The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-16

nothing, and soothing the animal with
hand and voice urged him on. Theirs
was still light sufficient to see around
clearly enough to distinguish objects
near the trail. Raymond Thought rs he
started again that he saw something
move across the trail little way ahead.
The horse went slowly forward, but
with great reluctance, and when they
reached IN open spot where the light
was sufficient to show objects for some
distance he again stopped, trembling,
and Raymond for n moment could not
persuade him to start. At last the horse
started forward with n bound, and rs
he did SO Raymond saw Maggie Rod
den on the trail, her hair hanging
around her pale face, her hands stretched
pleadingly toward him and an express
sion of mute agony upon her white face.
Refining up as quickly as possible,
Raymond turned to speak to her, but
she had vanished He rodo back and
called her name. but there was no an
swer. Ho dismounted and looked for
tracks at the spot where she must have
left the trail. but found none
Puzzled and annoyed, he mounted
and rode as rapidly as possible to the
Rodden cabin.
Hurriedly dismounting. Raymond
called Rodden out and asked If he knew
that his wife was wandering alone
through the SHOW away up the noun
tain trail. Rodden was too much un-
nerved for moment to reply. Then
he managed to say that the express rid
er must have dreamed he saw her, as
she had gone homo, gone back east,
moro than month before Raymond
stuck to his story. but at last he was
Obliged to conclude that his imagina-
ton had played him o trick. He
couldn't help wondering, though, what
had frightened tho horse
There was nothing to be done or said,
FOR if Mrs. Rodden had gone homo a
month before certainly she could not
have been roaming around In the SNOW,
and ms there WAS no other woman within
miles of the camp he must have been
mistaken. Rodden, though not at all
hospitable in manner, got supper and
allowed the express rider to stop for the
night
After supper Raymond opened his
saddlcbags. saying:
We'll, as Maggie is not here to take
hcr package, and rs it was intended for
you, anyway, | suppose I'd better give
1t to you, and you can write her that
her Christmas present got here little
ahead of time. -
He tossed the package across to the
man, who stared ut it rs if pctriflcd
He stretched out his hand slowly and
nTnnn6 11-itI c1,ol
package contained II pair of thick, warm
gloves, nothing moro.
When did Maggie send for thesc:'
he asked
THE last time was here You came
near not getting them ut all, for she
had no chance to tell mo to buy them
while was here and had 70 run after
me to give the ORDER
"Was that nll she ran after you for?'
THAT was all ~
Roddon settled back into his chair,
with groan, and hid his face i'll his
hands
Raymond sat silent for awhile, then,
finding that the man did not intend &c
speak, he concluded that the best thir
he could do was to go to bed He Wa,
cCOAi S4NVPiA6 hil hucN uOIllllR
until the morning light, shining through
the uncurtainCd window, awokc him
he dressed hurriedly and went Qua
into the room where he had left his host
1t was silent and deserted A glance
into the side room showed that the bed
was unoccupicd, and Raymond went
out to look after his horse rs we'll as to
see if he could sec any signs of his host
The horse had been stabbed in deserted
cabin, and Raymond pushed open the
door and then sprang back into the
open air. Swinging by halter from the
raftcrs was Roddens dead body
Raymond cut the body down and laid
it carefully in the bunk He could dc
nothing for it, rs the snow covered the
| frozen earth, so that one man could not
hope TO dig grave. Hastily saddlina
his horse, he drove away, after search,
ing the cabin in the faint hope that he
might find some note of explanation,
| but in vain. Not line of writing, new
| or old, could be found
Raymond stopped at the first settle
ment and gave notice of the suicide at
the deserted camp, but the SHOW was
again falling and no party could reach
| the place for weeks, if before spring
When he reached the city, he wrote Il
letter to his parents asking them to
break tho sad news to the widowed
Mrs. Rodden. Weeks passed before he
received any answer, and then he was
astounded to learn that Maggie had
never returned home-in fact, had
never even written since she left for
| California.
By this time spring had come, and he