The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-14
BESSIE AND LUX n,

The stage driver was u rough-looking
giant, his big paws hidden away In fox skin
gloves, and bis body well covered by q buffalo
skin oycrcoat. He lung the mai bag into the
sleigh, united the ponies, and his shout of IAN
aboard brought out a solitary traveller for the
cold ride of ~ 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. ." kin git along
fust rate with i've or SIX degrees below but
when II comes to ten IN the valleys there's a
good nfteen on the hills, an the wind o 'enamost
cuts the ponies In two"
Wisconsin winter weather never makes n
failure, aud when a snow storm begins
there Ia no let up until the heavens have sent
their last fake The snow was two feet deep
either side of the slngle track In the centre Of
the highway, and where the wind bad q good
sweep there were drifts covering the fences,
with several feet To spare.
No other teams came after-uone were en-
countered. The fierce cold was too much for
farmers and ordinary 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 Ia silence for miles. BY and by,
as the ponies slackcned their pace a little to
u
and asked:
Dye see that log house uD thar Ddr 1t In
mind an III toll We a story"
Ii was gloomy pile OF logs. curtains down
over tue windows aud snow drif,ed clear to the
sils, and most Of the land around II wi. stntils
hill or tangled tbicket. Over the hin and half a
mile beyond aud the driver pointed again and
said
An now take peep at that place an I'll be-
giu the story"
Ii was q small frame house thii time. partly
surrounded 10y wind-break OF poplar trees.
The house was old and wea,her-b caten. Tue
windows were covered with frost, the path IL
the gate was hidden by drifts. aud the only liv-
ing thing to he seen was poor old horse stand
INK ON the lee side of hedge. His ribs could
be traced clear from the road. AMI he greeted
the ponies with a neigh, telhog Of hunger and
| lonesomeness.
Three weeks ago" began the driver. as he
cleared his throat, "ooth o them places were
fun Of cheer. The one back there held IN old
man. his wife, an handsome daughter. an this
ono was occupied by a bachelor named Luke
Warner. don't know how he came to live here
alone, but here lie was. an he not only worke u
hard an took good care o. things, but he had a
| bite TO eat FOR all beggars an n good word for
| travellers. Them folks back in the log house
| were kinder new to tns section. I've hearn tell
| that lac was broken-uown merchant, who had
to give up everything au' leave New York
| saw him dozens o. times, and he was blgh'
| headed even II ne was poor lie walked along
/ nEe lord ana he wouldn't notice such as me.
The driver pulled the robes away from his
| mouth iitlle more, and went on:
| "Cracky to erashls but didn't they have 2
| handsome galE she was "a trlm rs an angel,
handsome rs June daY, nud IL was material
| that Luke should iall IN love with her. lie was
az least thirty i've. ana neither good-lonkin nor
| edecated, but You can't tell when gai Is eoin'
[ GT / ~ Ia al 4 la
to think she'd take up with farmer. an
| spose they forbid MIN comm there, ieilstwi -
| that wAsthe talk along tn. road last fail. Luxe
| pegged away the same as ever. an the gal ddu I
| look any the less handsome rs | raw her AT
| tue gate. As winter set in. didn't see tuu u
! Of any OF them, aud by and oy tne gossip began
to die out"
How old was the rir?' asked the tray ,iler
"'Boui Is or ~. an she mad hair Ike pold IL
| Just makes my heart ache TO remember her.
| Well. 1t seemed that her an Luxe were bound
Luke nxed It To be married d w mere a DIT a,
the his red iarm house. The preacher WAS to
be there. "A crowd was comm TO dance, an the
gal was 10 SIP away from nome an' come down
with Luke, kinder hand in-hand rs the news pa
pers say. The fal got a~'y IN tho ovenin'.
walked overto luke's. an he had his horse an
good running. They got started all ri.nt, hnpuy
as Two doves, but tney had only turned cut -
Tue ri when II began 10 snow. was out IN
II. TOO: an great snakes. now the snow did
come dowul u Just dropped dorn In chunks
an patches. an ~ half an bpur the road was out
% sight under six inches Of snow. an the wind
was hingin It ten feet high wherever 1t could
stiike."
The driver looked back over the lonely road
drew IA long breath, ana went on:
" The Lord only knows how IL came about
bat Lukes horse fell into the ditch and broke
IT. legs. an then the lovers sOt out Oh foot.
ihey went right agin the urcndl storm, deter
mined TO reach tho red farm house. Right
ahead here, Just half way between tue houses
II "naI We founu 'em. lhe storm RACED for
three DAYS, an In some places the drifts were
ten feet high. When II cleared away tue ~ was
missed, Luke was missed, an a gang uf Us sot
out t. search the road We found the n rise
dead and sum, an tncu We knew II was all up
with the children. We had an awful time Dig
gin through these drifts an trackin the pair.
an Just under this hill here Is whar we dug Gu
out. How DYE spose We found emf"
lie waited half minute Tor the answer that
didn't come, and then sHlu
MAY tue Lord bless Luke Warner, when
the snow got deep he had taken that al on his
back. Wnen lac found she was ffeezin' to
around her. and his vest was hItIoued aTouuu
her head. to take the place OF her lost hat. lilo
stripped right to hls shirt sleeves, sir, to save
that gal, an no man could we done more
crouchiu altn the fence, with the poor gals
lace cl Sc To his, an their hands Cihepcd. death
came down through this lonesome valley an
took EN-. II was an Awful tlg It, sir, an tue
gals father took on SO that men bad IL hold
him. The neignbors bai To lay out the corpses
an bury en-, an II Was right 10 put 'em both ia
one grave. Toe mother went dead over IL be-
Tore the grave was covered, an the father Is
gone no one knows wInr. LIS awful to think
OF, sir, an when | GIT t. renemberiu' all about
It. such lump comes w In my throat that
rho traveller looked up into the rough giants
face. ana two tears, frozen to Ice by the liter
wind, rested on ms cheeks.
Az Just believe whispered the man, ar
tr' a long pause, ana pointing hcavenNnrd with
IN whip " mat bessie an Luke are lie hrgntest
angels Oh the nun crowd yOnder."