Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-28

CT ovid horse knows his home,'
said the old man as he got down from
the cart and gave the animal a rough
caress down the nos HE won't
go no further tonight, won't Smiler
but you're only a few steps from t
hotel now, sir, where t. coaches start
for Branksome and Conismere, and il
you'll take t. advice of a man as knows
t. country hereabouts, you'll stay
there and not be goin' on to Drank
some till t. day breaks. T. winds
and on a night as black as this you
might hap to miss t. road, and a turn
to t. right in t. darkness might take
you bang in t. lake"
Thank you heartily. I shall Ger
tainly take your advice, and when the
nights rest has cleared my brains a
bit, l shall get back to Conismere,
and on with my journey as fast as l
can. But by the bye, I should like to
renew our acquaintance if l ever
chance to come this way again. Ny
name is Armathwaite, Frank Armath-
waite"
"And mines Haynes, Luke Haynes.
tor, if it's as man and man, and not as
doctor and patient, l wish we may.
And good luck to you on your jour
ney."
With a hearty ha%nd-shake of warm
mutual approval, the gentleman and
peasant parted, the latter leading his
horse to the stable on the opposite
side of the road, while the former
made his way to the hotel indicated
by the old man. This was a large.
solid-looking corner-building, in the
center offthe village, erected at an
angle formed by the meeting of two
roads. The snow vas falling SO
thickly by the time Frank Armath-
waite reached this place of refuge that
he made up his mind that nothing
should induce him to leave it's shelter
ing walls that night, if the interior
should come near to fulfilling the
promise of comfort held out by the
exterior. On entering the low, wide
hall, the traveller found that this
promise was more than fulfilled; it
was exceeded. He was received by
the host, a man of about thirtv-fve.
quiet, courteous, intelligent, resource
full; shown to a room where a ma
hogany four-post bedstead, high old
fashioned ch~imney-piece, and candles
in tall metal candlesticks, gave further
promise of the solid, stately comfort
which had refreshed at least a couple
of generations of Travellers; and lastly
led by a stream of light and a vel
come fragrance of dinner to the coffee
room, where a grave elderly man, who
was head waiter in the season and
sole waiter out of it, indicted him
with honour to a seat at a table near
the fire, where the cheerful sight of
the flames leaping amidst a pile of
Goals crowned by a glowing log,
chased away the last lingering vestige
of the gloomy and fanciful melancholy
which had fastened upon him since
the morning.
The dinner was well cooked and
good; the ale, which he frugally Or
dered after a glance at the wine list,
excellent. When, his hunger salts
fed, Frank Armathwaite drew an arm
chair up to the fire, and running his
eye carelessly over the Mereside
Herald and the Mereside Gazette of
the preceding Friday, found nothing
new enough or untrue enough to arrest
his attention, his thoughts travelled
back naturally to the incidents of his
broken journey; to the doing state
into which he had fallen just before
reaching Haverholme Junction; his
unaccountable escapade in getting out
of the Scotch express and into a train
bound for Conismere; his foolish
freak of deciding to go out of his way
to call on old DR.. Peele; and finally
to the cold drive in the darkness and
the falling snow, and his weird intro
duction, by a chance light from a cot
tage-window, to the dazzling beauty
OF Lady Kildonan. At this point of
his reverie he heard the ~well-secured
shutters of the two windows rattle
loudly, as~with a whistle and a shrek
a gust of wind caught the side of he
old house, and died away into a moan
that made him draw his chair closer
to the fire, with a SILVER and a NUT
tered exclamation Of surprise at his
W folly in having ventured out at
all on such a night. At every fresh
gust there was a kissing noise against
the window-panes, as the falling snow
was whirled il a thick mass of large
flakes against the glass.
To be Continued.