Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-11-10

came to anything hut little tahlaua =.
with more hills beyond Again m
again BE- Thought De must haze r''-'
al the very sumnlt, ani ara.2 AL
AGAIN on arriving AZ WHIST hr lai So
passed L. d. tie last pIia' hc fu-u A.
other point &C. br sealed beyond,
Then az last hr found himself "a
e. face with a man.
Nli the r,dhradcl peasant. hg' =
creature - unlike him a possible
small. 1.-the. black eyed n!au. W.T.. I
Keen. hawkliLc face aad a wiry E,,lr
frame. a real son Of the Silurcs. Who
stopped short IN bis hurried walk mp
/ and down the hedge Of the mountain
T hr occupied aud glazed at Ihc INTRUDER
{ with fierce eyes.
Who are you? Who are your Wha'
ar. YOU doing hcre:'' he asked IN geo..
English. bat with the sharp Welsh
accent very strongly marked.
Although his words contained q"
welcome. aud although the look IA las
face IVES as uncomPromiSinE as E.i
words themselves. MaSsun was 80
Mu,h relieved by the sight OF au"i-rT
human being that he answered buoy.
antly enough:
Il am IA stranger In these par so
lost my way | should Ice thaU.I.t Ter
a nights shelter. | cant yet harA 10
Trecocd tonight
As he spoke Reginald Mason exam
lnrd the mans features, III Wiz. 4"
found traces OF no mean inich'-
and his dress. 10y which hr guessed
him to Ice small farmer. man CT
higher class than CoCh Tai.
And in the pause which succeeded
his words Mason noted also that he
bad reached the very point toward
which he had meant to make his way
for on mountain ledge little h@.rI
tlau the one on which they stood ne
SAW the gray walls which had attract
ed him from the ncighboring mountain
and a ruined arch, lofty and pointed.
which had once been the east window
of an abbey church.
Even in the first brief glance through
the still falling snow and IN the gath
pring darkness he discerued that a
stately Gothic doorway had been ill
ed in to tit mean little painted door
and that n portion of what had once
been a handsome pile Of moua>tiC
buildings had been roughly rooted in
for modern occupation. TO the left
Of the DIOR window had been insert
ed into the solid masonry, and through
thig window a feeble light glimucrcd
50 family that 1t threw no patch OF
warning light on the snow outside.
At the corner OF the building Il larg,
snowdrlft had already collected. an,
this was gradually extending, as Tia,
snow still fell and the wind still blew
in the direction Of the window.
The farmer, after long pause, an
swrrcd MaSsop's request ungraciouSly
enough. His manner was short. sharp
surly. But it was less offensive thar
defensive. Mason thought. betrayjns
as 1t did a mind I'll at ease,
Back to TrcCord. What made YOU
leave 'rrccoyd on such a day as this :
he said gruiiiy, while his quick eyes
looked scarchngly not mt Reginald, bu
down into the valley from which h'
had Just climbed. You must hav,
been out Of your senses. man, to try
And across the hills too"
He seemed less pitiful for the stran
gers distress than scornful OF hi
folly.
Yes, It was a rash thing to do,
was TO have had guide. but started
without him"
, The other man laughed mrthIessIy
conlemptuOusly.
"Oh. aye; the guide knew bette
. what he was about than you did"
You won't refuse me . nights sE2l
teri"
The man shook his head.
We've no shelter to give" he sal,
= shortly.
:, IL can pay for It we'll"
tt The unwilling host looked nj hin
= with little more interest, but h
}, again shook his head.
y ITS not possible just now" said II
- in the same defiant. wholly Surly tone
=, There's Illness In the house and Il
" time for waiting on strangers with m
! daughter my poor girl. lying at death
b" door"
y AS he uttered these words the eS
II preston Of his face underwent a sud
den change and look of unutterabl
anguish shone in his black eyes.
"Ill?" said Mason. Your dauEhtc
~ i'll? Perhaps | can be Of some US
" then. I'm Il doctor"
- The man, who had turned away a
~ If TO hide his own distress, sprang uI
" on him with a wild look of JOY in hi
II sensitive face He seized Mason b
IL the arm with the nervous grip OF
~ small, strong hand and holding hi
~ tight. stared up into his face as if h
~ would force out some truth which tn
u other wished to conceal from him.
"You-a dOCtori No, no." he sal
- hparsely, stammerng in his eXcit'
III ment. You say so-you say that
Il get the nights shelter you have bee
1t asking for! No, no, you're not do
tor! It's too much-too much to hoE
y for-too much, too much!'
IL LET me CO." said Mason good h,
moredIy. Il con soon prove 1t to 80,
think. Let me get at my pockets"
But already the man was convince
Masson's attitude, his readiness to gil
~ his credentials, had been enough Il
'' the eager father.
~ At the first plunge into his poke
:. Mason brought out small case
~ surgical instruments which he alwa,
carried about him, and the moment
~ drew it out the little Welshman sriZt
L. To- LlI.nI linn L,