Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-10-09
IRASBURGH, VERMONT, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1863

d Baunt, ana DfOau shouluoiSu' ldSBeuI,
? clad, with dark scowling face, and bulle
head covered with coarse, black, matte,
e hair. ! hurriedly explained to this per
/ son my misadventure. He rose ant
= pushed toward me the stool on which b,
/ had been seated.
r 'Sit you down man. he said, somewha
], less roughly; you look weak, and {
t broken arm is no trife. Though wha
] we can do for you, hang me if know
But what errand took you out upon the
moor such night as this !?
4 was going from Longley on impor
: tant business to Farmer C2zston's.'
From Longley to old Carston's? ht
exclaimed. 'Whewl Why, man, yor
chose a very roundabout way to get tc
your journeys end
Roundabout? What do you mean
l asked.
f 4 mean that Carston's is nearly in the
opposite direction was his answer
And you have been steadily walking
away from it for the last half hour al
least
And how far am l from it now?
Some four good miles at least
Here was a discovery but what was
10 be done? asked the man to guide
me to Carston's, and offered to pay him
well.
Not for all the money they say old
Carston has in the bank he answered,
would | attempt to go over the moor TO-
night. Why man, the snow is falling so
thick you couldn't see a yard before you.
1t would be as much as our lives are
worth. Men have met their doom upon
that moor outside, before now of such a
night as this
All this time the pain of my arm was
growing intolerable, and help of any
kind was impossible there. What was |
to do? Stay in this wretched place till
morning, and endure my agony till day
light should bring the chance of aid?
There was no alternative.
'All you can do said the man, 'is to
keep where you are tonight and be
thankful that you have the shelter of
even these miserable walls on such a night
as this. 1t will be well, even if this in
fernal snow storm does not bury the
cabin itself before morning. Ifyou want
anything to eat you can have a crust of
bread-that's all we baye-and in that
room inside you may lie down on the
straw till morning comes. But you do
look horribly beaten up. Here, Sally,
up with you lass, and get US the black
one.'
l turned to the other corner, beside
the fire, TO which these words were ad-
dressed, and now beheld, for the first
time, young woman sitting beside a
child that lay asleep upon the ground.
l turned and found her eyes fixed upon
me with strange eager glare. She
was miselably clad, and looked sickly
and thin, yet her face showed the traces
of much personal beauty. She was del.
icately fair; every feature was beauti-
fully moulded and her long disheveled
hair, of golden tinge, actually glisten-
ed in the blaze of the fire. But what
struck me most about her was the hung
ry, wolfsh glare Of her eyes, so unnat- !
urally large; fastened as it was upon
me, that wild, eager look made my heart
sick with a vague feeling of dread and
dislike. The woman did not speak
bu: she went to a large chest at the other
end Of the room (almost the only article
of furniture in the place, except ricke-
ty deal table and a couple ofstooIs,) and
took from it large black bottle and a
broken cup.
Come said the man, taking the cup
and the bottle, and pouring some of the
of the one into the other you
did not expect, perhaps to see anything
like this in shepherds hut on the
moor. No matter; it came to US soma
way. Try it; the brandy is good, and
you could not take better physic to>night.'
Most gratefully did l seize the cup
and drink off its contents; and never
was cordial more welcome. The blood
came coursing warmly through my shiv-
ering frame again, and for while l even
orgot the excessive pain of my broken
lrm. Declining the bread which the
nan offered me, l drew nearer to the
ire. 1 took the pistol from my breast
pocket and laid it on the ground beside
ne; and as l stopped to do this the bag
If gold struck against the stool with
musical clink Of the coins within. The
lext moment, when 1 raised my head,
nnnd the terrihln ewes of the woman