The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-23

stood quivering. Raymond could see
nothing, and soothing the animal with
hand and voice urged him on. There
was still light sufficient to SEQ around
clearly enough to distinguish objects
near tho trail. Raymond thought rs he
started again that no saw something
move across the trail little way ahead.
Tho horse went slowly forward, but
with great reluctance, and when they
reached IN open spot where tho light
was sufficient to show objects for some
distance ho again stopped, trembling,
and Raymond for moment could not
persuade him to start. At last tho horse
started forward with bound, and us
he did so Raymond SAW Maggie Rod
den on tho trail, her hair hanging
around her palo face, her hands stretched
plcadingly toward him and an express
sion of mute agony upon her white face.
Refining up as quickly rs possible,
Raymond turned to speak to her, but
sho had vanished. Ho rodo back and
called her name, but thoro was no an
swer. He dismounted and looked for
tracks ut the spot where she must have
left tho trail, but found none
Puzzled and annoyed, he mounted
and rode as rapidly as possible to the
ROddcn cabin.
Hurriodly dismounting. Raymond
called Roddcn out and asked if he knew
that his vito was wandering alone
through tho snow away up the noun
tain trail. Roddcn was too much un-
nerved for moment to reply. Then
he managed to say that tho express rid
or must have dreamed he saw her. as
she had gone home, COMO back east,
moro than u month before. Raymond
stuck to his story, but ut last he was
obliged to conclude that his imagina-
ton had played him trick. He
couldn't help wondering, though, what
had frightened the horse.
There was nothing to be done or said,
for if Mrs. Roddcn had gone home -
month bcfort certainly she could nor
have been roaming around in the SHOW,
and as there WAS 10 other woman within
miles of the camp he must have been
mistaken. Roddcn, though not at all
hospitahlc III manner, got supper and
allowed the express rider to stop for the
night.
After supper Raymond opened his
saddlcbags. saying:
"Wcll, rs Maggie is not here to take
her package, and us 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 littla
ahead of time.
He tossed tho package across TO the
man, who stared mt it as if potrihod
He stretched out his hand slowly and
opened it with shaking fingers The
package contained a pair of thick. warm
gloves, nothing more.
"When did Maggie send for thcsc:"
he asked.
The last time l was here. You came
near not getting them ut all, for she
had 10 chance to tell me to buy them
while l was here and had to run aftc,
me 70 give the order. -
"Was that all she ran after you for"
"Thnt was all.
Rodden settled back into his chair,
with groan, and hid his face in his
hands
Raymond sat silent for awhile, then.
finding that the man did not intend to
speak, he concluded that the best thing
he could do was to go to bed. he was
soon sleeping and knew nothing more
until the morning light, shining through
tho nnGny.ainad window, awoke hi.&.
He dressed hurricdly and went or
into the room where he had left his host.
1t was silent and deserted. 4 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 adcscrtcd
cabin, and Raymond pushed open the
door and then spranS back into the
open air. Swinging by Il halter from the
raftcrs was Rodden's dead body.
Raymond cut the body down and laid
it carefully III the bunk. He could &c
nothing for it, as the snow covered the
frozen earth, so that one man could hot
hope to dig grave Hastily saddling
his horse, he drove away, after search
ing the cabin i'll the faint hope that he
might find some note of explanation,
but III vain. Not line of writing, new
or old, could be found.
Raymond stopped ut the first settle
mcnt and gave notice of the suicide at
the deserted camp, but the SNOW was
again falling, and no party could reach
the place for weeks, if before spring.
When he reached the city, he wrote a
letter to his parents asking them to
break the sad news to the widowed
Mrs. Roddcn. Weeks passed before he
received any answer, and then he was
astonndcd To learn that Maggie had
never returned homc-in fact, had
mover even written since she left for
California
BY this time spring had como, and he
HaS about to 1nalSn his Grst t,.i,, To tln