Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-02-01
simmer of bronze illusion over il to
give one the idea Of the leaves and
bark of tree.
BESSIE AND LUKE

bark of tree. -.
BESSIE AND LUKE
New York Sun.
The stage.driver was rough. lcok.
ing giant, his big paws hidden away in
fox.skin gloves, and his body well COW
cred by buffalo skin overcoat. He
flung the mail bag into the sleigh, un-
tied the ponies, and his shout Of "All
aboard" brought out solitary travel
er for the cold ride of l8 miles over
the snow-covered hills of Wisconsin.
''Weather is breakin' a little just
now, but it has been awful on this
route" remarked the driver, as the
ponies got away. II kin git along fust
rate with five or six degrees below, but
when it comes to ten in the valleys
there's good fifteen on the hills, an
the wind e'enamOst cuts the ponies in
two.''
Wisconsin winter weather never
makes failure, and when snow
storm begins there is no let up until
the heavens have sent their last fake.
The snow was two feet deep on
either side of the single track in the
centre of the highway, and where the
wind had a good sweep there were
drifts covering the fences, with sever.
al feet to spare.
No other teams came after, none
were encountered. The fierce cold
was too much for farmers and ordi.
nary travellers. The United States
mail had the track to itself. Wrapped
in furs, blankets, and robes, and with
hot bricks steaming away on the
straw, stage driver and traveller rode
in silence for miles. By and by, as
the ponies slackened their pace little
to climb a long hill, the driver pointed
to the right and asked
'tD'ye see that log house up thar !!
Bar it in mind an I'll tell we story"
1t was gloomy pile of logs, curtains
down over the windows and snow DRIFT
ed clear to the stills, and most of the
land around it was sterile hill or tang
led thicket. Over the hill and half a
mile beyond, and the driver pointed
again and said:
And now take peep at the place
an I'll begin the story
It was small frame house this time.
partly surrounded by a wind-break of
poplar trees. The house was old and
weather-beaten. The windows were
covered with frost, the path to the
gate was hidden by drifts, and the only
living thing to be seen was a poor OLD
horse standing ON the lee side OF the
hedge. His ribs could be traced clear
from the road, and he greeted the po'
MES with neigh, telling of hunger
and l0nesomeness.
''Three weeks ago." began the
driver, as he cleared his throat, ''both
o them places were full of cheer. The
one back there held an old man, his
wife, an handsome daughter, an this
one was occupied by IL bachelor named
Luke Warner. I don't know how he
came to live here alone, but here he
vas, an he not only worked hard an
took good care O. things, but he had q
bite to eat for all beggars an good
word for travellers. Them folks back
in the log house were kinder new to
this section. I've hearn tell that he
was a broken-down merchant, who had
to give up everything an leave New
York. saw him dozens O. times, and
he was high-headed, even if he was
poor. He walked along like lord land
he wouldn't notice such as me-"
The driver pulled the robes away
from his mouth a little more, and went
on:
"Cracky to grashus! but didn't they
have handsome gal? She was as trim
as an angel, handsome as a June day
and it was natural that Luke should
fall in love with her. He was at least
thirty-tive, and neither good.lookin
nor educated, but you can't tell when
a gal is going to love or hate. spect
| it riled the old folks to think She
take up with a farmer, an l spose they
forbid him comm there ,leastwise that
was the talk along the road last fall
Luke pegged away the same as ever
an the gal didn't look any the les:
handsome as saw her at the gate. Al
winter set in, didn't see much of any
gan to die out -
"How old was the girl!" asked the
| traveller.
':Bout Is or 10, an she had hair like
gold. 1t just makes my heart ache tt
remember her. Well, it seemed thai
her an Luke were bound to marry
The old folks wouldn't give in, an
Luke fixed it to be married down here
bit at the big red farm house. Thu
preacher was to be there. a crowd wa:
comm to dance, an the gal was tt
slip away from home an come dow1
with Luke, kinder hand-in.hand, a!
the newspapers say. The gal got
away in the evenin,' walked over tt
Luke's an he had his horse an sleigh
ready. It was the first snow, but MOI
| very good running. They got started
all right, happy, as two doves, but
they had only turned out o the yart
when it began to snow. I was out IL
it, too; an great snakes! how the snow
did come down! 1t just dropped dow1
in chunks an patches. an in half al
hour the road was out O. sight under
six inches of snow, an the wind wa:
fingin' it ten feet high wherever il
could strike.''
The driver looked back over thi
lonely road, drew a long breath ant
went on:
<The Lord only knows how it came
about, but Luke's horse fell into thu
ullCll duu UlOhc Ills IcSS, ill CAcu UIA'
lovers sot out on foot. They wen
right agin the dreadful storm, deter
mined to reach the red farm house
Right ahead here, just half way be
tween the houses is whar we fount
'em. The storm ragged for three days
an in some places the drifts were tel
feet high. When it cleared away tn,
gal was missed, Luke was missed, an
gang of us sot to search the road
we found the horse dead and stiff, an
then we knew it was all up with the
children. We had an awful time dig
GIN through these drifts an trackin
the pair, an just unde-: this hill here
is whar' we dug EN- out. How dye
spose we found 'em?'
He waited half minute for thu
answer that didn't come, and the1
said:
"May the Lord bless Luke Warner
When the snow got deep he had taker
the gal on his back. When he found she
was freezin' to death he had taken of
his coats and MT them around her