The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-08-13

ened 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
| o'clock, entered small park of few bun-
bred acres and pulled up in front of samp-
son's-twelve miles from Leadyille. While
fresh mules were being harnessed we alighted
and stepped into the room that served as
bar, office, parlor and reading room, for
SIMPSONS was hotel as well as a relay
station.
The establishment was owned and man
aged by Mr.. Sampson and his wife Almiry,
or to put it in another way, Simpsons and
sampson himself were controlled by Almiry.
modern Delilah she, who, when she mar
rled sampson, had, Speeding iguratively,
clipped his locks and left him deprived of all
amoitlon. There was a rumor that Sampson
drank, rumor not altogether without foun-
dalton, since no one had ever seen him en-
tirely sober. His sole duty was to tend bar.
and when not occupied in ministering to the
liquid wants of others he was looking after
himself. There was but one beverage sold
at Sampson's-w hiskey-t there hung
upon the wall, back of the rough bar, an
Illuminated card, setting forth in fiy-specked
characters, the superior merits of Halls
Jamaica Ginger. But as for the ginger, that
was not to be had. Nor were there any indi
cations, beyond dusty Autographs nailed
askew to the wooden partitions, that soda
water, settler, and Mumm's Extra Dry were
procurable on demand. And SO it was for
tunate that the systems of those passengers
WIN nQndad e.
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 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 fortified his nerves with four
fingers of the 'reg'lar thing" swallowed
without murmur, Almiry took him aside
and engaged him in earnest conversation,
and her gestures then, for the first time,
directed our attention to the woman.
Our halt was necessarily short, and we
were soon back in the coach; the mules had
been changed. and we were ready to start.
But Tommy fingered, land, when at length
he appeared at the door, seemed in no hurry.
He stood there, slowly drawing on his gloves
and surveying the scene with carelessly
critical eye and an expression of countenance
that seemed to indicate that as for him, if he
were to be given the chance, he would make
good deal better world than this one-easy.
In his mouth was cigar, tipped up at such
an angle that the glowing end nearly touched
the wide brim of his sombrero The Major,
irreyerently inspired, voiced the sentiments
OF the party when he remarked, in a drawl-
ing tone:
II reckon that after bein' the Angel
Gabriel. for pure glory an so forth, I'd
ruther be driver to coach than most any
thin'l"
Just then there appeared in the doorway
the lady in black, to whom Thomas CALAMITY
offered his arm, and thus escorted to the
coach. AS they approached, the Colonel
gave little groan. "We're goin' to have
lovely woman along with us, he said, plain
lively. CONSERVATION was depicted on each
face when the coach door was opened, and
Tommy, looking in, remarked authoritative
ly: Sorry, gentlemen, but shall have to
trouble you. Here's lady goin' to Lead
vile, an she's goin' inside. Jump in,
ma'amp and in the young woman jumped
with remarkable lightness, and took tho
vacant seat in the forward corner.
"Cunnel, you'll look after her," said Tom
my at the door; she's in my charge. Wild
der of Smith, she is; him that was killed
down to the Walker mine last month, but
she don't savy word of English, bein'
French. You know'd Smith, didn't We, Cum
nel?"
'Yes, / know'd him we'll enough, but l
never know'd he had wilder. I'll look
after her-in English" growled the Colonel,
and the door slammed, and the stage rolled
ahead.
AS we pulled out the clouds parted for an
instant, and bright ray of sunlight 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 a glimpse of
it were convinced that the lady had great
beauty. Indeed, the Judge, who had hap
Ply facility of expression, acquired from
long, though not lucrative position at the
bar, leaned over to the Doctor and whispered
in tones of fervent admiration:
"She's as pretty as Cle-op-e-try, by Jove!"
to which the doctor responded with an as
senting nod of much vigor.
Nowhere in the world is lady more GER
tain of respectful consideration than in the
wild West. She is invariably treated with a
chivalrous gallantry that is really magnif-
cent; men hasten to do her homage and are
proud to be commanded by her. Still, the
presence of Mrs. Smith in the coach acted on
the party as little restraint, which the
Judge and the Colonel vainly endeavored to
dispel.
"Fondsof travelin', ma amp" said the lat:
ter, in his best off-hand style, as he leaned
toward her and smiled handsomely. 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 /
can do to untangie your ideas from your
words. She speaks French!''
The Colonel accepted the rebuke meekly
and made no further conversational effort.
The road became more and more difficult as
we advanced. and the fresh mules were I'M
ruly and drove very hard. Several times, in
bad places, they had baked, and the coach
swung around in way that would have up
set lighter vehicle, yet no exclamation of
alarm escaped from the lady, who sat mo-
tionless in the corner
"Turrible bad place to be held up long
here" said the Major, after an unusually
long silence, during which the coach had
slowly pounded over huge rock and then
slid off with an unpleasant scrunch. 81
should hate to be stopped here, for have
little matter of $1,000 about me, which /