, 1890-06-27
A NIGHT ADVENTURE.

A NIGHT ADVENTURE.
During the year 1863 ! was employed by
the Bank Of Raybury 10 exchange money
between IL and the Bank Of Mutual Re
demptiou, viii which they did business in
the city. It was not IL very interesting
employment, and one which gave me but
a small salary, but just then times We're
dull aud work scarce. so | was glad to get
anything 70 do, especially as | had an aged
mother depending upon me for support.
one dark, drizzly November highland
nearly all November nights are dark-the
stage for Raybury broke down hopelessly,
fifteen miles from its destination. OF
course, the accident happened in just the
worst part Of the road, where it was next
to impossible to get a carriage OF any kind,
and where the only place of entertainment
WAS "A rude log house, dignitied by the
name Of the Jefferson inn.
Mr.. Griggs, the landlord Of the tavern,
was soon on the spot, and gave It as his
opinion that the passengers had better go
to his house for the night; but as some half
dozen Of them were determined to 20 on,
there was no alternative but to get out an
old express wagon, which was stacked
away in a remote shed, and dispatch them
on their way. The stage horses were made
available, and the passengers piled in with
selfish haste; and long before ! could get
my yhlise out Of the ruins Of the stage and
reach the wagon, II had rumbled of, and
left me, with h half dozen more, behind.
1t was absolutely necessary that | hould
be in Raybury that night, else | should
cause serious inconvenience at the bank
next morning. And rs had been so often
congratulated on my promptitude in my
httuIuaaa l Fa1t vnryr I,fI =. 10 b.IfnJ1n,J
now. ! spoke to Mr.. Griggs about it, and
asked II it were not possible for him to lot
me have n horse for Raybury. | would
pay him literally, and return the animal
In good condition the next day. But ne
only shook his head. lie had only one
horse in the stable, he said, and Mrs.
GriGEs was subject to dreadful spells ofthe
cole, and might be taken at any hour, and
he made II n rule Of his life never to let
Digby 20 out of the stable for fear Mrs.
Griggs might be seized, and die before the
doctor could be brought.
Under the circumstances OF course /
could not urge my request for the use of
Dtgby, and there wa no chance for me to
get TO Raybury until the IL o'clock stage
next day unless / footed it, and that |
should not for IA moment nave hesitntCd to
do had il not been for the fact that the roud
to Raybury was the yilest in the county. |
always felt like swearing when ! rode over
1t, and doubtless ! should have yielded en-
tirely to the sin Of profanity II | had at
tempted to walk IL.
Go to my house and stay tonight, Mr..
Marsh" said the Landlord. II can give
you some venison pie and a pot of beer for
your supper and n nice shake down before
the kitchen fire"
Pray, sir, said n sweet voice ut Griggs'
elbow, lis there no way TO go OF 10 Ray
buryf'
Not tonight, my dear said Griggs,
softening rs the light of his lantern shone
over the pretty face Of IA young girl whom
had scarcely seen before, she having been
an inside passenger. Il guess you'll nave
10 take mp with such accommodations as
my house offers. l shouldn't wonder IL
Sally-that's my darter, miss-will let you
have half Of her bed, seeing as you've been
unfortunate"
u must go on she said earnestly. 81
have been some months from home, and
have been summoned thither by the illness
Of my father. Indeed, sir. / cannot delay
here, for the dispatch said my father was
dying"
There were tears ia her yoiCr, but 1t was
too dark to see whether they dimmcd her
eyes.
IT'S too bad!' said GrigE-; but lcuuldn't
let Digby go on ANY account; because, you
see, II Mrs. Griggs should be took, she'd die
aforc We could git DIR. Lumston here on foot.
You see, when she has these spells she's
awful IIellol Who's coming nowf"
Aclosc carriage drawn by two dark horses
had come up and halted by the side of the
overturned coach. 1t was just light enough
TO show me hat there We're two men in the
carriage, and that they wore caps with the
visors well down and were muffled we'll
nbpuf tho thrDufs lnt il tNug "a chilly "a u
evening, and one needed to be mufied.
What's the d~iliicultyi' asked one of the
men, In a hoarse voice.
Stage upset said the landlord; axle
tree broke. and everything went to thun-
der"
well, you'll get your house filled tonight,
If you're the landlord of the place back
yondor, - said the stranger. ANY gentle
man here that would like to go on to Ray.
bury We would take one down"
| stepped quickly forward, and said l
should be greatly indebted II they would
give me a seat. And then ! introduced my.
self-lIcnry Marsh.
And here's a young woman as is going,
too, " said the landlord; her pas sick, and
she must git there, and / wouldn't think OF
having DiRby out on account of Mrs.
Griggs' uncertain health. Miss-Miss-
what's you name, my dear'"
"ANtell, said the girl, Madeline AXtell.
My father is Howard AXtell, OF the Ray
bury bank
The president OF the bank for which l
worked. | knew Judge AXtelI very well,
and was able to tell Miss Madeline that his
illness was not considered dangerous. But
still She insisted upon going on, and at last,
after some considerable conversation be
tween the two strangers, inaudiblc to us,
they consented to take us both.
assisted Miss AXtell into the carriage
and took with her the back seat. our com
pauions occupying the front.
Only one lamp of the carnage was burn
ing, and that gave a very dim light, and
the farther we went the deeper seemed to
grow the darkness. 1t was a lonely road
at any time to RHybury, but now it was
particularly gloomy, and | was confident
that Miss ANtell showed to some degree
the vague f~orebodings which | could not
prevent myself from experiencing. for she
To Milwaukee.