Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-04-07
A STRANGE CLIENT.

1t was a bleak December day. a
biting, snow-laden nOr'-easter was
sweeping over the wide expanse of
Murley Heights, and apparently eXuli-
ing in It's untrammelled freedom Op.
position to its wild will upon thesedownS
there was none. The enly defiance 10
the keen vikings blast was found IN
the person of the solitary pedestrian
who was daring enough to have deiied
the threatened snow storm in his eager
ness TO journey from Ettisdale to Muir
lev Coombe. He was a little man, apd
bent and shriYeled with cares and toll
if not with age. But his head and
neck were of the true English bulldog
type, and upon his face there was
stamped an expression of .indOmitable
resolution and unwavering perseyer-
ance. He was dressed In a rusty and
threadbare suit of black, which to the
average observer would doubtless have
marked him out as belonging to the
large and saddened army OF the shabby
genteel. But In the easy assurance-of
his carriage, in the flash of his gray
eyes-on occasion almost gleeful-in
the conscious power lurking In the
rigid lines about lis mouth. there was
nothing of the dependency, the neIy-
GUS diffidence, the futile resentment at
fortunes thrusts, which are the moral
inheritance of the class.
ssThis is bitter day, this is, and no
mistake" the traveller muttered, paus-
ing to gather his thin coat more tightly
about him. sNo wonder Reckitt, yon-
der. was afraid I'd get chill, as he
calls il. Little the landlord of the Bell
guessed as he'd seen me before! Hah!
Hahl But I'm not the man to be stop
ped by either storm or sunshine-l've
seen bit of both in my time. vowed
I'd be at Murley before nightfall, and
I'll keep my word"
And on he plodded.
But although the spirit might be
contemptuous of difficulties. the flesh
was at the mercy of failure, induced
largely by past illness and fatigue.
When some two-thirdS of the weary
eight miles between the villages had
been accomplished an ominOus numb
ness seized upon the wayfarer's limbs,
his gait became uncertain anda strange
darkness seemed to close in upon the
horizon of his vision.
s'If there were a cottage anywhere
nigh as | could get a warmin-" he
soliloquized. "I'm nigh persisted with
cold: but there's no house nearer than
Donaldson's farm. However, L SHAH
soon be there, and"
He reeled. gave helpless little cry,
lurched heavily forward and lay-a
senseless, spider like object-on on the
damp turf. If he had not indeed re-
ceived a ''chill," he was n imminent
danger of taking one. Fortunately
succor was at hand.
A gentleman'S gig was rattlIng over
the curve of the hillside at pace which
told either Of confident hoTsemanshlp
or of an errand which broOked 10 need
less delay.
glitch, what is the meaning Of this!"
asked the stalwart young driver OF his
serveant.
The groom bestowed a single per
functQTy glance upon the prostrate
form. and answered. Drunk, sir"
s'Quite as like overcome by cold and
fatigue. The poor fellow looks i'll
clad and thin. anyhow" and Frank
Archer followed his arrest of the horse
by transfer of the reins to his atten-
dant. In another second he was try
irg to arouse the sleeper; he shook him
he shouted IN his e2r-without effect
'The man is in S.upOr OF some
kind. II will not be SAFE to leave him
thus.n said Frank in dlsmay.
"There's no house nigh, sir"
"We'll Just have to drive back to
Murley with him. You and l can lift
him into the trap, fancy, shall be
late for my appointment, but when life
Is at stake business must wait. "
The groom, whatever his private
op'nion of his masters quixotic con-
duct. obeyed orders. like the model
satellite he was, with no word OF de-
mur. and beng achampion In rural feats
of strength, found his allotted task light.
In very brief space the gig was Climb
ING the hill 1t had SO lately descended.
Either the disturbance Of removal or
the motion and the renewed breeze, or
both combined, gradually revived the
sufferer. He first groaned, thea shifted
his bead uneasily off Fitch's Supporting
shoulder, then unclosed his haif-yacant
ewes. and murmured inarticulate words
which sounded like ''sorry-trouble-
couldn't help-cold." His friend In