Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-23

| ly hid the roughness of the mountains
| and whitened the light that came through
the clouds, into which we sometimes
| drove. The road was becoming very
| heavy and our progress slow, when to our
| relief, the coach, about four O'Clock, en-
| tered small park of a few Numbered
acres and pulled up in front of Samp-
sons - twelve miles from Leadviile.
While fresh mules were being karnessed
we alighted, and stepped into the room
that served as bar, for Simpsons was q
hotel as well as a relay station.
The establishment was owned and man
| aged by Mr.. Sampson and his wife Al
miry, or. to put it in another way, Samp-
sons and Sampson himself were CONTROL
ed by Almlry. A modern delilah she,
who, when she married Sampson, had.
speaking Gguratively, clipped his locks
and left him deprived of all ambition.
There was rumor that Sampson drank.
a rumor not altogether without founda-
ton, since no one had seen him entirely
sober. His sole duty was to tend bar,
and when not occupied in ministering to
the LIQUID wants of others, he was look
ing after himself. There was out one
beverage sold at whisky
though there hung upon the wall, back OF
the rough bar, in Illuminated card, set
ding forth, in fy-speckled characters, the
superior merits of Halls Jamaica Ginger
But as for the ginger, that was not to be
had. Nor were there any indications be-
yond dusty Autographs nailed to the wood
en- partitions, that soda water, settler ano
Mumm's extra dry were procurable on de-
mand. And SO it was fortunate that the
systems of those passengers who needed
stimulation craved whisky only, for thai
was positively all there was.
We had not noticed at first, in the din
light of the room, the figure of a woman
clad in deep black and wearing a heavy
veil drawn over her face. She sat in {
dark corner and seemed to shrink from
observation. But when Tommy entered
after looking to his cattle, and had forti
fed his nerves with four fingers of the
"reg'lar thing" swallowed without 6
murmur, Almiry took him aside and en-
gagged him in earnest conversation, anC
her gestures then for the first time. Ii
rected our attention to the woman.
Our halt was necessarily short and We
were soon back to the coach; the mule;
had been changed and we were ready tC
start. But Tommy fingered, and when a
length he appeared at the door, seemed
/
slowly drawing on his gloves and survey
| ing the scene with a careless, critical eye
and an expression of countenanoe tina
seemed to indicate that as for him, ht
would make good deal better world thar
this one,-easy. In his mouth was ciga
tipped up at such an angle that the glow
ing end nearly touched the rim of hi
sombero. The major irreverently in
| he of "a art
when he remarked, in a drawing tone
II reckon that after bein' the Ange
Gabriel, for pure glory and SO forth, II
rUther be driver on a coach than mos
anythin'!'
just then there appeared in the door
way the lady in black, to whom Thoma
CALAMITY offered his arm, and thus es
corted to the coach. AS they approached
the colonel gave little groan. "We'r
goin' to have lovely woman along will
u.s." he said plaintive'y. Consideration
was depicted OH each face, when tn
coach door opened and Tommy looking
in, remarked authoratatively: "Sorr,
gentlemen to trouble you. Here's lad,
goin' to Leadville, an she's goin' inside
Jump in, marm!" and III the youns
woman jumped with remarkable light
ness and took the vacant seat in the for
ward corner.
"Cunnel, you look after her." sait
Tommy at the door; ''she's in my charlie
Widder of Smith, she is; him that wa
killed down to the Walker mine las
month, but don't savy a word of English
bein' French. You knew Smith, didn'
ye, Cunnel?"
eyes, Iknowed him we'll enough, but
never knowed he had wilder, I'll lool
after her-in English" growled the col
onel, and the door slammed, and tn,
coach rolled on.
AS we pulled out the clouds parted fo1
an instant, and bright ray of sunligh
lit up the coach, striking full upon th,
dark veil of our new companion. L
made briefly visible the outlines of he,
face, and those of US who were fortunat,
enough TO catch a glimpse of it were cor
vinced that the lady had great beauty
Indeed, the judge who had a happy
facility of expression, acquired from
long, though not lucrative practice at tn.
bar, leaned over to the doctor and
whispered in tones of fervent admir-
alton:
"She's as pretty as Cle-op-e-try, BY
Jove! to which the doctor responded
with an asserting rod of much vigor.
Nowhere in the world is a lady more
certain of respectful consideration thar
in the wild west. She IS invariably treat
ed with a chivalrous gallantry that is
really magnificent; men hasten to hel
homage and are proud to be commanded
by her. Still, the presence OF Mrs. Smith
in the coach acted on the party as 6
little restraint which the Judge and the
colonel vainly endeavored to dispel.
Fond of travelin', ma'am?" said the
latter, in his best off-haad style, as he
leaned toward her and smiled handsome
ly. The lady made no reply, and the
judge knocked the colonel's elbow.
Ssh! colonel!' he said, ''you don't
s,pose she understands you, when it's as
much as 1 can do to untangle your
ideas from your words. She speaks
French"
! The colonel accepted the rebuke meek
| ly, and made no further conversational
| effort. The road became more and more
difficult as we advanced, and the fresh
mules were unruly and drove very hard
Several times, in bad places, they baked
and the coach had swung around in a
way that would have upset a lighter
vehicle, yet no exclamation of alarm es-
capped from the lady, who sat motionless
in the corner.
"Turrible bad place to be held up long
here" said the major, after an unusual
long silence, during which the coach had
slowly pounded over huge rock and then
slid of with an unpleasant scrunch. 81
should hate to be stopped here, for
have little matter of twelve HUNDRED
dollars about me, which 1 don't care to
lose. Or course. we're all friends here?'
he hastily asked,
| We were, and then it came out that each
| man uas carrvIpp varioTs sums of rnopau