The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-03-02
GOOD STORY.
From, Ossce Week.
A NIGHT in q Snowdrift.

places. l need not assign reason, the IN
cidents of my story will supply one
Some wears ago-never mind how ma
nay-I was in America, employed In sur
veying, prior to the construction OF one
of those vast lines of railway which are
now found of as great utility for warike,
as they were then intended for peaceful
traffic
1 had gone out from England with very
few pounds in my pocket, but with a
good education, and, l may say, with
some ability.
entered heartily into my work, and
found it highly remunerative-
Although thoroughly enjoyed the oc-
cupation, and the many rough and some
times romantic incidents lnseparable
from it, l could never readily asslmliate
myself with the American character: and
as was the only Englishman on that
part of the line, my loneliness was eN-
treme-relieved indeed, occasionally by
violent quarrels with men who sneered at
the ..sulky Britisher."
One day, in the depth of as severe
winter as I ever experienced, had to
take long journey the greater part by
rail-then only single line. At the
wretched shed dignifed by the name OF
station, a somewhat curious party at
tracted my attention
] There were four:
An old and apparently totally paraly-
zed gentleman, so swathed In shawls,
comforters, fur cap, and buffalo robe, that
only small strip of his face was visible,
and that was of death like hue.
A young lady, thickly yelled, appa
rently not the daughter of the invalid; for
she seemed to avoid looking at or APP
] hn oil Sat hal
propped up by boxes and bags in a corn
er of the one bench.
Two sallow, evil looking men compile
ted the number. They were dressed in
q much inferior manner to the others, but
evidently had charge of both invalid and
lady.
l got into the same car with this
strange party; anything little out Of the
common being acceptable to me.
Whether I should have done so could
l have fOreseen the tragic termination of
our journey, cannot tell.
! The snow was lying very deep on the
| ground and occasionally, where drift
had formed across the line, we had much
to do to force our way through it.
was the only occupant of the car be-
side the party 1 have described, and
amused myself by specializing on the
!
/ quartette.
The lady was lady evidently Tho
| had not caught glimpse of her face
as she had not once lifted the heavy veil
she wore-yet every fold of her dress,
every movement of her figure, showed
refinement.
| We had been plodding on at a misera-
! bic rate for many hours, the snow becom-
/ ing thicker and thicker
To look out of the window was useless:
for the ground was snow, and the air
seemed to be snow, so thicklv was it fall
ling.
What could do but watch my COM
panions.
| had forgotten say that in the early
part of the journey / had made some
casual remark to the two men about the
entirely hopeless state of their charge;
but l received such short answer, ac-
companied by such an evil look, that I
resolved to hold my tongue for the re-
mainder of the journey
The young lady when 1 spoke to the
men, gave quick sort of 4 half-turn to-
ward me as if she would have spoken; but
she was instantly checked by one of the
men desiring, in a rough and peremptory
manner, to change her seat:
Still dragging along-and more snow,
more snow,
The men, having refreshed themselves
several times from q spirit flask. took
bottle and spoon, and prepared to feed
the paralyzed gentleman.
could not see what they gave him, or
whether he ate; for the men carefully
placed themselves and the young lady
between the sick man and me.
I should here say that the young lady
had absolutely refused to take any food
whatever. though several times pressed
by the men.
They are bending over the invalid
the yonng lady. by their direction, also
standing, with her side face toward me-
With quick and absent movement she
raises her veil, and looks for an instant
with q questioning agonized glance at
my face.
She must have seen honest pity there.
for, slightly leaning toward me, palid as
death. she formed q word with her lips
but without sounding it-pointing to the
men: then lowered her veil again
Although the whole had taken place in
q second or two, the men had observed
some movement, and turned fiercely to
her, looking like devils at both of US
I. however, was already sitting with
folded arms, and eyes half shut, as If
sleepy: not so sleepy, though but that
caught a moments view Of that strip of
face 1 had seen at the station.
That second look satisfied me of what
1 had doubted-the ,cord dumbly spoken
by the young lady The word was ..Asr-
der
sat still and thought
Here I am with a couple of murders,
probably armed-their victim apparent
ly the father of that lovely girl Yes
this is the explanation of her stunning
him at the station. and in lifting him in
the cars Ihave my revolver-not load
ed; if it were couldn't shoot these men
down without more proof against them
than a .eord-only seen, not heard It Is
no use of giving them up at the end of
our journey; for of course. they will say
that half dead when they started, he died
~ sv,f thu IL