El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-06


ulstered. We're drinking coffee by candle
light. \ hastily laid breakfast was on
the table, but it had not been touched.
The gray morning light was turning the
fame of the candles to ii rusty yellow,
and outside upon the wide stone sills the
snow lay high against the panes.
Ralph was sitting with bent head by
the fire. stick and cap in hand, his heavy
boot beating the floor impatiently. He
| looked up AS L came in, but did not
| speak. The ruddy color in his cheeks
was faded, his face was drawn and set.
He looked ten years older.
I'VE ought TO be Off he said at last
in a low voice.
mo hurry" replied Charles; ''finish
your coffee
l hastily drank some also, and told
| Charles that l was coming with them.
NO" said Charles.
Yes L replied. ''You are going to
| London, and So am 1. 1 have decided to
curtail my visit by few days under the
circumstances L shall travel up with
you. Ny luggage can follow"
As soon as Charles grasped the idea
| that l was not going to return to Stoke
Moreton his opposition melted away. He
even seemed to hail my departure with
a certain sense of relief.
LAS Won like" he said. You can
leave at this unearthly hour if you wish
and travel with rs as far as Padding
ton
nodded and went after my great
coat. OF course l had not the slightest
intention of leaving them at Padding
ton but | felt that the time had not ar
rived to say so.
Here comes the dog cart" said
Charles as | returned.
Ralph was already on his feet. But
the dog cart. with its great bay horse,
could not he brought up to the door.
The snow had drifted heavily before the
steps and right up into the archway, and
the cart had to go round to the back
again before We could get in and start.
Charles took the reinS, and his brother
got up beside him. The groom and
squeezed ourselves into the back seat. |
could see that l was only allowed to
come on sufferance. and that at the last
moment they would have been willing
to dispense with my presence. Howev
er. felt that l should never have for
given myself if | had let them go alone.
Charles was not ~ and Ralph several
years younger. An experienced man of
so to consult in case of need might be of
the greatest assistance in an emergency.
Quicker" said Ralph 1--WE shall miss
the train"
No quicker if we mean to catch it,
said Charles. Il allowed ten minutes
extra for the SNOW. We shall do it if
we go quietly. but not if l let him go.
An upset would clinch the matter
We drove noiseiessly through the great
II. II
side rampant i'll wreaths of snow, and
up the village street where life was
hardly stirring Vet. The sun was rising
large and red, bali of dull fire in the
heavy sky. ii seemed to be rising on a
dead world.
Before us (only to be seen on my part
by craning ground) stretched the long,
white road At intervals here and there
among the shrouded fields lay cottages
half hidden by a white network of trees
Groups of yellow sheep stood clustered
together under hedgerows. motionless in
the low mist and making no sound.
lonely colt, with tail erect. ran beside
us on the other side of the hedge as far
as his field would allow him. his heavy
hoofs falling noiselessly i'll the snow
The cold was intense.
There will be drift at the bottom
of Farrow hill" said Ralph: I'VE shall
be late for the train"
And in truth, as we came cautiously
down the hill. on turning a corner we
beheld a smooth sheet of snow tapping
over the top of the hedge on one side.
like iced sugar ON a cake. and sloping
downward To the ditch on the other side
of the road.
Hold on cried Charles as 1 stood
up to look. and III another moment we
We're pushing our way through the
snow. keeping rs near the ditch as pos
slble-too near. ii turned out. But it
was not to be.
A few yards i'll front of us lay the |
road-snowy, but practicable: but we |
could not reach ii. We swayed back |
ward and forward; we tilted up and |
down. Charles whistled and made |
divers consolatory and encouraging !
sounds to the bay horse; but the bay
horse began to plunge: he made IA side
one wheel crunched down
through the ice i'll the ditch and all was
over, at least all III the cart We're We
tell soft. most providentially alightiny
,n the groom. who was young and in
lined to be plump, and thus breaking
all which To heavy man of my age
night have been serious. Charles and
Ralph We're up in a moment
II thought / could not do it! But it
vas worth Il trial said Charles, shaking
himself. George, look after the horse
md cart. and take them straight Bal,
Now, Ralph. we must run for it. il ".
mean to catch the train. Middleton, You
lad better go back in the cart" And off