Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-02-07
A DAYS JOURNEY.

A bitter February day. Not pleasant
day to travel in by any means; but then
Lettice Mainwaring was one of the sort
that makes the best of everything.
'It's long distance over the hills, miss" !"
said the wife of the landlord of the little
one story tavern that was perched on the
crest of the highway, "and the SHOWS pow
erful deep"
81 think a winter landscape is the pret
test thing in the world" said Lettice
cheerily, as she wound her fur boa around
and around her neck.
"And old Stokes stage is awful uncom-
fortable," added the landlady.
II like stage riding" asserted Lefty.
"You'll not get there till dark
"Oh. that is sooner than expected"
And Lefty climbed up into the stage
coach, which stood creaking and groaning
at the door, having just rumbled up from
the next village, a mile or so down the
hill.
One solitary passenger occupied the op-
posite corner-a tall, dark man, with a
Spanish sort of complexion and clear, dark
eyes, who wore an odd sort of olive green
cloak or mantle, heavily trimmed with sa-
Letty's smiling recognition. Our little
heroine would have talked with a polar
bear, had polar bear CHANGED to be her
travelling companion.
Lettice arranged her furs, and her basket,
and her bonnet strings, and wondered se-
cretly how far the tall man was going.
"Can l be of any assistance to your"
courteously queried the gentleman, as Let
ty searched in the straw at her feet for a
dropped glove.
"Thanks-no," said Lefty, coming up
again with red cheeks and curls a little
disheveled. "Are you going all the way
through"
''As far as the stage goes-yes."
"Oh," said Miss Mainwaring, 80 am !. !"
The gentleman nodded interrogatively
and went back to his paper.
"Cross thing!" thought Lefty, involun-
tarily pouting her cherry lips. "Why can't
he talk and make himself agreeable? And
he knows very we'll that we are to be shut
here together for eight long hours"
But the wild, mountainous landscape, as
it fitted by, while cleaning with snow
and darkly fringed with the waving of
hemlock boughs and solemn crested pines,
was, after all, nearly as good a study as
the "human face divine" and Lefty soon
forgot her temporary annoyance and cha
grin in the white, skeletonlike walls of a
deserted old paper mill long since disused
and fallen to ruin.
.sI wonder if it is haunted?" said she
aloud.
The stranger smiled, and laid down his
paper.
''Do you believe in such things9" he
asked.
Lettice Mainwaring laughed and col
ored.
"Of course not; and yet-are you much
acquainted in this region of the country"
81 have lived hereabout a good DEAL"
"Oh Ohl Then perhaps you know East
erham Hall?"
His face frightened.
'Oh, yesl You are going there?"
Eyes. l am to be governess to the little
children" said Lefty, making haste to en-
Tighten him as to her true position in order
that he should fully comprehend that she
was no elegant young lady coming to the
hall to make visit, but humble little
working bee, who was obliged to toll stead
fastly for the daily bread she ate.
"Indeedr' he said
And Lefty was vexed at herself for no
ticing the polite Indifference into which
his tone subsidized.
81 suppose it is very fine old place."
she went on.
"Very-for those who fancy fine old
places To my taste they are apt to be
overrun with rats, full of drafts and pic
t,resquely inconvenient."
"And haunted perhaps?" mischievously
put in Lettice, the roguish sparkles COM
ing hack to her eyes.
$50 far as / know Easterham Hall is
free from any supernatural occupants"
II am sorry for that" said Lefty.
He arched his eyebrows.
"You would like to share your room
with ghost or two?"
mo; but do like little tinge of ro-
nance about the place-something to set
it little above and beyond the level of
the commonplace"
He did not answer and talkative Lefty
once more set the conversational ball roll
ing
'"The Easterhams are very rich, sup
posef"
eyes"
81 never heard of them until last week"
she said musingly; "and now-how strange
ly Things are OTuertu Ill UulS WOrlu!-l dill
going to cast in my lot among them"
"How does that happen2" said the gen.
tleman. He could not very well say less
in ordinary politeness, and yet Lefty felt
triumphantly that she had drawn him
OUT
"They wrote to Nine. Moligny, my old
teacher, to select a governess qualified to
teach two little boys, and madame knew
that l wished for situation and SO here
am. wonder how they will like mef"
II hope you will like them," said the
gentleman.
"That isn't the question:" Lefty cor
rected imperatively. "Mr. Easterham is a
dreadful BEAR"
"You are acquainted with hims"
"Oh, no; only what I have heard!'
answered Lefty.
"And what may that be?"
"You are a neighbor," said Lefty doubt