Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-02-02

get there before night, if at all. think
YOU won't get thsrc at ALL"
All this was spoken reAectively and
with deliberation.
1t can get there by ten o'clock TO.
night, can make the Eastern Express ?"
You can, but doubt if you can get
there at all"
"Why?" asked.
He was not y man to waste words. He
only said:
The stage won't go-on account OF
the Storm"
"Are yeu sure of that?n ventured to
ask.
"Quite sure" aud he closed his lips
with snap. rs if he knew all about it.
WHO owns the stage ?"
IL do. he replied; land won't let II
60. because the road lies over that noun
tain yonder; it runs close to the edge OF
preeipices several hundred feet high il
is rough aud slippery, the snow IL deep
now, aud getting deeper every minute,
and | don't believe any horse could pull
through it"
thought OF the little children waiting
tor me yonder; of their bitter disappoint-
ment if did no, come. Then | said
Il am very anxious TO go, and ! am
willing to pay for being taken
The landlord, leaning over the bar,
asked:
"fIow much -
told him what was willing 10 pay.
IN 90 set the stage ready" he said.
After all, 1t was only the higher plice he
had been waiting Tor.
Ia five minutes the stage was At the
door. 1t was an ordinary box wagon on
good strong springs, having cotton
cover, open in front. the horse was
half starved. iAIed looking beast. ! took
all this in as stood on the porch waiting
for the driver. Getting impatient at last,
asked
Where is the drive, 'N
The landlord. without speaking, pointed
to an ILL., clad boy standing n the horses
head. looked closely At him. lie
might be. thought, fifteen years old, OF
might be not more than ten. His eyes
were clear blue, aud he hearing my ques-
ton. turned them lull upon mine. frank.
boyish smile rebuking the distrust my
words implied, and lighting up every
feature OF his delicate face His COM
plexion was like that ofa girl, his mouth
small and tender. his hair yellow. his
figure slight and sinuous.
looked at him. standing there shiyer
ing with the cold. aud thought OF the
driving storm along the snow.eovered
mountain road we were TO travel 10.
gelher. and asked
Are you not afraid to go;'
The landlord interrupted:
1t don't matter if he is afraid. lie
belongs to me. He shall go.'
NO" said; "he shall not go, il he is
not qnite willing"
IL am not at all afraid" the boy re-
piled, land am quite willing TO go. |
have gone. often and often, through
worse storms than this"
There was an earnest. manly grace even
in the way he shook the gathered flakes
from his tattered cap. and in his voice
there was hearty. CHEEKY ring. that
from that moment trusted and loved
the boy.
Jumped into tho stage. took the back
seat, drew my great lriezs coat close
about nv legs, and we drove of from
among the gaping. sooty crowd oil miners
into the lonely mountain road iOto the
cruelcst storm OF wind and snow that |
ever saw.
The boy sat on the front seat. waiting
to DO spoken TO. looking straight ahead.
When we were quite clear OF the
Struggling huts Of the miners on the out
ermost limits OF the town, | asked him
his name.
They call mo Lewis Shivley," be said.
How old are you Lewis?" was my
next question.
Fourteen, next April, sir"
"Do you 1.-Two at home, with your
father and mother ?n
That man yonder is all the father or
mother have, and his stable loft is the
only home have had since he took me
from the poor. house. That was better
than the stable, though, Tor they taught
me something there.
There were no complaining chords in
the tones in which these bitler words
were said. and while he was speaking.
he was drawing the long whip gently
across the horses back, brushing off the
snow that had fallen on it.
"Have you been driving on this road
long ?" inquired.
'"Goiug on three years. 1t will be
three years in March"
lis it cold out there? Colder than in
here. l mean? ?"
al think it is" he replied; "tha wind
and snow cut so, but l don't mind, sir.
We get used to rough weather up these
hills"