The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-03
The Fatal Moose.

The diligence from Paris to Chalons
b stopped one evening, just after dark,
2 some miles beyond the little ten e
7 Rouxiay, to ST. lSsSsgn an EngIish lady
I and ller flssla at a lonely roadside auberge.
e Mrs. Martin expected to find carriage
? ready to take her to the Chateau de
Senart, distance of some leagues,
whittier she was repairing on a visit, but
was told that it had not yet arrived.
The landlady, a tall, coarse-looking
l woman, who showed her into the vast
hall that served at once as a sitting-room
and Kitchen, observed that the roads
, were so muddy and difficult at night
that there was little chance of her friend
: arriving before the morning. " You had
better, therefore," she said, "make up
, your mind to sleep here. We have
good room to offer you, and you will be
much more comfortable between a pair
of warm, clean sheets than knocking
about in our rough country, especially
as your dear child seems sickly."
Mrs. Martin, though much fatigued by
her journey, hesitated. a good nights
rest was certainly a tempting prospect
but she felt so confident that her friends
would not neglect her. that, after a mo-
ment shereplied, 81 thank you, madame;
I will sit up for an hour or so it is not
late, and the carriage may come, after
all. Should it not, l shall be glad of
your room, which you may prepare for
me at any rate"
The hostess, ,>who seemed anxious that
her guest should not remain in the great
room, suggested that ii fire be made
above; but Mrs. Martin found herself so
1 comfortable wherr. she was, q pile of
fagots was blazing on the vast hearth,
1 that she declined first to move. Her
daughter, about five years of age, soon
went to sleep in her lap, and she
herself found that whilst her ears
were anxiously listening for the
roll of carriage wheels, her eyes &C.
casionally closed, and slumber began
to make its insidious approaches.
In order TO prevent herself from giving
"sry, 7rIy eHueayored to direct her atten-
tion to the objects around her. The
apartment was vast End asfiH Ill; by II the dirty
candle, stuck into a filthy tin candle
stick that stood on one of the long tables.
Two or three huge beams stretched across
halfway up the walls, leaving a space
filed with fitting shadows above. From
these depended rusty gun or two, a
sword, several bags, hanks of onions,
cooking utensils, etc. There were very
few signs that the house was much Wis.
tied, though a pile OF empty wine bottles
lay in one corner. The landlady sat at
some distance from the fireplace with her
two sons, who had laid their heads to-
gether and talked in whispers.
Mrs. Martin began to feel uneasy. The
idea entered her mind that she had fallen |
into a resort of robbers; and the words I.
"Ce' cS' el1e," (it is she) which was all /
she heard of the whispered conversation,
continued to alarm her. The door
leading into the road was left aiar, and
for a moment she felt an impulse TO start
up and escape on foot. But she was far
from any other habitation, and if the
people of the house really entertained
any evil designs, her attempt would only
precipitate the catastrophe. So she re-
solved on patience, but listened atten-
lively for the approach of her friends.
All she heard, however, was the whistIipg
of the wind and the dashing of the rain.
which had begun to fall just after her
arrival
About two hours passed in this uncom-
way. At length the door was
thrust open, and a man, dripping wet.
came in. She breathed more freely, for
this newcomer might Illustrate the evil
designs of her hosts, if they entertained
any. He was red-haired, iovial-faced I
looking man, and inspired her with s
confidence by the frankness of his man.
ners. {
"a fine night for walkingp' cried he, {
shaking himself ike dog who has |
scrambled out OF pond. "What have (
you to give meg am wet to the skin. !
Hope disturb nobody. Give me
bottle of wine"
The hostess, in surly, sleepy tone,
told her eldest son to serve the gentle. s
man, and then addressing Mrs. Martin, 1
said
&C You see your friends will not come,
and you are keeping us up to no purpose.
You had better go TO bed" S
q" will wait little longer" was the I
reply, which elected kind of shrug of {
The red-haired man finished his bottle {
Of wine, and then said: (
SHOW me a room, good woman. l s
shall sleep here tonight"
Mrs. Martin thought that as he pro- |
bounced these words he cast protecting '
glance towards her, and she felt less re- {
ougnance at the idea of passing the t
night in that house. When, therefore, 4
he red,haired man. after q polite bow, c
vent up stairs, she said that as her c
riends had not arrived they might as l
veil show her to bedroom. t
thought it would come 10 that at j
asst, ," said the landlady. Pierre, take b
he lady's trunks up stairs L
I'm few minutes Mrs. Martin found q
lerself alone in spacious room, with e
arge FIRE burning on the hearth. Her t
irst care after putting the child to bed t
vas to examine tie door. It closed only T
~ latch. There was no bolt inside. C
There was no bolt inside. She looked d
round for something to barricade it t
Tith, and perceived a chest of drawers. =
fear gave her strength. She half lifted, ?
lalf pushed it against the door. Not L
ontent with this, she seized table, to b