, 1886-05-18
THE SNOW BLOCKADE.

on my journey.
When | reached the depot, l found
gentleman and lady seated in my sleeper
/ had scarcely time to take a good look a
the latter-and in fact | could not max
heavily veiled-when Hall entered, an,
passing me with a hasty "good-morn
ing" went up to the lady's companion
/ was busy storing away my numerou
traps, and did not hear what was said
until, as it was getting near the time t.
start, Hall observed hat he must go ant
see all clear. Then | caught thes'
words.
Look well after Mrs. Forsyth, Hall
and when you give up the train, speal
to the next conductor about her"
Il will do my best for the lady, sir,
said Hall, who a moment after left the
car.
you'll have the drawing-room to your
self continued Mrs. Forsyth's escort
"and need not be bothered with any
one"
My back was toward the speaker, and in
a little side mirror between the window.
! saw that he cast n suspicious and sig
nificant glance in my direction as he
spoke the last words.
In a moment more he was gone and
we were started on our long journey.
My solitary companion retreated to heI
room, and | was left n rather desolate
master of the situation.
With the help of newspapers, books and
NJ occasional word with Hall MS he
passed through the car, the morning
passed quickly enough. We were to
carry a dining-car the first day or day
and a half-a fact that also added to my
sense of general satisfaction.
When the first call for dinner was
made, l was not long in answering it, but
quick as ] was, many others had been
before me, and | was fortunate in secur-
ing the last table. Scarcely had | COM
fortably seated myself and settled on the
details of my dinner, when Hall entered,
plotting the lady who had been spoken of
as Mrs. Forsyth. Seeing that all the Ia
bles had one or more occupants, he
brought her over to the one at which |
sat. He introduced me, placed her OPP
posite, and to say that | was charmed
with her face would be to give only a
n very faint indication of my feelings.
She appeared to be about 90 or "a years
of age, and was dressed in mourning,
though not of n sufficiently distinctive
character to tell whether or not she was
a widow. ! must confess, however, that
even at the moment the question oc-
Cured to me, l wished that it might be
decided in the affirmative.
The meal passed off delightfully."-, at
least to me, and | managed to ascertain
that l should have Mrs. F~orsyth's COM
pany for the greater portion of the
journey, her destination being Seattle.
| took her back to our car, when she
again withdrew into the drawing-room,
and resolved to smoke the soothing
cigar. In search of company and a chat,
l sought the smoker of the next car,
which was occupied exclusively by men,
who after a time dropped one or two
quiet hints about the enviableness of my
position, and their desire to exchange
berths. By-and-bye a little game of
poker was proposed, and would have
doubtless helped to pass n good deal of
time, but n clergyman read us such a
lecture on the sin of gambling that no
one felt quite disposed to materialize as
one of his terrible examples" So, after
n while, | went back to my own car and
my books. At supper time, as Mrs.
F~orsyth's door wa open, l ventured to
ask her if | might ave the pleasure of
taking her to the table, and was rewarded
with n gracious smile and n prompt
acquiescence. Although | tried, without
seeming toebe inquisitive, to skirt round
the subject, l did not succeed in gaining
any information as to her matrimonial
condition. The nex day, however, l
was fortunate enough to discover that /
had two or three times met Mrs. Forsyth's
single sister, when she had beer visiting
some mutual acquaintance in San Fran
cisco. This fact served as a far better
introduction than Halls had been, and
in the more intimate conversation that
followed | at last learned with delight
that Mrs. Forsyth was a widow of over a
years standing, and hat she was intend
ing to make her future home with her
sister.
We lost our dining-car, much to our re-
greet, on the second day. The third day
saw snow necessarily descending, and
Mrs. Forsyth began to prophesy all kinds
of disasters. and even suggested the adj
visibility of her lying over at the next
station of any size. From following this
course she was, however, dissuaded by
the joint %eloquence of Hall and myself.
Each hour that | spent in her society adj
ded to the charm that was rapidly steal
ing over me, by discovering new similar
tiles in tastes or ideas, and even by an
occasional warmly contested argument
on slight points of difference.
When | awoke on the fourth morning
the windows We're thickly crusted with
ice, and though l could not scrape n
place through which to observe our rate
of progress, l felt sure from the motion
that we were making little Roadway. |
began to feel a sensible ycarning to reach
the breakfast station, and was meditat-
ing getting n cracker from my basket,
when Hall came in, and expressed some
surprise at seeing me up and dressed.
Il think it was hunger reused me out
| answed. That supper last night was
pretty queer. Are we near the break
fast station 2"
The Forks are about fifteen miles
And how long will it take to get
there ~
Il don't think well get much further
yet awhile
d you mean we're going to get
stuck ?"
Guess So" replied Hall with a calm
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