Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-13
A STRANGE STORY.
CHAPTER l,

CHAPTER l.
"Then 10 take whatever the gods may send
Putting 20 seFupleS aal doubts al end,
IL the sensible way 70 live, my ffiehd''
So sang q clear voice, with more o.
nature than cultivation In II, Fer
haps there was more Of conviction ant
acqucsCence In Il than Of music,
Whether there be such thing ~
"luck" or not, II Is certain that care
less Guy Crawford had found life very
good and the world very pleasant Will,
taking "whateyer the gods had sent
him.
The scene was scarcely calculated u
stimulate one to musical efforts, Over
head were the wet and dropping
branches Of the trees, under foot the
soaked soil, and all around tho dreary
moan OF the rain.laden wind.
The rain had fallen all day long In
an almost silent torrent, As evening
came on II had lcssened little. while
the wind had increased In power. The
world seemed now one dreary, vacant
realm Of night and storm.
But Guy Crawford, wet and weary,
cold and In darkness, alone and lost
tramped sturdily on; and Us he pressed
forward he sang, over and over again
"Then to take whatever tho gods may send
Putting TO scruples and doubts an end.
Ia h. ami "a In
Guy Crawford had left the little
railroad station at noon. lie expected
his friend there to meet him, bat he
had been disappointed. Asking the
station-master for directions no set
out on foot for his destination.
II involved walking twenty miles
but he said to himself that no liked
walking.
1t rained but rain was better than
heat and dust.
Guy Crawford readily met each oh.
lection which came up in his mind.
His friend would send for his baggage,
he said to himself his friend could
END him dry clothes when he arrived
his friend would have warm wei.
come for him.
Guy would have laughed at being
thought more than a moderately sen.
sible young mar. But the man who
let the brighter features Of his past
and the dearer hopes of his future shut
down so near together in his mind as
to make the present almost unreal,
was philosopher, whether he knew 1t
or not.
When night had fallen Crawford
realized that he was lost. He believed
it might be midnight now he could
only dimly discern objects about him
he had not seen human face or hui
man habitation for hours.
But he sang, nevertheless, as We
have said, and in the song one side of
his character stood fully revealed. Guy
Crawford would take life cheerfully as
it came. He would not pause in a
course which opened before him be-
cause of doubts as to the end of it all.
But, despite the debonair way in
which he sang of putting scruples to
an end, there was a strong undercur-
rent of principle and honor in the
course of this mans lie, for all the
manifold GIBBS and flows on the sur.
face-ebbs and flows which ran to and
fro with the varying impulses of cir
cumstances or fate.
Guy Crawford would have thought
of no alternative. He would have
said fate" at once
He sang the three lines over again
then muttered to himself:
"That's all right but it is a very
natural thing for one to ask himself
why in the world Clinton was not at
the station? ?"
Down the rainy gale ran his voice
again:
"Then to take whatever the gods may send,
Putting"
"Stop your noise p said harsh
voice at his elbow, and heavy hand
was laid on his shoulder. "Stop your
noise"
Something else touched his forehead;
he could not see what it was. His i'm
pulse to fight was conquered by its
contact, however, for he guessed that
it was the muzzle of a revolver.
bring lantern !" said the man
who had captured Guy; and light
was produced almost Immediately.
But little was visible. The rain
drops on the branches shone in the
light, and, having hung for a moment
in brightness, dropped one by one into
the blackness; trees and fence near
by stood half-outlined.
There were several horses tied to
the fence-horses which looked spec
trail and shadowy as Guy saw them.
In the center of the lighted space
there were two men besides Guy. Both
were evidently disguised and both were
heavily armed.
"COme on" said both of them in a
breath to Guy; and one Of them added;
Don't you dare to make noise
above whisper"
The light went out; hand rested in
anything but a gentle manner on each
shoulder, and the philosophical singer
was hurried away by his two strange
captOrs. -
Guy Crawford was not frightened
he was surprised and startled, but not
frightened. He had little money with !
him, no valuable jewels, only an old
watch, no papers. Robbery would be
nothing to him.
He didn't exactly welcome the curl