Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-01-03

, every word of the conversation, It
could only have spoiled Mrs. Rodden's
little plot, which was nothing worse
than a Christmas surprise for her
husband.
Raymond was detained a week
longer than he had expected, and
when he started for the mountains a.
gain his friends told him he would
never get through. but he persisted,
and finally, after long battle with
the snowdrifts, he reached the last
camp on his route, having lost a week
on the way.
! Dusk came while he was still more
than a mile from the cabin. He press
ed on as fast as he dared, when sud
denly his horse stopped short with a
snort and stood quivering. Raymond
, could see nothing. and, soothing the
animal with hand and voice, urged
him on. There was still light
sufficient to see around clearly
enough to distinguish objects near
the trail. Raymond thought as he
started again that the horse went
slowly forward, but with great
reluctance, and when they reached M
/ open spot where the light was sutfi
cient to show objects for some distance
he again stopped trembling, and Hay
mond for moment could not persu-
suade him to start. At last the horse
started with a bound and as he did
so Raymond saw Maggie Rodden on
the trail, her hair hanging around her
pale face her hands stretched plead
ingly toward him and an expression
Of mute agony upon her white face.
Reigning up as quickly as possible,
Raymond turned to speak to her, but
she had vanished. He rode back and
called her name, but there was no
answer. He 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 IL he
knew that his wife was wandering a.
lone through the snow away up the
mountain trail Rodden was too much
unnerved for moment to reply. Then
he managed to say that the express
rider must have dreamed he saw her,
as she had gone home, gone back East,
more than month before. Raymond
stuck to his story, but at last he was
obliged to conclude that his magma
ton had played him trick. He could
not help wondering, though, what had
frightened the horse.
After supper Raymond opened his
saddlebags, SAYING
"Well as Maggie is not here to take
her package, and as 1t was intended
for you, anyway, | suppose I'd better
give it to you, and you can write her
that her Christmas present got here a
little ahead of time"
He tossed the package across to the
man, who stared at it rs If petrified.
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 theseg"
he asked.
'"The last time was here You
came near not getting them at all, 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 a 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 60 to bed. He was
soon sleeping and knew nothing more
until the morning light, shining
through the uncurtained window. a.
woke him.
He dressed hurriedly and went out
into the room where he had left his
host. Tt was silent and deserted. A
glance into the side room showed that
the bed was unoccupied, and Raymond
went out to look after his horse. as
well as to see If he could see any signs
Of his host The horse had been
stabbed in deserted cabin. and Hay
mond pushed open the door and then
sprang back into the open air. Swing
Ing by halter from the rafters was
Rodden's dead body
Raymond cut the body down and
laid 1t carefully in the bunk. He could
do nothing for It. as the snow covered
the frozen earth. so that one man
could not hone to dig grave. Hastily
saddling his horse he drove away.
after searching 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 he found.
Raymond stopped at the first settle
ment 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. II before spring.
When he reached the city he wrote
letter to his parents asking them to
break the sad news to the widowed
Mrs. Rodden Weeks passed before he
received any answer and then he was
astonished 70 learn that Maggie had