Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-09-12
PART THE SECOND.
TOLD BY RICHARD FENTON, OF FRENCHAY,
WORCESTERSHIRE sQuIRE.]
CHAPTER l.

As my old friend fhu Brand mas asked me
to do this, l suppose l must Brand is q
right good fellow and a clever fellow, but
has plenty of crotchets of his own. TIE worst
know of him is that he insists upon having
his own way with people. With those wuo
differ from him he is as obstinate as a mrle-
Anyhow, he has always had his own way
with me. This custom, so far as l am con-
cerned, commenced years ago, when we were
boys at school together, and 1 have never
been able to shake off the bad habit of CIV
ing in to him. He has promised to see that
my Queens English is pi eSeniable, for, to
tell the truth, l am more at home across
country than across foolscap, ami my fin
gers know the feel of the reins or the trigger
bet er than that of the pen
ALI the same | hope he won't take too
many liberties with my style. bad though it
may be-; for old Brand at times is app to
get-well, bit prosy. To hear him on the
subject OF hard work and the sanctity there
of approaches the sublime!
What freak took me to the little God for
saken village of Midcombe in the depth Of
winter is entirely between myself and my
conscience. The cause, having no bearing
upon the matters 1 am asked to tell you
about, is no ones business but mins-I will
only say that now l would not stay in such
place at such time of the year for tie
sake of the prettiest girl in the world, let
alone the bare cnance of meeting her once
or twice. But ones ideas change; am now
q good bit older, ride some two stone
heavier, and have been married ever so
many years. Perhaps, after ALL as l LOOK
back l can find some excuse for being such
an ass as to endure for more than a lorG-
night all the discomforts heaped upon me in
that little village inn.
A man who sojourns in such hole as Mid.
combe must give some reason for doing So
My,ostensble reason was hunting. l had a
horse with me, and second-ra e subscription
pack of slow-going mongrels did meet some
where in the eighborhood. so no one could
gainsay my explanation. But if hunting
was my object, got precious little of it, A
few days after my arrival a bitter, bit ng
frost set ina frost as back as your haa, and
as hard As nails Yet still STAYED on
From private information received-no
matter how, whom or where-l knew that
some people in the ne ghborhood had organ
lied party to 60 skating on certain day
at Llymere, fine sheet of water some dis.
lance from Midcombe. l guessed that some
one whom l particularly desired to meet
would be there, aud as the skauu, at Lily
mere was free to any one who chose to take
the trouble of getting to such an out-of-the-
way place, l hired horse and an apology
for dog-cart, and at 10 in the morning
started to drive tie twelve miles to the
pond. took no one VITA me l hal b.en
to Lilymere once before, in bright summer
weather, so fancIeI l knew the way well
enough.
The skv when I started was cloudy; the
wind was chopping round in a way which
do fha off eff |
change of weather. He was right Be. ore
l had driven two miles Ii hit snow began to
fall, and by the time L reached a wretched
little wayside inn. about a m le from the
Mere, film of white covered the whole
country. l stabbed my horse as we'll as I
could, then, taking my skates with me,
walked down to the pond
Now, whether had mistaken the day, or
whether the threatening fall of snow mad
made certain people change their m nds, l
don't know; but, to my annoyance and vex-
alton, no skaters were to he seen, and more
over, the uncut, white surface told me that
none had been on the pond that morning.
Still, hoping they might COM in spite of the
weather, put on my skates and went out
side-edging and grape-vining all over the
place. But as there was no person in par
ticular-in fact, no one at ALTO note my
powers, l soon got tired. 1t was, indeed.
dreary, dreary work. But l wal ed and
hoped until the snow came down so fast ami
furiOusly that felt sure that waiting was
in vain, and hat had driven to Llymere
for nothing
Back went to this little inn, utterly dis
gusted with things in general, and feeling
that to break som, ones hea would be a
relief to me in my present state o. mind. OF
IA Ia a
got his horse between the shafts and driven
home Buc whatever | NAV b. now. in
those days l was not sensible man-Brand
will, l know, cordially indorse this remark
the accommodations o. the inn was no; such
as to induce one to linger within its RE-
clncts; but the fire was a right good o.ie aud
drink, which Gkillfuliy manufactured out
OF some hot beer, not to 20 desi ised, aod
proved warming to the body AID soothing 10
the ruffied temier. So l fingered over The
big fire until / began to fec hungry. AMI
upon the landady assuring me- tnst size
could cook a rasher, decided it would bo
wiser to stay whore / was until the vlo-
lence Of the snow-storm was over; for COM
ing down it was now, and no mistaken
And it kept on coming down. About
ha past three, when | sorrowfully de vi cd
was bound to maze NOV, 1t wa,srow-
AZ idstsi AHdu ever IdTDSssei LJJsa.
and laughing at the old woman's di Inal
prophecy that l should never get to Mid
combe In such weather, gathered I'D tss
reins and away went along the white road.
thought knew the way well enough In
fact, | had always prlded myself upon re-
member pg any ROAD once driven over by
me; but does any One who has not tried IL
really know how a heavy fail of snow
changes tie aspact of the cou1sry. and
makes landmarks snares and delus.oas2 /
learned ali about it then, once ami for all. |
fond, also. that the snow lay much deeper
than / thoughs could possibly lie in so short
time, and il sill fell in a manner almost
binding. Yet went on bravelv AMI msrriIy
for some uidss Then came a cit of uucsr-
tainty-
Which of those two roads was the right
onef Ibis one, of course-no. the other
There was no house near; no one was likely
to be passing in such weather, so l was left
to exercise my free, unbiased choice, a
privilege would willingly have dispensed
with However. l male the best selection
could, and followed it for some two mi les.
Then l began to grow doubtful. and soon
persuadiny myself that was on the wrong
track. retraced my steps. I was by this time
something like huge white plaster of. Paris