The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-04-08

at the feet of powders and the roots oi
trees, laying them bare or undermining
them as slowly and secretly as false
friend. The water was fresh and spark
ling, and if but for an hour the sun
shone, the hillside glistened with the
rain drops clinging to the pines, and the
running streams were necklaces Of silver.
AS if bruised by the beating rains, the
forests sent up an odor into the heavens.
and there was no bush or vine but that
had its own fragrance.
1t was rain, rain, rain, and the roads
became 70 unsafe it was thought risky to
run the stage, on account of the many
soft spots in the track, down which the
water had run, leaving the surface fair
and smooth. It became so bad that one
morning the paid driver made it his bust
ness to beg off, on account of the worry
the trips gave his wife.
.ssThen 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"
It was Rosie said it, having overheard
him.
s'All the same, Miss Rosie, I'll go, and
perhaps the neck will break all the easier
because it will give no more"
Then she went singing away up the
stairs, and he rode out into the noun
tains with reins of his six horses in his
hands.
Carefully he drove, and warily he
watched the road, and it rained and
rained. Drops fell as big as an egg, and
broke upon branches and stones. Where
the streams quarrelled with rocks, it
seemed as though the hills were foaming
at the mouth. In the town it rained Just
as hard, and, trying to sing, Rosie Ma
guire went about the house, busying
herself with thousand things, but find
ing times once q minute to look from the
window.
Five o'clock was stage time, but no
stage came. Supper came and went,
the clock struck seven and still no stage.
He's probably waited over, finding
the roads too bad, to get in by daylight" !"
said one.
NO." said Tim Mcguire, Johnny
has cot too much git up and git to be
beat by a road. Depend upon it, boys,
he is in trouble somewhere with that
find out, though
While he leaned over the bar and
puffed the smoke and talk from between
his lips, enjoying the small excitement,
he never noticed the little girl lowering
near the door. But sometimes she strained
her ear not to lose word, or followed
her hands round it to catch sound, or
shook her. hair restlessly away, and all
the tims fitting about like moth at the
door, SO busy was she with the broom,
or the curtain or the rug.
It was good eight when certain assur-
ance was brought that the stage was of a
surety really on the road, on its back
trip, by horseman who had met and
passed it struggling along off among the
hills. Many were the hands raised, palm
outward, in dismay then but when the
men took look out of 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 which 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.
Out to the sta bles Rosie flew as straight
as sent arrow and her own little bay
mare whinnied, and the small hand slid
rapidly down it's fanks, as bride went
over neck and saddle across back. The
mare stamped and paved, and then
shrunk back for an instant at the door as
drop splashed in her face but she
gathered herself together, and with a
bound like rabbit she was off and into
the dark.
And then began the wild ride of Rosie
Mcguire.
The feet of the little mare danced upon
the bridge that spanned the swollen
creek, lit with dull thud in the mud, !,
struck fire from the stones that lay be-
yond, then away she started on gallop
up the Bunker grade till the wise little
mistress checked her speed.
tsNay. nay" said the brave Rosie, 1--WE
shall need our strength for the long hard
roads that lie beyond"
AS they touched the top of the noun
tain the rain had ceased, but dull and
sullen silence fell from the heavens, and
a watery, blear-eyed moor looked out.
It illumined the dreadful mountain and
the gaunt forest with ghost of a light,
that shimmered and wavered half way
between leer and smile. But the lit
tie maid kept her way, flying, as it seem.
ed to herself, always in the dark, while
the shuddering shadows on either side of
her made great jumps over her head !,
and reached and drew back their black
.gloved hands.
ssWhy, Johnny" she said to herself
once, Johnny, never shall find you
and maybe your wheels have gone over
the side of the mountain in this dreadful
dark"
She was half crying, and put her hands
over her eyes; but the little mare felt her
way on and on, and with her good horse
sense stepped now to this side, now to
that, accepting the warnings her sensi-
tive feet took from bad ground. They
left behind them the great rock from
whose solid heart the road had been
hewn, the clump of trees that blackened
one side of the hill; the round, bare
headed mountain that through the whole
year stood uncovered among its fellows.
a hundred streams dashed through, that
sputtered and splashed and made their
outcry, and the night was now hide
Gus. now musical, with the sounds
that walled or sung through 1T. The
sough Of the pines filed the ear set to
every sound: q shiver likea moan came
up through the branches; dozen signs
at once breathed across the startled lips;
every twig, stone and stick seemed TO
echo like the wailing twang OF harP,
and the rushing water rolllcklng 1aintiy