Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JULY Is. 1911

When they turned, laughing girl stood in front of him.
They recognized her. Corels little GAL her white skirt
trailing tatters her wrecked her hair streaming
her cheeks afre.
"''Oh. feel just as happy big sunfower.
That mods and bends in the breezes-
She was singing and dancing like elf Child but
pcous eyes peered into the dark aisles of the woods
Surprised you didn't II? she laughed loud and mer-
r I've come all this way alone; had one of my queer
spells, you know. When they on I'm just obliged
to get out of doors and be wild girl
Its where have you been. Billy Boy. Billy Boy?
It's where have you been, charming Biy?'
@'Come alone, you say?' Two or three slipped into
the outlying darkness to reconnoiter and two three
came skulking toward her.
CAL alone, she laughed, just andmy little old rifle.
Daddy'd rave if he knew was here
"'She can make cherry pie.
Quick cat can wink her eye;
She's young thing and cannot leave her mother
She held out her rags and danced wildly the refrain.
"Astonshment held them, and she sang on, whole
Of happy childish songs her clear voice holding
frantcally to the notes that carried far
"'That gals gone distracted said one fellow
"Plumb crazy.
"'You reckon she amt witch?'
"She would not let them recover from their
ment, and posing her rifle, she empted its magazine
with swift secrcular sweep above their heads six
shots reverberant and flashing streak of fire.
Curiosity tempered their establishment establishment
had dued the edge of the fury into which Logue had
dashed them by ranting harangue Some OF them
toward her. She laughed aloud; but her fingers twin
killed. and she had reloaded her weapon and snapped shut
its hinge.
@Isnt it beauty? letting the torchlight play upon
its engraved receiver and carved stock Daddy gave
"They looked at it closely, for repeating rifle
to them and its rapid fire mystery; but Logue
plunged forward, cursng me as he came.
SHE stepped careless1y between u.s. 'Deary mel! she
~ laughed. You needn't be so fraid of me. 1 have
these queer spells right often; but I'm not bit dan
didn't you? He had tarred them to this work by calling
them towards and there rumbled low laugh at his
expense go,
yourn amt nothin' but gals playthng.
aha, hal she shouted ecstaticaly. Let's have
shooting match! Jim Joyner hang up your hat against
was one she had heard Fora use-but Jim there,
and fatered by the familiar recognition, leaped to do
her bidding She made eint of careful but awkward
sighting Two shots whizzed close together but both
went wide of the mark.
"Logue favored her with a contemptuous 1eer. I've
heerd you shot, he said; but you can't shoot
both barrels and drilled the hat with buckshot.
"'Oh something went wrong; she loaded two
tridges. forgot to allow for gravity or windage
some drift other. Give better mark something
that will shine,-refect the freight, you know,-and
I'll put ball in three-inch diameter at seventy-hve
could hardly keep the pace; but Logue reared:
a'1 let you shoot at anything own. I'll let you fire
at my head at seventy five yards.
But deary mel! she looked him critically in the face
if considering the proposition (anything to multiply
words and kill time) your head wouldn't make good
target all,not by freight, it wouldn't too
dull and in the laugh that followed she actually took
his powder flask out of his hand Che about reload
ing) held it up and let the torchlght strike it. Oh
who keeps this polished up so bright for you? This
would make shiny mark in the freight. but you
wouldn't dare to risk my making dent in it,
with the laugh still running he could not refuse the
challenge. Tan't no risk, he muttered.
"Take it, Jim, she cried, and fix it by its charging
tube to yonder white oak That's seventy-ive yards,
isn't it?'
@'More or less, it's all one to me, growled the I'm
gracious ruffan.