Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-04-16
ONE SLEIGH RIDE.
Where Aleck Found a Lost Love
and a Wife.

had just finished hearty supper,
and had ordered my horses to be brought
to the door, when the landlord of the
country inn entered the room, rubbing
his hands in an awkward manner, as If
he did not bnow just what to say. In
fact, he was so slow about speaking
that removed my pipe from my mouth
long enough to exclaim:
''Well?"
Still continuing his rubbing, thing
which always exasperated me, he re-
Piled TO my exclamation by saying:
1T is an odd request l have to make,
sir, considering the state of the roads,
but there is lady here tonight who is
desperately anxious to get to Brenton
by morning"
Then why don't she goo"
That's the point, sir; she can't All
my horses are storm-stayed somewhere
in the country, and you can't hire a
team hereabouts, as you may know"
, As there was no house within three
miles, the landlords proposition seemed
{incontrovertible
How did tho lady get here?"
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 it would finish it for Ger tain
to send it out again on these roads"
am not naturally disobliging; but to
be asked to take a passenger in your
cla =
to be drifted and you are in consider
able of hurry, is not the 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 / had quarreled over the
attentions paid her by her rich and
handsome cousin, which she either
could not or would not explain, 1 had
never felt in the mood for ladies' So
ciety; and that was-could it be pos
sible? two years ago.
Where was Katie now? 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 a rail-
way survey outside the limits of civili-
4 cation. The winter drive l was now
taking was not on regular business, but
was undertaken as a special favor for
the head contractor, who said that GER
tain papers just received from England
must reach his brother, a cor firmed in
valid living near the little town of Bren-
ton, by certain day. Brenton was
long distance from any railway; for in
the days of which | write, they had not
penetrated everywhere. Hence, l had
ITO travel by team; and so bad had the
roads proved, that l was very near being
behind time. AS it was if every thing
went we'll l 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
i could have desired.
''She really seems in great trouble,
SlI bGtdusc sue Gtu ~ Jill od4u SnO
] landlord, as paused before replying to
/ his previous remark.
y "Well, tell her to get ready" l said.
{1 suppose I will have to say yes"
( by the way, SIR" said the landlord,
'if you have not been over the road be-
J fore, you want, when you get past the
burnt land, ten miles from here, to
/ keep sharp lookout to the right for a
Sroad that turns off there. Take that.
The straight road leads to Brenton, but
nobody lives on it. Oh, yes, it is
! travelled some" he added, in response
to my question, but in case you have
to leave the team, you know"
\ Cali right; I'll look out. But tell the
Nady to hurry; for the horses are COM
ing"
The landlord vanished. and I pre-
pared for the drive. When l lad donned
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 q
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 a ompanion-scarcely indeed,
whether ] was black or white.
Going out to the sleigh, 1 arranged
the robes to my liking, and was just be-
ginning to get impatient TO be of, when