The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-25
ALMOST TOO LATE.
An Old-Time Thanksgiving Story.
BY ENos EYRE.

BY ENos EYRE.
Our story opens on Thanksgiving
Day, 1886, and the scene is near Strouds-
burg. Stroudsburg was at that time a
sleepy little hamlet with population of
few hundreds, the summary of busi-
ness enterprise consisting of two hotels,
three or four stores, and a grist mill.
The one event which awakened its in
habitants from their apparent lethargy
was the arrival, once every other day,
of the stage coach from Philadelphia
for this was before thought had been
given to the advent of the railroads
which now send score of passenger
trains rushing through the town daily.
a mile and half from the village
lived the heroine of our story. Her
father, John Wright, was farmer on
a small scale who managed to make a
comfortable living for his little family
of wife and daughter. Edna Wright
was lovely young girl, and her warm
hearted, impulsive and affectionate dis
position fully merited for her the ador-
alton of her parents and the liking of
her friends. Edna had just turned IL
years. Her goldep-haired brown-eyed
type of beauty, with the charm OF a
complexion that reminded one of a
ripe peach, and form Of girlish grace
and beauty These with just the least
mite of coquetry in her makeup, were
enough to madden the village beaux,
who fain would have ventured beyond
a mere passing look upon her youthful
Ioveliness. Such was the only child of
old Farmer Wright and wife, and the
worthy couple had not been sparing OF
their limited means in fitting her
mind TO correspond with her physical
beauty.
Edna was standing idly by the gate
of her fathers home on this Thanks
giving Day, musing-as perhaps all
girls at her age do muse-ou her pres
ent and future life. Should she always
remain, as now, in obscurity, or would
her knight come some day and carry
her off to scenes of grandeur and beau-
tv? She rested her dimpled chin on
her hand on the gate post and her
childishly lovely face took on a thought
full, far-away look. The sun looked
down upon this fair picture from be-
hind a cloud-bank and tried to soften
the cool November air.
Suddenly the girls listless attitude
to one of attention, for In the
distance could be heard the loud rum
bling of the old stage coach on its way
10 Milford. In moment the lumber
ing vehicle came into view on the
brow of neighboring hill. "Mercy!
lie horses are running awayr' the girl
exclaimed, and such, indeed, was the
G sc. The four frightened animals,
fiecked with foam and with distended
nostrils, wee madly galloping down
the road, and old Luke, who had ham
died the reins and cracked the whip
for fifteen years or more, was valIlly
attempting to hold them. The coach
swayed dangerously from side to side
and was in momentary peril of being
overturned. When Edna stood look
ing at the thrilling sight with dilated
eyes and blanched cheeks the horses
suddenly veered to one side, and the
coach, with a groan and crash top
pled over the embankment of the road
into the ditch below, while the animals
after fioundering around disengaged
themselves from the vehicle and con-
tinued their mad flight. Edna hastily
Summoned her father and went to the
assistance of the unfortunate passen
gers, for she was a girl to act as well as
to think.
IL was found that the only one seri
ously injured was a young man who sa
upon the box with the driver. As thu
coach went over he was thrown VIC
Iently upon the frozen ground. He wa
unconscious, and as Edna looked upoi
him she thought with a strange sink
ing-at-heart that perhaps he was al
ready dead. He was finely dressed AM
his handsome features bore the stam
of nobility of character. Mr.. Wrigh
gave orders for the injured stranger {
be carried into his house, being tn
nearest at hand. The other passenger
had, beyond shaking up, escaped in
iury. Old Luke, the driver, more fol
tunate than his companion, had leape
from the box and was unharmed. tn
horses were captured a short distanc
from the scene of the accident, anC
being again attached to the coach
which was found to be not serious
ly damaged, they once more proceed
ed on their way.
A physician had be summoned froi
the village and he soon made his al
pearanee. An examination shove
that the young man had sustained
broken arm, besides several bruis'
about the head and severe shoc$
the whole system. The broken men
Der was set and bandaged and the ph.
sician left such remedies and direction
as he thought necessary. "Will /
recover, doctor ?" asked Edna inn
Gently, her eyes humid with tears
the sight of the evidently cruel woi
of joining the broken bone. "Why,
course he WILL" replied the doct
smiling at her carnestness and beamir
an inquisitive look upon her. She bus
ed scarlet, and, sverting her head tur
ed away 10 hide her tears of relic