The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-14

wind carried just enough of that paper
straight down the hill into that camp
| ten minutes afore they could get there,
to give them Cinnamon warnin'-what-
ever it was. Fact! Why I've seen 'em
stringin' along the road just like them
fellers we passed just now. and then
! stop all of a sudden like hounds off
| the scent, jabber among themselves,
and start off in a different direction"
| Just what they're doing now! BY
| thunder! interrupted another passenger
| who was looking through the rolled-up
curtain at his side.
| All the passengers turned by one ac-
cord and looked out. The file of
| Chinaman had indeed turned and was
moving rapidly away at right angles
| from the road.
Got some signal, you bet!' said the
/, driver; some yeller paper or piece o
joss stick in the road. WHAT"
The remark was addressed to the
passenger who had just placed his
| finger on his lip, and Indicated a stolid
! looking Chinaman overlooked before,
who was sitting in the back, or steer
age" sent.
"Oh, he be darned,' said the driver
| impatently. He is no account-he's
only the laundryman from Rocky
! Caron. I'm takin' Of the c0olie gang"
But here the conversation tagged, and
the air growing keener. the flaps Of the
| leather side curtains were battened
| down Mastcrton gave himself up to
| conflicting reflections. The information
| that he had gathered was meagre and
! unsatisfactory, and he could only trust to
luck and circumstance to fulfil his mis-
sion. The first glow of adventure having
passed, he was uneasily conscious that
the mission was not to his taste. The
pretty, flushed but defiant face of Cissy
that afternoon haunted him; he had not
known the immediate cause of lit, but
made no doubt that she had already
leard the news of her fathers disgrace
when he met her. He regretted now
that he hadn't spoken to her. if only Il
few formal words of sympathy. He had
always been half-tenderly amused at her
frank .conceit and her "airs"-the limo
cent, undisguised pride of the country
belle-so different from the hard aplomb
Of the city girl! And now the foolish
title moth, dancing in the sunshine of
prosperity, had felt the chill of winter
| in its pretty wings. The contempt he
aad for the father had. hitherto showed
so proud of her fathers position, and
what it brought her; III the revelation
| that his own directors had awaited them
selves Of that fathers methods, and the
| gnoble character Of his present mission,
| ne felt a stirring of self reproach. What
| would become of her? OF course friyo-
lous as she was, she would not feel the
| keenness of this misfortune like anoth-
] ar nor I-nt S1rrpr.iO1. IN Ghn 1vn111d
succumb for the present, to revive at an
other season in DINNER glory else
where. His critical, cynical observation
Of her had determined that any filial af
| lection she might have would be merged
| and lost in the greater deprivation of her
| position.
A sudden darkening of the landscape
below, and singular Opaque whitening
| Of the air around them aroused him
| from his thoughts. The driver drew up
| The collar of his overcoat and laid the
| whip smartly over the backs of his cat
| tie. The air grew gradually darker I'M
| til suddenly it seemed to disintegrate
| nto invisible gritty particles that swept
| through the wagon. Presently these
| particles became heavier, more percep-
| ible and polished like small shot and
| keen wind drove them stingingly into
| the faces of the passengers, or insidi-
| ously into their pockets, collars or the
| folds of their clothes. The leather cur
| talnS were battened down, but the snow
forced itself through the smallest crev-
| ices.
well get over this when once we've
passed the bend, the road seems to dip
| beyond" said Masterton cheerfully from
his seat beside the driver
The driver gave him a single scornful
look, and turned to the passenger who
occupied the seat on the other side Of
aim. Il don't like the look o things
down there, but eff we are stuck We'll
have to strike out for the next station"
But" said Masterton as the wind
yolleyed the sharp snow pellets in their
faces and the leaders were scarcely dis
tinguishable through the smOSe-like dis
discharges, 1T can't be worse than
here"
The driver did not speak, but the other
passengers craned over his back and said
explanatory:
Il reckon We don't know these storms;
this kind o dry snow don't stick and
don't clog. Look"
Indeed, between the volleys Masterton
could see that the road was perfectly
bare and windswept, and except slight
drifts and banks beside outlying bushes
and shrubs which even then We're again
blown away before his eyes-the Level
landscape was unclothed and unchanged.
Where these mysterious snow pellets
went 10 puzzled and confused him; they
seemed to vanish as they had appeared
into the air about them.
I'D make straight rush to the next
station" said the other passenger conf
IDENTIFY to the driver. IF we are stuck
we are THAT much ON the way if we turn
back Wen have to take the grade any
way when the storms over; and Meth
er you nor | know when thatll be-
1t may be only a squall just now, buJ
it's getting rather late in the season.
Just pitch III and drive all We know
The driver laid his lash on the horses.
and for a few moments the heavy We
hicle dashed forward in violent conflict
with the storm. At times the elastic j
hickory framework of its domed leather
roof swayed and bent like the ribs of an
umbrella At times it seemed as if it |
would be lifted bodily off; mt times the |
whole interior Of the vehicle was filed |
with a thin smoke by drifts through |