The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-14
The News Daily Story.

Without further parloy, he swung him.
self into the saddle. hammered the horse 5
sides with his heels, and logged Off into
the darFn ness.
Roydon Mil!s?-iive good miles. IL 1t
was one! | 81 1T the door, and stood thcle
in the hall weighing the matter care
fully. As listened TO the sulashing of
the rain outside, a vision OF the bleak,
storm-swept road rose before me- and
confess | shudCe cred ut the prospect On
the one hand, there WAS a certainty OF n
dreDchiEg-for at that time | had GOT
attained to the luxury of u brougham.
and must periUrce perform the journey in
an open vebicle--GDd tn most equal Ger
tAinty of heavy Geld resulting there
from. On the othe-, duty. Ui course,
ranked first. and-wtIl il the truth must
10 told, the induCen olt Cf "a substantial
fec next. l called To mind. too. with
what intense anxiety Miller Hopgood ana
his wife must await my coming, for tho
hCmely couple wero simply wrapped up
in that little boy of theirs--an ouly child
as it happened. 1ha Ishot of it was,
though | was not without doubt as 70 the
urgency OF tho cOse. | felt there was moth
ing fer IL. but tO face the storm.
AS ill-luck would have il, my groom
was laid ur, so l had to turn t. and har-
noss the mare myself | uon't know
whether she objected e. nj ght journey in
such weather but certainly she was SO
RESTLESS and tdgety that | thought
would never get her between tno shafts.
Once out into the storm ] set my teeth
bard, ana let her GO We tore along at a
spanking pace through the wind aud rain.
and IN little less than half an hour ] saw
the light from the mill.louso twinkling
through the wet, like a great shining eye
watching for my coming. No sooner had
the wheels crunched upon the gravel than
the door was thrown ouen, ana there stood
no m m : al 81
out into the storm.
That you, doctory' ho cried.
Yes. 1"
Thank God -
was scarcely given time TO get rid of
my dripping clJ ak before being hurried of
upstairs. OF course | might nave known
how it would be In spite OF oil this fuss
and hurry, there was nothing really
wrong with tho child-a fevciish Cold,
that was all. The little fellow lly in bis
mothers arms flushed and frotul wall
ing out the childish complaints which
had Sd distressed his parents, | did not
keep them long in susI ense and the look
of relief which stole into those drawn,
anxious faces compensated lEo TO sJre
extent for my midnight journey.
l have been led To dwell upon these de-
tails-homely and trivial as tiey may
seen-because, in Looking back u on That
night. they stand ont i'm sharp acd striS.
happened on the way home. Though
more than two years nave elapsed slnca
then. | can recall every incident as 10 it
occurred only yesterday. Even now, II
the wind ris,s suddenly in the night and
the rain begins 20 dash against tie win
dows ! start out OF sloep with tho horror
Of those scenes irl sh upon me.
was Criying back 20 Ulverton 40 ,
o'clock in the morning, wet, cold, and In
ANYTHING but mn Hm.ablc mood. Tho
wind had gone down u lite aud the
clouds had brogen up into dtrh irreguinr
patches that swept across tho cru,y sky
a N speeding Co some unknown tCstina-
tion In tie far East. Ire rain still con.
tiuued to boat in ny face and pattor upon
the oil skin rug across NV kn,es Whom
ever ] hnpI cned 20 raise my htad. | was
chilled Dy the dreary aspect od every
side; not living creature was In sight:
even the few stray cattle la the fields
were stuck away under shelter OF tho
hedges.