St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-22

'hlh Ills accommodations promised mn
t" lie. paid his eXtravagant charges
and then informed him that | wished t,
reach as quickly as possible the nearest
railroad station. and to take the frs
train for the east.
The nearest station is ut Ilium; II
lnm is twenty-five miles distant; yol
cannot get there before night. if ut all
! think you won't get there ut ALL"
All this WAS spoken rctlectively. an,
with deliheration.
IF can get there by ten o'clock to
night. can make the eastern express .
You can. but | doubt if you can ge
there at ALL"
why p asked
He was not Il man to waste words
He only said:
1.-The stage won't go on account o
the storm"
Are You sure of that p ventured tC
ask.
Quite sure" and he closed his lip,
with Il snap. as if he knew all about
/ it.
"Who OWNS the stage ~
/ Il do" he replied. "And won:
! let it go, because the road lis over that
( N'i'iti II 'lpSt W tIt
edges of precipiccs several hundred feet
high. it is rough and slippery, the SNOW
Is deep now. and getting deeper ever,
minute. and | don't believe any horse
could pull through it,
| thought of the little children wait
ing yoHder; of their bitter di>appoiut
meut if did not come. Then said
Il am very anxious to go, and ! am
wiling to pay we'll for being taken"
The landlord leaning over the ban
asked:
How much ?"
Il told him how much WAS willing
to pay.
I'll go and get the stage ready" he
said. After all it was only the higher
price he had been waiting for.
In five minutes the stage WAS at the
door. 1t was an ordinary box wagon
on good strong springs. having Il cotton
cover. open i'll front. The horse Was I,
half-starved jaded looking beast.
took all this in as stood on the porch
waiting for the driver Getting impa-
ticnt at last, | asked:
Nv here is the driver -
The landlord, without speaking.
pointed to an ill-clad boy standing at
the horses head. locked clo>cl, at
him. He might he. | thought. fifteen
years old. or he mi ght not Ice more than
ten. His eyes were clear blue. and he.
hcamg my question. turned them full
upon mine, Il frank. buNish smile re-
hullimg the di>truSt my words implied.
and lighting up every feature OF his
delicate face. His complexion was like
that "t Il girl. his mouth small and ten
der, his hair yellow. his figure slight
and >inuous.
| looked at him. standing there shiv-
cring with the cold, and thought OF the
dIiNin" storm. along the SHOW covered
mountain road We were To travel t"grth-
cr. and asked:
Are Nnu not afraid to 90 -
The landlord interrupted:
''lt don't matter if he is afraid. He
| belongs To me. He shdH go"
NO." | said: "hc shall not 90. if he
Is not quite willing"
Il am not ut all afraid" the boy re-
piled, and am quite willing to 20.
have gone often and often. through
/ WORSE storms than this"
Ihcl" MAS an earnest. manly grace
even III the way he shook the gathered
/ flakes from his tattclrd cap. and in his
Voice there was such hearty. chcrrl
ring. thaI from that moment | trusted
aud loved the boy.
/ | Jumped into the stage. took the
back seat, drew my great triezc coat
close about my legs. and We drove of
from among the gaping. so"ty crowd ot
miners into the lonely mountain road:
. int" the cIuclr>t storm of wind aud
SNOW that ever SAW.
The hoy sat on the front seat. wait
ing to he spoken To. looking straight
ahead
When We were quite clear of th,
Struggling hut> "t the miners ON tn,
"utcrm">t limits OF the town. | asked
linn his name.
"IhcN call me Lewis Shi>lrl." h,
,,aid.
"'IIow old ale you. Lewis! ?" WAS my
next question.
"F0urtccn, next April. sir"
"Dn you live at home with Your ia
thcr and mother ,"
That man yondrr is all the father nI
mother | have. and his stable loft i,
the only home have had since he tool,
me from the puorhouse. That was
better than the stable though. for they
taught me something there"
There waS no complaining chords in
the tones i'll which these bitter word,
were said. and while he was speaking Ii,
WAS drawing the long whip gently acroS,
the horses back, brushing Off the snow
that had fallen on it.
Have YOU been driving on this road
long ?" inquired.
Going on three Years. 1t will he
three Years in March,"
''ls it cold out there Colder than
in here. mean ?"
IL think it is" he replied: 1.-THE winG
and SNOW cut so, but | don't mind it
sir We get used to rough weather ul
in these hills"
Il wish You would come in here; my
coat will cover us both"
NO can't he said. Il must MatcI
the road now. We have to go prett,
close To the preclpice, sometimes"
.'Ilow close - | asked.
NV ithin IL few inches | can't SO,
now five yards ahead, the snow falls :,
heavily"
"Do you think it is safe, then to q,
on!'
Quite safe, sir! and | don't min,
the cold. But his teeth chattered Il.
he said it. and the ruddy glow was al
gone from his checks
did not talk more then. Their,
were, discovered, wide cracks in til,
bottom of the stage, through which til,
wind poured mercilessly. / WAS chile,
through to the heart in less than al
hour after starting, do not know how
fan We had gone, or how long we hal