norm