The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-15

SM~& 49, ~ AA&M 49, 49, 0M %@Ge
nothing, and soothing the animal Will
hand and voice urged him on There
was still light sufficient to see around
clearly enough to distinguish objects
near the trail. Raymond thought "a he
started again that he saw something
move across the trail q little way ahead.
The horse went slowly forward. but
with great reluctance, and when they
reached an open spot where the light
was sufficient to show objects for some
distance he again stopped, trembling,
and Raymond for o moment could not
persuade him to start. AT last the horse
started forward with a bound, and as
he did so Raymond saw Maggie Rod
den on the trail, her hair hanging
around her pale face, her hands stretched
p~leadingly toward him and an expires
sion of mute agony upon her white face.
Refining up as quickly as possible,
Raymond turned 70 speak TO her, but
she had vanished. He rode back and
called her name, bat there was no am
swer. He dismounted and looked for
tracks at the spot whsre she must have
left the trail, but found none.
Puzzled and annoyed, he mounted
and rode % rapidly as possible to the
Rodden cabin.
Hurriedly dismounting. Raymond
called Rodden ont and asked If he knew
that his wife was wandering alone
through the SNOW away up the noun
tain trail. Rodden was too much an
nerved for q moment to reply. Then
he managed to say that the express rid
err must have dreamed he saw her. as
she had gone home, gone back east.
more than q month before. Raymond
stuck TO his story, but at last he was
obliged to conclude that his imagina-
ton had played him a trick. He
couldn't help wondering, though, what
had frightened the horse.
There was nothing 10 be done or said,
for If Mrs. Rodden had gone home o
month before certainly she could not
have been roaming around in the snow,
and as there was no other woman within
miles OF the camp he must have been
mistaken. Rodden, though not at all
hospitable in manner, got upper and
allowed the express rider to stop for the
night.
After supper Raymond opened his
saddlebags, saying:
well, as Maggie is not here to take
her package, and as it was intended for
you. anyway, / suppose I'd better give
IL to you, and you can write her that
her Christmas present got here o little
ahead Of time.
he tossed the package across TO the
man, who stared at il as IL petriied.
He stretched out his hand slowly and
opened IL with shaking fingers. The
package contained q pair of thick, warm
gloves, nothing more.
When did Maggie send for these?''
he asked.
THE last time / was here. You came
not getting them at ali, for she
had no chance TO tell me to buy them
while ] was here and had to run after
me to give the order
WAS that all she ran after you for?''
THAT was all
Rodden settled back into his chair,
with q groan, and hid his face in his
Raymond sat silent for awhile, then.
that the ma did not intend TO
speak, he concluded that the best thing
he could do was 10 60 to bed. He was
soon sleeping and knew nothing more
until the morning light, shining through
the uncurtained window, awoke him.
He dressed hurriedly and went ont
into the oom where he had left his host.
[t was silent and deserted. A glance
into the side room showed that the bed
unoccupied, and Raymond went
but to look after his horse o well as to
zee II he could see any signs Of his host.
The horse had been stabbed in adeserted
,abin, and Raymond pushed open the
ioor and then sprang back into the
,pen air. Swinging by a halter from the
.afters was Rodden's dead body.
Raymond cut the body down and laid
i carefully In the bunk. He could do
aothing for il, as the snow covered the
'rozen earth, 30 that one man could not
rope to dig q grave. Hastily saddling
lis horse, he drove away, after search
ng the cabin in the faint hope that he
night find some note Of explanation,
,ut In vain. Not a line of writing, new
n old, could be found.
Raymond stopped at the first settle
nent and gave notice Of the suicide al
he deserted camp, but the snow was
gain falling, and no party could reach
he place for weeks, IL before spring.
When he reached the city, he wrote a
etter to his parents asking them tc
'reak the sad news 10 the widowed
ara Rodden. Weeks passed before he
eceived any answer, and then he was
sounded TO learn that Maggie had
returned home-in fact, had
v q written since she left for
BY this time spring had come, and he
1as about TO make his first trip to the
lountain. He reached the town where
Q had given notice Of the suicide Ia
lme to learn what had been discovered
: the lonely cabin.
A thorough search had been made,
ut nothing had been found to explain
be suicide. Hidden away in one or the