The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-08
EVENING STORY
She Went Hunting.
(By Mary Gray.)


Mother, am going down to
Sarah's today" was the announcement
made across the breakfast table by
Nan Lenox to her widowed mother at
their home in the city.
Down meant a few miles out in
the country; Sarah" was married
sister living on farm.
But the summer has gone" pro-
tested the mother.
~GIad of it,
What kind of a time can you have
down there at this season."
Much better than in the sticky hot
weather, with it's flies and mosqui-
toes. When 1 got disguised and left
in July, sister made me promise to
come back in autumn
But it will be lonesome. The folks
are back from the country long ago"
''All the better. Last summer you
couldn't stir out doors without bump
ing into somebody"
1T will ruin your complexion for
the winter, but if you must go"
of course 1 must, and the COM
pleXion must take care of itselfi"J
And go she did. She found the ripe
apples being gathered; the hired man
getting in the pumpkins; the hazel
nuts ripe; glorious sunrises, and. the
days a tonic and not an insect to an
noy, and the quails as fat as butter.
When Nan had fed the hens, tanned
the colt, talked with the pigs and
warned the gander that if he bit her
she would go right home-when she
had picked and eaten peck of hazel
nuts, made a pumpkin jack-o'-lan-
tern and tried her hardest to milk,
the hired man" said to her:
Its pity you don't know how to
handle a gum
"Why?"
Because you could go rabbit hunt
ing. 1 saw half dozen down in the
lower orchard this morning. If I'd
had a gun with me we'd had rabbit
pie for dinner
But L never thought of rabbits!''
was the exclamation. Il shall go
hunting right away"
But you can't shoot a gum
But you must teach me. Hurry
up!'
The shotgun was smuggled out of
the house and behind the barn, and
the lessons began with:
Now, 1 work this lever-so. and it
throws cartridge into the barrel
ready for firing"
II see. Easy as pie"
when walking. carry the barrel
across your left arm.'s
81 will"
Now put the gun up to your face
like this, and aim at that old stump.
You must squint along the sights and
have both in line"
Yes"
You won't fire now, because your
sister would hear it; but when you do
want to, just curl your finger around
this trigger and pull
How many cartridges have 1 got %
was asked.
Seven"
Give me at least seven more. When
get to shooting don't want to have
to stop"
But there were no more available,
and Nan was told that if she brought
pie big enough to last a week. 1t was
after the MONDAY meal that she slip
ped out with the gun, and the hired
man whispered to her:
You can pile the seven dead rab-
bits up somewhere and I will come
and get emf"
1t wasn't at all singular that Burt
Robbins, of the big fire insurance
company in the city, should be stop
| ping at the country inn mile away.
He had elected to take his vacation in
/ the fall He would have a quiet time,
he thought. He would hunt little,
| fish little and take long walks thru
the woods, with their carpets of gold
en- leaves.
| Young Mr.. Robbins had been at the
/
! landlord said:
There are more rabbits around this
| fall than I have seen for years before.
Did you bring a gun along? ?"
Il had none to bring"
Then I can lend you one It's a
rifle. where you ought to have a shoK-
gun; but you can have some fun with
! it,
1t did not follow that because the
| hired man had seen several rabbits in
/ the lower orchard in the morning that
| they would still be there at an hour
| a good-looking girl.
! Miss Nan reached the hunting
| grounds and looked about her. Not a
| bunny
Have they gone to their caverns ?"
| she asked herself.
| Echo answered.
/, In hunting rabbits, if they won't
] come to you, you must go to them
After wasting half an hour peerine
and peeking. the huntress adopted
1 this rule. and climbed a fence for a
: tramp in a bit of woodland. Mr.
Robbins had been out almost an hour
and had not caught sight of rabbit
The red squirrels chartered at him
and the chipmunks Knocked him. but
! he let them 60 1t was when he was
! scuffing up the leaves ana his mind
: far away that a rabbit ran out of a
brush heap and scurried away In
/ his confusion, the hunter ran after it
for a few steps, and as il crossed open
ground he fired.
At the same instant his cap was
dashed from his head and he realized
that another gun had been fired
/ When he had advanced twenty steps
he saw a girl rolding up dead rab-
/ bit by the leg and heard her exclama-
ton:
/ "Oh, I've killed him. I've killed
him.
II beg pardon" said Mr.. Rob-
bins.
/ Who? WHAT"
Il killed that rabbit. if you please
!, You didn't do any such thing,'
was the prompt retort