The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-05-16
CHAPTER VIII.

.CLOWLY, painfully, they toiled along
~ their difficult way. Had not our
hero and his sagacious horse been
familiar with the route and the land
marks that here and there met their
half-blinded sight, it would have been
utterly impossible to reach their des-
tination through such a storm.
Howard was fairly protected from
the driving snow, but Grace was not,
so he had taken from the rear of his
saddle Navajo serape and wrapped
with grateful thanks.
Finally, after four long, dreary
hours, the lodge was reached.
Dismounting, Howard assisted his
companion to the ground, but finding
she could not stand, he took her in his
arms and bore her inside the door.
Tenderly he laid her down on couch
of furs, and striking light, brought Il
bottle of brandy and induced her to
drink draught of it. Covering her
shivering form with a buffalo robe, he
stirred up the embers he had left
smouldering on the hearth in the morn
ing, and soon had cheerful fire blaZ-
ing and shedding bright glow in the
room.
After housing and feeding the horses
he went into his kitchen and begun
preparations for supper.
| The cuisine of the mountaineer in
those days was simple, but substantial.
A large s'skillet" answered the purpose
of bake oven. A long handled, three
tined iron fork did duty rs spit, and 4
three quart tin boiler served the pur-
pose of coffeepot.
/ Howard soon had 4 pillow of well
kneaded dough put to bake and his
coffeepot settled on n good bed of Goals,
Then, taking tender steak from al
antelope he had shot the day before
he adjusted it to the fork and soon had
it Drowned to turn. Butter and milk
had he, together with such condiments
us good seasoning required.
} A large box answered for Il table
There was no cloth, but the top wa,
scrupulously clean. The service wa:
tin, but its polished surface, inside and
ont. proclaimed it well kept.
Howard did not disturb his fai
guest until everything was in readiness
Then he approached her couch an,
| asked her if she would have some sup
per.
Grace arose with his assistance, littl,
caring, she thought, for anything t.
eat; but after bathing her swollen eye
, lids in basin of cold water he hat
thoughtfully brought for her, she fel
I refreshed, and sitting down with him
| ate with IN improving appetite.
Howard had long been nnaccustom
5 ed to the refinements of ladies' society
+ but there was still about him that na
s tive politeness of the true gentlema
that gave unto his manners and action
a an indescrihahle charm. He had los
h nothing of his powers of conversation
D and there was sympathy of tone,
n pathos of expression in his voice, tina
;, made him always interesting. Ill
e reading, while it had not been eXteh
o sive, had been choice, and his know
t edge of things in general was by n
T means superficial. On this occasion II
e exerted himself to entertain and sue
ceeded so we'll that he had soon draw
- his companion away from her griei
| The supper hour passed most pleasant
e ". Grace Edrington was herself
a most brilliant and fascinating woman
n and to Howard had never seemed $
l. charming as on this occasion.
d You have not told me how you cam
| TO be chased by the Indians" sal
o Howard, as they sat before the chee
st ful fire, while the storm outside W: