Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-06-06


Ruthven, and turned 10 our coffee an,
Egars.
George, how aid you gain that mag
nifcent woman for a wife?'
Not at all diseomposed at the broad
ness of my compliment TO his wife
George smilingly responded:
"You remember the great blizzard
which swept over the western prairie
states, particularly Nebraska. during
January Of 1857? Yes? Well, it wa.
from that blizzard that I was rescued
by the most beautiful woman IL ha'
ever been the happy lot of man to pos
i sess.
Il was at that time, as you know.
embarking in the practice Of law, and
had, TO use an old-time phrase, 'arti-
cled myself to one Of the most prom
inent legal firms in this city, ! grew
steadily in favor of my superiors, who
are now my partners, so il happened
that when an occasion arose in an inn
portant land suit. requiring that a man
be sent to Ainsworth, Neb., 10 obtain
necessary information from the rec
ords, l was selected for the duty.
II reached Ainsworth without incl
dent and spent a couple of days there
examining the court records, until
discovered that one link of evidence
was missing. | shortly learned that il
could be replaced by certain affidavits
which a banker at Atkinson, S. miles
down the road could give, if he should
be so disposed. Unfortunately only
one passenger a day was then
running and | found that had just left
and that no other train would start un-
till late in the night. That would be
slow freight, which would not get me
in Atkinson much before the passenger
the next morning. So l concluded to
drive the IS miles.
"Hurrying to the livery stable I in
duced The proprietor TO take me as far
as Long Pine, the next station, where
could and did obtain a relay Of bron-
chos and another driver 10 Bassett. |
There I obtained another relay and |
started for Newport the next stop |
and by the time we reached there, the |
snow was falling quite fast, but still
there was no indication Of the horrible |
storm In which so many lives were
lost and in which the cattle ranches |
suffered almost TO bankruptcy by thou
sands Of head Of cattle being destroyed
As we proceeded, the storm increased
in virulence and l was glad, indeed.
when | could toast my chilled feet at
the blazing hearth in the small hotel
the place afforded, while my driver was
seeing about an exchange Of horses.
The liveryman returned and in
formed me that he had not been able
to induce the local stable keeper to
a journey, even to the next
town, Stuart, though he said, If the
case was very urgent he would let
me have team to drive through my
self provided l would assure him
against loss. Unaccustomed as l was
to western billiards, jumped al this
chance, and quickly closed deal with
him.
He produced the serawniest-look.
ng team Of bronchos one ever saw,
and hitched them to a ramshackle
sort of slat-bottomed blackboard
buggy and bid me godspeed with an
expression on his face clearly show
ng he never again expected to see
,ither his team or myself alive As
q the team, he never did see it, as
10Th the animals gave up the ghost
out | am anticipating.
BY this time the storm had as
Iumed terrific proportions. The snow.
which had been falling softly and laz-
", now pelted down in solid masses,
mixed with flakes Of ice, cutting with
biting force against my face, while
he soughing Of the wind had risen to
'hrieks and bowls and came with
orce that at times seemed powerful
.nough to lift bronchos, buggy and
triver into the next county. Nv
curse lay along the railroad track. j
There was no road worthy Of the !
lame 70 follow, as the level character
! the country and entire absence of
ences permitted one taking a straight ,
boot from one point to another. !
With only the possibility of meeting ,
With some small slough that would re-
luire little careful driving 10 Srass
Driving along with my head down
wards to shelter my Face from the
'elting sleet and ice, quite forgot to
ook for my landmarks. the telegraph
'oles, but Fore ugly blast than any
mad Experienced caused me to take
quick glance about over my muller.
pstantly l awoke to my danger. The
telegraph poles had disappeared!
had turned from my road and was
driving across the wild, desolate, unin-
habited prairies, on which a house
was not 10 be met for miles.
THE storm now swirled and pound
ed and roared with ferocious power
about me. Already / was passing
through drifts so deep as to compel
my small bronchos to tug and snort in
the effort required 10 pull the buggy
through them Heavy darkness was