Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-09-10

- vi
The passengers hurried out into the rodd
to assist the driDcr.
men had indeed turned and was NOV
ing rapidly away at right angles from
the road.
"Got some signal. you bet" said the
driver-"some yeller paper or piece OF
joss stick in the road! What?"
The remark was addressed to the
passenger who had Just placed his fin
ger OH his lip and indicated stolid
looking Chinaman overlooked before,
who was sitting In the back, or steer
age" seat.
"Oh. he be darnedw said the driver
impaticntly. "He Is no account. He's
only the laundryman from Rocky Can
yon. I'm talkin of the cody gang"
But here the conversation tagged,
and, the air growing keener. the flaps
of the leather side curtains were bat
tened down. Masterton gave himself
up to conflicting reflections. The infor-
nation that he had gathered was mea-
ger and unsatisfactory. and he could
only trust to luck and circumstance to
fulfill his mission. The first glow OF
adventure having passed, he was un-
easily 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 1t. but made no
doubt that she had already heard the
news of her fathers disgrace when he
met her. He regretted now that he
hadn't spoken to her, If only n few
formal words Of sympathy. He had
always been half tenderly amused at
her frank concelt and her "airs"-the
innocent. undisguised pride Of the
country belle. so different from the
hard aplomb Of the city girl! And now
the foolish little moth, dancing In the
sunshine of prosperity. had felt the
chill Of winter in Its pretty wings.
The contempt he had for the father
had hitherto showed itself in tolerant
pity for the daughter, 30 proud Of her
fathers position and what It brought
her. In the revelation that his own
directors had availed themselves OF
that fathers methods and the ignoble
character of his present mission. he
felt a stirring Of self reproach. What
would become Of her? OF course, frivo-
lous as she was, she would not feel the
keenness of this misfortune like anoth-
er nor yet rise superior to It. She would
succumb for the present to revive an
other season in DINNER glory else
where. His critical. cynical observa-
tion of her had determined that any
filial affection she might have would
be merged and lost in the greater de-
privation of her position.
A sudden darkening Of the landscape
below and a 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 bis cat
tie. The air grew gradually darker,
until suddenly 1t seemed to disintegrate
into invisible gritty particles that
swept through the wagon. Presently
these particles became heavier, more
perceptible and polished like small
shot, and a keen wind drove them
stingingly into the faces Of the passen-
gers or insidiously into their pockets,
collars or the folds of their clothes.
The leather curtains were battened
down. but the snow forced itself
through the smallest crevices.
"We'll 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 single scornful
look and turned to the passenger who
occupied the seat on the other side Of
him. II don't like the look Of things
down there, but ef we are stuck we'll
have to strike out for the next station"
But" said Masterton as the wind
volleyed the sharp snow pellets In their
faces and the leaders were scarcely dis
tingulshable through the smokelike dis
charges. 1T can't be worse than here"
The driver did not speak. but the 9th
er passenger craned over his back and
said explanatorily:
II reckon you don't know these storms.
This kind Of dry snow don't stick and
| don't clog. Iookr
Indeed, between the volleys Master
| ton could see that the road was per-
fectly bare and wind swept. and except
slight drifts and banks beside outlying
bushes and shrubs-which even then
were again blown away before his eyes
the level landscape was unclothed
and unchanged. Where these mysteri-
GUS snow pellets went to puzzled and
/ confused him. They seemed to vanish
as they had appeared-into the air
about them.
'T'd make straight rush to the next
station" said the other passenger con-
fidently to the driver. "Tf we are stuck
we are that much on the way; II we
turn back, well have to take the grade
anyway when the storms over. and
neither you nor know when that'u De