The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-01

| tidings had drifted to him that Mynd-
herst Van Doren would never have
dreamed of setting up for himself this
| private equipage if he had not become
a martyr to rheumatism. mot gout,
not bit of it, Stanfeld's informant
had added; ''he's altogether too plain a
| liver for that
| And row, as the slow, massive car
rage passed him, Stanfeld glanced with
IN it and discerned, though somewhat
| family, thin, hard-faced man leaning
against its back cushions. just after
this glimpse of his unknown uncle had
been offered him he started as he per-
ceived large dray, drawn by two mad
dened runaway horses, come dashing up
the street. At first there seemed no
danger to Mr.. Van Dorens carriage,
though the coachman brought it to an
abrupt standstill and watched the hur-
rying bulk with anxious eyes. As it
sped nearer, however, the headlong reg
ularity of its progress changed. The
driver was gone, having rashly jumped
from his seat some little time ago. The
horses now began a plunging course and
several other wagons narrowly es-
vehicle. Towards that the wild crea-
lures now swerved, and in another in
slant they were rearing furiously and
yet still galloping onward, with their
own wheels locked in the heavy yellow
ones. 1t was a horrible moment for
Stanfield. Young, strong, with urgently
humane impulses, he saw the carriage
of the old man violently overturned and
the coachman flung from his box. There
is no doubt that he now acted with a
splendid promptness and courage, for
in a trice he had darted, fleet of foot
after the whole hurtled comminglement
of horses and woodwork. The Van
Doren team had not yet taken fright
and were pulling stolidly against their
terrified brothers. This gave Stanfield
a chance, and he leaped with great dar
ing and MIN bleness upon the shafts of
the dragging coach. Still greater was
his act in springing thence upon the
dray itself. He happened to have a
large clasp-knife in his pocket, a me-
mento of shooting trip in the South
Carolina wilderness taken but short
time before his romantic marriage. He
remembered afterwards that while get
|
dray and clinging to it with one hand
as he cut the traces with the other, it
flashed through his mind how he was
almost giving his life one chance out of
twenty But few lunges of that stout
steel blade SO far unfettered the furious
horses that within the next twenty sec
onds they had quite rid themselves of
every restriction and were scampering
uptown with a new and horrid liberty.
Stanfield felt dazed after his magnifi-
cent work Still clinging to the dash
board, with the knife in his hand, he
fancied himself for the first time in his
sturdy young life on the verge of a
positive swoon.
Then somebody caught him and he
opened his eyes without realizing that
lie had closed them.
A crowd had collected, and plaudits
rang to him from every side.
"The most heroic thing | ever saw"
said man who had the speech and APP
pearance of gentleman I'm proud
u shake hands with you, sir. Perhaps
! t'u don't know whom you saved from
) a horrible DEATH he continued, while
;, holding Stanfeld's hand Its Mr.. Van
: Doren, the retired shipping merchant"
+ ''Van Doren?" faltered StanGeld, who
now began to feel himself again, his
r brief faintness vanishing as a scrap of
n mist is blown away from a rugged hill
c side "Do you mean Mr.. Myndherst
f Van Doren?"
). eyes," said another voice, before
n the gentleman could respond. Here
10 hp
: wasn't killed by the carriage upsetting
e as it did"
IS Nothing could more clearly have ex-
/, pressed the provincialism of New York
! at that period than what now followed
d from another member of the throng:
d "Oh, he's so equity, or rheumatic, or
II whatever it is, that he keeps his
V carriage all padded jnside, just like a
1t baby's."
n FLUSH! here he comes" murmured
e the gentleman, and soon Mr.. Van Dorer
d moved up to Stanfeld with an extended
a hand. His rheumatism made him linn
1t u little, but he had sustained no injury
/, Ills greeting of the young man who
ID had certainly saved his life was civil
but by no means gracious The face
ID which his nephew looked upon, rising
l. clean shaved and sharp-featured from
n its ample stock, was almost frigid ant
r lifelesS enough to have been carved
ar from some sort of grayish marble.
W 81 thank you, young sir-I thank you
d. very much, very much" He was hold
v ing Stantields hand while he thu
+ spoke, but on sudden dropped it ant
lg fulnblcd in a side pocket of hi
st coat. which was cut like the evening
re ''swallow-taiT' coat of the present
IN Soon he produced a wallet and drew
:? from it card, which he handed Sta1
Lh field. There Ard then he St4l'e
ps tixedly at his preserver for an instant
r, finally giving helpless little shrug o
n the shoulders and disclosing shatterc
in mir of snectacl6s which he had thus fa