The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-27

mark; the major smiled and made
pretense OF wiping the window with h
cs coat sleeve and looking out; the colon,
expectorated mournfully. The professC
D. alone was calm.
"Pardner," said he, looking the doct,
I'd in the ey and tapping him gently o
the knee as he spoke, "was you eve
Ks held up?
The doctor shook his head.
81 thought likely" said the professor
10 significantly. ''Just look here; whe
Il you are stopped you ante quietly an
u politely. It's runnln' too much of ris
- to object. II any man is lookin' fur
u chance to climb the golden stair,
=, through barin' of his buzzam for his fe
" low creatures-without compensation
let him. 1t ain't in my line, I'm prett
7 sure, an 80 say il ever you're held u
you jest fork over without any bac
IN talk-it's really the cheapest, and a lon
way the safest"
lie These sentiments seemed to meet wit
universal approval from the other occu
1t pants Of the coach, and the doctor quit
crushed by the weight OF opinion agains
him, relapsed into silence.
After this, conversation became desul
., tory. Now and then passenger wOult
" volunteer remark, which sometime
,, elected reply and sometimes did not
" Often, as the road led up some steep in
cline, we would get out and walk. to re-
store by exercise, the circulation in ou
benumbed limbs
S Twice the coach stopped at relay sta
tions, where fresh mules were harnesseC
, in the place of the tircd-ruL animals
The stations were nothing more thar
A rough log stables, with accommodation,
for the men who fed and cared for the
mules.
The snow had been falling all the af
ternOon in fine flakes, aud had spread
over the earth a thin white cover that
partially hid the roughness of the noun.
tains and whitened the light that came
through the clouds, into which we some.
tunes drove.
The road was becoming very heavy
and our progress slow, when, to our re-
lief, the coach. about4 o'clock, entered
a small park of few hundred acres and
pulled up in front of SIMPSONS, twelve
miles from Leadville. While fresh
mules were being harnessed we alghted
and stepped into the room that served
as bar, office, parlor and reading-rOOm,
for Sampson's was hotel as well as a
relay station.
The establishment was owned and
managed by Mr.. Sampson and his wife
Almlry, or, to put it in another way,
Sampson's and Sampson himself were
controlled by Almiry. A modern Deliah
she, who, when she married Sampson,
had, speaking tiguratively, clipped his
locks and left him deprived of all ambI-
tion. There wa, rumor not altogether
without fnunda ion. since no one had
ever seen him entirely sober. His sole
duty was tn tend bar, and when not oc-
cupied in ministering to the LIQUID wants
Ut others, he was looking after himself
There was but one beverage sold at
Sampson's - whiskey - though there
hung upon the wall, back of the rough
bar, an illuminated card, setting forth,
in tiy-specked characters, the superior
merits OF Halls Jamaica Ginger. But
as for the ginger that was not to he had.
Nor were there any indications, beyond
dusty Autographs nailed askew TO the
wooden partitions, that soda water, self
ger, and Mumm's Extra Dry were pro-
curabIe on demand. And 80 it was for
tunate that the systems of those passen-
gers who needed stimulation craved
whiskey only, for that was positively all
there was.
We had not noticed at first, in the dim
light OF the room, the figure of woman
clad in deep black and wearing a heavy
veil drawn over her face. She sat in a
dark corner and seemed to shrink from
observation. But when Tommy entered
after looking to his cattle, and had for
titled his nerves with four fingers of the
"reglar thing" swallowed without a
murmur, AlmIry took him aside and on
gagged him in earnest conversation, and
her gestures then, for the first time, d.
rected our attention to the woman.
Our halt was necessarily short, and
we were coon back in the coach; the
mules had been changed, and we were
ready TO start. But Tommy fingered,
and when at length he appeared at the
door seemed in no hurry. He stood
there slowly drawing on his gloves aud
surveying the scene with a carelessIy
critical eye and an expression of coun-
tenance that seemed to Indicate that as
tor him, if he were 10 be given the
chance, he would make good deal bet
ter world than this one-easy. In his
mouth was cigar, tipped up at such an
angle that the glowing end nearly touch
ed the wide brim of his sombrero, The
major, irreverenily inspired, voiced the
sentiments Of the party when he re-
marked in drawling tone
Il reckon that after bein' the Angel
Gabriel, for pure glory an so forth, I'd
rather be driver 10 coach than most
anythin' !"
Just then there appeared in the door
way the lady in black, to whom Thomas
gallently offered his arm, and thus es-
corted TO the coach. AS they approach
ed the colonel gave little groan. "We
are RoIn' to have lovely woman along
with u.s." he said plaintIvely. Conster
nation was depicted on each face when
the coach door was opened and Tommy,
looking in, remarked authoritatively
Sorry, gentlemen, but shall hev to
trouble you. Here's lady going to
Leadville, an she's going inside. Jump
in, marin !" and in the young woman
jumped with remarkable lightness and
took the vacant seat in the forward cor
ner.
"Cunnel, you'll look after her." said
Tommy at the door; "she's in my charge,
Widder of Smith, she is; him as was
killed down to the Walker mine last
month. but she don't savy a word of |
English bein French. You knew Smith,
didn't you Cunnel 2"
/ never know d he had widder. I'll |
look after her-in English" growled the |
colonel, and the door slammed and stage |
rolled ahead.
As we pulled out, the clouds parted |
for an instant and bright ray of sun
light lit up the coach, striking full upon
the dark veil Of our new companion. 1t
made briefly visible the outlines of her |
face, and those Of us who were fortunate
enough to catch glimpse of it were
that the lady had great beau
ty. Indeed, the judge, who had happy
facility Of expression, acquired from a
long though not lucrative practice at the
bar, learned over to the doctor and |
whispered, IN tones OF fervent admira.
tion
she's as pretty as Cle-op-e-try, by
Jove y to which the doctor responded
with an assenting nod of much vigor.
Nowhere in the world is a lady more
certain Of respectful consideration than
in the wild West. She is invariably |
treated with a chivalrous gallantry that
is really magnificent; men hasten to do |
her homage and are proud TO be COM
manded by her. Still, the presence Of
Mrs, Smith in the coach act ed on the |
party as little restraint, which the
judge and the colonel vainly endeavored |
to dispel.
Fond OF travelin'. ma'am p said the |
latter in his best off hand style. as he
leaned toward her and smiled hand |