The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-14
The Stage Drivers Story.

cred by 5ufalo skin overcoat. He
flung the mail Tag INFO the sleieE. un-
tied the ponies. and his shout of "AiI
aboard." 3" brought ou, solitary Traveller
f0T tbs cold ride Of u miles over the
snow covered hills of Wisconsin.
Weather Is bFeakin' little lust
now. but it has been awful on this
route" remarked the driver, "a the
ponies got under way Il kin git along
fustrate with five or six degrees below,
but when II comes 10 ten IN the valleys
there's a good fifteen on the hills. an
the wini e'enamost cuts the ponies in
two"
Wisconsin winter weather never
makes failure. and when a snow storm
begins there is no Let up until the lle.y-
ems have sent their last flake The snow
was two feet deep either side of the SIN
gle track in the center of the highway,
aud where the wind had good swet p
there were drifts covering the fences.
with several feet to spare.
No other teams came af,er-none
were encountered The fierce cold was
too much for farmers and ordinary trav-
elcrs- The United States had the track
to itself. Wrapped in fnrs. blankets.
and robes, and with hot bricks steam
ing away on the straw, stage driver and
traveller rode in silence for miles By
and by. as the ponies slackencd their
pace little to climb up a long hill,
the driver pointed to the right and
asked:
Dye see that log house up thar ?
Bar it in mind and I'll tell yo story"
1t was a gloomy pile of logs. curtains
down over the windows and snow drift
ed clear TO the s.lls, and most Of the
land around 1t was sterile hill or tan
gled thicket. Over the Hill aud half a
mile beyond. and the driver pointed
again and said
"An now take peep N that place
an I'll begin the story"
1t was n small frame house this time.
partly surrounded by wind. break of
poplar trees. The house was old and
weather beaten. The windows were
covered with frost. the path to the ga G
was hidden by drifts, and the only liv-
ing thing To- be seen was poor old
horse standing on the lee side Of a
hedge His ribs could be traced clear
from the road, and he greeted the po-
nies with neigh. telling of hunger and
lonesomeness.
Three week ago. began the driver
as he cleared his throat. both o them
places were fall of cheer The cite
back there held an cid man. his wife.
an handsome daughter. an this one
was occupied hy bachelor named
! Like Warner. | don't know bow ne
| came to live here alone, but here he was
| an he not only worked hard an took
good care Of things, but he had bit 10
| eat for all bcggaIs an good word for
travellers. Them folks hack in the log
| house were kinder new 20 this section
/ I've hearn tell that be was broken
/ down merchant, who had To- give w
/ everything an' leave New York, saw
| bim dozens o times, and he was high
headed. even ii he was poor He
walked along like lord. and he
/ wouldn't D0ticc such as Inc"
The driver pulled the robes away
| from bis mouth little more, and wen;
! on.
| "Cfacky 10 grashus' bat didn't they
| have handsome gal! She WAS as trim
as All angel handsome a 4 June day
/ and il was material that Luke should fail
/ in love with her He was at leas,
| thirty five. and neither good -lookiu
nor edecatcd. but you cant tell when q
gal il goin' to love or hate. spect il
| riied the oil folks u think she'd take
np with farmer. an l spose shey for
| bid him comm there, leastwise thai
was the talk along the road last fall
Luke pegged away the same as ever
an the gal didn't look any less The
/ handsome As | saw her at the gate. y.
winter set III, didn't see much of any
/ of them, a,.d by aud by the gossip be
! gan n, die out.
How old was the girl:" asked III,
/ traveller
" Bout eighteen or nineteen, an sh,
had hair like gold. 1t just makes m,
I heart ache 10 remember her Well. i
seemed that her an Luke were boune
TO marry TIE old folks wouldn't Civ,
in, an Luke fixed it ITO be marie,
down here u bit At the big rod farm
! house. The preacher Was 10 he there
a crowd was comm 10 dance, an ,h'
gal was Ia slip away from home an
} come down with Luke. kinder handlu
hand. as the newspapers say. The "a
rot away in the evening. walked owe
to Lakes. an he bad his horse ans
sleigh ready II was the fust spow. bu
no, very good running They got stars,
All right. happy as two dovr>. bat the,
bad enIy turned on, o the yard " hen /
/ began Ia suow | Was cat IN II. too
an great snakes how the suow d,d CONT
down. II jus, dropped down ia chunk
an patches. sn' III half an hour ,h,
road was ous o'si h; under six inches o
snow. al the wln's was tiingin It teI
feat high wherever /; could strike
The driver locked lsAck over the lone
" Rad. drew long hrsath. aad wen
oh
" The Lord ally knows bow II cam
about, hut Luke's horse felI iato 'h'
ditch AID broke Us legs, al then til
lovers sot out un toc. They wcst 7sh
agin the aretfgi storm, determined {
Et1Ch tsic Eet! kAt W EtNs.R- is' a. ~.tN .
here. Just half way between the houses
. whAr We found 'em The storm
= ragged for three days, an iu ome place
the drifts were ten feet high " he'
j, cleared away the gal Nss nlsz 81
Luke wAs missed, al,' gang ct a. 50
out to search tho rad Ne toa"d ia
acrse. dead an stiff. a'.d then wc kusv
IL wss al I'D with the clit3Ycn- "