Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-02-05
MISCELLANY.
A WOMAN.

were never long The light wagon, drawn
by toiling horses, had already covered thir-
ty miles since morning, over roads whose
distance is better expressed by hours than
in miles, for the way had been rough and
for more reasons than one, the pace had
been of necessity slow. The few level
stretches of road along the stream were
heavy with sand; the descents were short
and sharp, and, save for the change of
strain upon the jaded team, were wholly
wasteful of its strength, for every foot Of
altitude lost had to be doubly regained on
the face Of the opposite activities which
led 10 the greater mountain.
Besides the jolting of the wagon the in
creasing altitude was already telling on the
invalid, TO the extent that dangerous hem
orrhages had occurred three times in as
many miles, and the face Of the woman
who drove was as white with anxiety as
was the mans face with suffering Not
withstanding the approach Of night the en-
forced halts were frequent, during which
the woman tenderly nursed the man and
encouraged him with brave words, for
their prospective stopping place at the foot
OF the mountain was near at hand
close observer might have detected a
slight tremor in the well-gloved hands that
handled the reins so professionally but he
would have found no lack of courage in the
handsome face; and in the peculiar draw
ing of the thin upper lip across the white
teeth at certain times when the woman
spoke he must have noted a striking indi
cation of determination. 1t was evident
that the travellers were not of the country
and obvious that some consideration for
the mans health had brought them there
The appearance of the woman suggested
that she would be more at home decked
with flowers on the box of a four-in-h hand
or driving beside a groom As a matter of
fact she wore a bunch or orange rhododen-
drons in her belt and branches of the pink
and white varieties with big waxv flowers
of the cucumber tree, all of which had
been fresh in the morning, now lay wither-
ed and trampled under their feet. In the
morning the travellers had been full of
hope and had rejoiced like children in the
dewy freshness of the day and in the ex-
uberance of the foliage which walled in
the roads like giant hedge-rows of tender
est green fecked with blotches of fragrant
coloring. Then had succeeded the heat of
the day, wi WEAKNESS of the prodgality
of nature, and as night came on the tram
pied flowers on the board were typical
of the distress of the travellers.
No wonder the woman's face lighted up
as they drew near to the house broadly
crouching in the cool shadows at the foot
of the mountain She drove through the
open gateway with burst of gratitude in
her heart which was almost a prayer. The
sound of the wheels brought man out
from the passage on to the covered porch
He was dark of face and small of stature,
as he stood relieved against the vague fes-
toOns of harness under a row of horned
saddles.
''Can you put US up for the nghtl" ask
ed the woman.
The man was silent for a moment. Per
haps he had never heard a sweeter voice,
or one more persuasive.
mo, l can't" he snapped gruffly, and as
he spoke he half-turned his body, reveal
ing the hideous deformity of hunchback.
How far is it to the next housel"
-Four miles" growled the dwarf, ION
top of the mountain. You can make it in
two hours"
"1mpossiblel" exclaimed the woman,
stepping out of the wagon. my brother
is dangerously ill. He must be put to bed
at once" AS she spoke, in her earnestness
she advanced toward the house where the
dwarf stood motionless in the bosky porch,
and seemed to swell up like toad under
the horned saddles. Her thin upper lip
was drawn firmly across her white te eth
Sir, you must find shelter for my br 9th
erl"
He can stop, but you can't"
And why cannot stopl" said she, sur
prised, but in nowise daunted
Because you are a woman"
where came from, she replied, calm
ly, 1T is no disgrace to be woman"
''Mebby not, growled the dwarf, "but
if ye want to know my reasons, I'm a.
workin' fifty convicts yer an hain't got
ht1f fpt1 ..Ir I
one o. them"
81 don't ask for any guard" said the
woman; ''only for shelter for the night and
care for our horses. We will pay you any
sum you require"
The small person hesitated a moment
and then, with an impatient shrug of his
misshapen shoulders, he wake to the end
of the porch and indicated a one-storv
house at a little distance from his own. |
He even followed the wagon with some |
show of alacrity, and helped to unhitch |
the horses, after which he led them away |
to the stable
There was clean bed in the small house
of one room, and to this the woman helped
the invalid. The sweet air of the mount
aims coming in at the open door and sliding
window, and the restoratives and nou ish-
ment at hand, served to invgorate the suf-
L
of the conclusion of their Journey on the
following day to higher valley, where the
fogs never came.
You are much better now, James, said
his sister, laying her hand on his moist
forehead
"Much BETTER he said; shut wish the
colonel was here to look after you" He
had heard the reason of the dwarf's re-
luctance to harbor them, but this was the
first reference he had made to their pecul-
lar situation, and he chose to say no more.
He was not disposed to sleep, and his eyes
followed his handsome sister as she moved
softly about the room. He admired her as
all men and most women did. He had un-
bounded faith in her tact and courage, but
he was disturbed by the consciousness of
his own uselessness TO defend her in case
of need. He wished in his heart that she
was safe in her pretty home at the post,
and that they had never undertaken the
journey at all, or that they had brought a
file of soldiers as escort.
1t was such peaceful upper world, with
but two days of driving to where the colo
mel had preceded them, that he knew his
masterful sister would have secuted guard,
as she had already declined one that night.
The moonlight streamed in at the open
window and through the doorway, outside
of which that self-reliant young woman sat
enjoying the cool, fresh air. In front was
the greater house, bisected by an open pas
sage, which was the throat which swallow
ed up the dwarf at night and discharged
its unpalatable morsel in the morning. To
the right were many low sheds where gilt
w a una 81, I'll |