The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-01-01
ONE SLEIGH RIDE.
Where Aleck Found a Lost Love
and Wife.

and Wife.
Ishad just finished hearty supper
and had ordered my horses to be brough
to the door, when the landlord OF til,
country inn entered the room, rubbing
his hands in an awkward manner, as 1
he did not lnow justwhat to soy. II
fact, he was SO slow about speaking
that ! removed my pi pc from my mouti
long enough to exclaim:
sssyelll p, .s.=-e-4--=ss-=-s-.-.-,-
Still continuing his rubbing, thing
which always exasperated me, he re
Piled to my exclamation by saying:
"Itis an odd request have to make
sir, considering the state of the roads
but there is a lady here tonight who Ii
desperately anxious to get to Brentor
by morning"
Then why don't she go?o
That's the point, sir; she can't AL
my horses are storm-stayed somewhere
In the country, and you can't hire {
team hereabouts, as you may know"
AS there was no house within three
miles, the landlord proposition seemed
incontroyertible.= a=s-
How did the lady get here?Y
asked.
"She came just before you did. sir
with one horse; and the young fellow
that drove don't appear to have much
sense. Leastwise, he's most killed the
horse, and 1t would finish 1t for certain
to send 1t out again on these roads"
am not naturally disobliging; but te
be asked to take passenger in your
sleigh when the snow is deep and likely
to be drifted, and you are in consider.
able OF a. hurry, Is not tho most agree.
able request in the world, especially
when the passenger is a lady. and there.
: fore more apt to be a hindrance- than an
aid In case OF any difficulty arising on
the way. Moreover, since Kate Mac.
donald and l had quarreled over the
attentions paid her by her rich and
handsome cousin, which she either
could not or would not explain. l had
never felt in the mood for ladies' so
ciety; and that was-could 1t be pos
sible? two years ago. +
Where was Katie new2 often won
dered. Perhaps at her home in Ken.
lucky; possibly married to the hand
some cousin. A good many things may
happen in two years. True very little
had happened to me; but then not much
is to be expected when one Is ON q rail.
way survey outside the limits of civil.
sation. The winter drive / was now
taking was not on regular business, but
was undertaken as special favor for
the head contractor, who said that GER
tain papers just received from England
must reach his brother, confirmed in.
valid living near the little town OF Bren-
. ton, by a certain. day. Brenton was a
long distance from any railway; for in
the days of which write, they had not
penetrated everywhere. Hence, / had
to travel by team; and SO bad hi d the
roads proved, that was very near being
behind time. As it was, ifeevery thing
went we'll would get through in good
season. My plan was to drive through,
If possible, but If the roads should
prove impossible, resolved to leave
the horses at some farmhouse and walk
in on snow-shoes. Under these circum-
stances to be asked to take lady pas
senger was certainly the last request l
could have desired.
''She really seems In great trouble,
sir because she can't,go on" said the
landlord, as paused before replying to
his previous remark.
swell, tell her to get ready" said.
81 suppose will have to say yes"
by the way, sir" said the landlord,
'if you have not been over Che road be-
fore, you, want, whom you get-past- the
burnt land, ten miles from here, to
keep sharp lookout to the right for u
road that turns off there Take that
The straight road leads to Brenton, but
travelled some," he added, in response
to my question, "but in case, you have
to leave the team, you know"
~''All right: I'll look out. But tell tho
lady to hurry; for the horses are COM
ing"
The landlord vanished. and I pre-
pared for the drive. When had DOM ed
my overcoats, turned up the collar of
the outer one, pulled down my fur cap,
and taken two turns around my neck
with a huge comforter, caught a
glimpse of myself In the glass, and
laughed at the thought that my intend
ing passenger would not be able to tell
whether she had young man or an old
one for companion-scarcel indeed,
whether ] was black or white.
Going out to the sleigh, l arranged
the robes to my liking, and was just be-
ginning to get inpatient to be off. whom
an animated bundle of clothes, with q
suggestion OF femininity ;. about IT.
emerged from the inn-door, followed by
the landlord.
Here's your passenger, sir, he cried,
adding: by gracious, but~it's cola
night,
A muffled voice from out of the bum
die Of clothes said something that l did
not quite catch; but made no reply to
either. The lady took her place in the
sleigh, ! sprang in besids her, the land
lord and the hostler tucked in the robes,
babe us goodnight, and we were off
under the shining stars with much
tinkling of bells, the sleigh-runners
singing over the frosty snow 1t was
twenty-four miles TO Brenton, and the
loneliest road in the State.
did not feel sufficiently sreconciied
to having companion to be much dis
posed to conversation; but, as the wind
came with more than unusual fierceness
through an opening in the trees, in