The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-01

MIN ueau WltuOut q look, ana again spear
ed him through with glance she smil.
ed upon the veriest good for. nothtngs
when he was near, and at times he wish.
ed that he had been dog, that ne might
shrink into corner by himself, SO hurt
he felt. He was one of the owners Of
the short stage line, and was not above
taking the whip, himself when occasion
demanded, and many and many 5day
had he invited Rosie fer ride in the
seat Of honor by his side, but she'd only
shake her head and smile, like the witch
that she was. ''I'll ride in your stage
when I get to be lady, and 60 for my
wedding journey!'' she cried after him
one day, and on his return that night he
found her walking with q fellow that had
just opened store in town. "Well, we'll y
he said to Tim Mcguire, after supper,
"from this time on it's. good-by Rosie
with me-" ..,.
This speech was duly repeated to her,
and her chin went up in the air, her
cheeks grew redder and her black eyes
brighter, and her dainty ears perked anew
in offended dignity. "Now hear to me,
father" said she; it's we'll Johnny's con:
tent, and tell him for me, that your
Rosie's looking higher up" ..'r. ..,
In the beginning of that winter it started
in to rain, and it rained right along
through. The soil was soaked, and here
and there on the mountain sides the land
began to slide, and it was a soft and
dangerous thing to tread on. The little
streams that trickled along in summer so
muslcally came foaming down in torrents,
though never in any one place cutting
wide channels, since the water made for
itself hundred courses, and freeted at
the feet of boulders and the roots of trees;
laying them bare, or undermining tn EN-
as slowly and secretly as false friend.
The water was fresh and sparkling, and
if but for an hour the sun shone, the hill
side glistened with the rain-drops cling
ing to the pines, and the running streams
were necklaces of silver. AS if bruised
by the beating rains. the forest sent up
an odor into the heavens, and there was
no bush or vine but had its own fra
GRANGE. 3
1t was rain, rain, rain, and the roads
became so unsafe that it was thoug hit
risky to run the stage on account of the
many ruts and soft spots in the track,
down which the water had stepped, leav-
ing the surface fair and smooth. It
came so bad that one morning the paid
driver made it his bust less to beg off on
account of the worry the trips gave his
wife.
''Then I'll go myself, for the mail
must be brought" said Johnny Win.
''But if you break neck, there's no
one to cry for you. 1t was Rose said it,
having overheard him.
Call the same, Miss Rosie; III 90, and
perhaps the neck IL break easier because
1t III grieve no one,', and then she went
singing away up the rough stairs, and
he rode out into the mountains with the
reins of his six horses IN his hands.
Carefully he drove, warily he watched
the road, and it rained and rained. Drops
fell as big as ali egg, and broke upon
branches and stones. Where the streams
quarrelled with rocks, it seemed as
though the hills were struggling and
foaming at the mouth. In the town it
ralned just as hard, and, trying to sing,
Rosie Mcguire went about the house
busylng herself with thousand things.
but finding time once a minute to look
from the window.
Five O'Clock was stage time, but no
stage came. Supper came and went,
people dropped in for the mail and went
home, the clock struck seven, and still
no stage. ..
"He's probably waited over, finding
the roads too bad to get in by daylight
said Que.
"No," answered Tom Mcguire; "John-
ny's got too much git up an pit an req
lar grit to be beat by road. Depend
upon it, boys, he's in trouble somewheres
with that stage an them horses. It 'ud
be worth mans life to find out though. :"
While he leaned over his bar and pun
ed the smoke and talk from between his
lips, enjoying the small excitement, he
never noticed the little girl lowering near
the door, anxiously smiling and smarten-
ing up bit. or curving and bridling
with her neck as a glance from some one
or other OF the numerous pairs of ewes
shot that way. But sometimes She
strained her ear to catch sound, or hol-
lowed her hand round it not to lose a
word, or shook her hair restlessly away.
and minute after hummed at a saucv
snatch or two, and all the time fitting
about like a moth near the door, so busy
with the broom, or the curtain, or the
rug. ....~.f -
1twa good eight when certain assur-
ance was brought that the stage was
really on the road, on its back trip,
by horseman who had met and passed
it struggling off among the hills. Many
were the hands raised, palm outward, in
dismay then; but when the men took a
look out at the window into the dead
darkness, and heard the roar of the
stream and the swish of the falling rain.
they shook their heads, and, coming back
spit at the stove once more. -,
And when the clock was on the stroke
OF nine small form, a-tiptoe and a-trem-
BILE, stole out the back doorway silently
and Silly as the leaf that whispers but
to itself as it falls, and the eyes that
cleaned beneath the low forehead like
stars Of dark night were wet with some
thing besides drops of rain. H. S'''..- =
Out to the stables Rosie flew straight
as sent arrow; and her own little bav
mare whinnled, and the small hand slid