Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-09-14

great cloak blew back from Mary's
knees. and she felt many a chilling
drop through her fine new silk trunks
that made her wish for buckram in
their place. Soon the water began to
trickle down her legs and find lodg-
ment I'm the jack boots. and as the rain
and wind came In tremulous little
whirs she felt wretched enough-she
who had always been so well sheltered
from every blast. Now and then mud
and water would fly up into her face
striking usually in the eyes or mouth
and then again her horse would STUN
bic and almost throw her over his head
as he sank. knee deep. into some unex-
pected hole.
All OF this. with the thousand and
one noises that broke the still worse
silence Of the inky night, soon began to
work upon her nerves and make her
fearful The road was full of dangers
aside from stumbling horses and bro
ken necks, for many were the stories
Of murder and robbery committed
along the route they were travelling. 1t
is true they had two stout men, and all
were armed. yet they might easily
come upon party too strong for them,
and no one could tell what might hap
pen, thought the princess. There was
that pitchy darkness through which
she could hardly see her horses head
a thing of itself that seemed to have in
finite powers for mischief and which
no amount of argument ever induced
any normally constituted woman to be-
lieve was the mere negative absence of
light and not terrible entity potent
for all sorts of mischief. Then that
wailing howl that rose and fell be-
times. No wind ever made such noise
she felt sure. There were those shin
ing white CLEANS which came from the
little pools of water on the road, look
ing like dead mems faces upturned and
pale. Perhaps they were water and
perhaps they were not. Mary had all
confidence in Brandon. but that very
fact operated against her. Having that
confidence and trust In him, she felt
no need to waste her own energy in be-
ing brave. So she relaxed completely
and had the feminine satisfaction Of
allowing herself to be thoroughly
frightened.
Is 1t any wonder Mary's gallant but
womanly spirit sank low in the face
OF all those horrors? She held out
bravely, however, and an occasional
clasp from Brandon's hand under cover
Of the darkness comforted her. When
all those terrors would not suggest even
a thought Of turning back, you may
Judge of the character of this girl and
her motive.
They travelled on, galloping when
they could, trotting when they could
not gallop, and walking when they
must, and about midnight arrived at
the inn where the relay of horses was
awaiting them.
The inn was a rambling old matched
roof structure, half mud, half wood
and all filth. There are many inns in
England that are tidy enough, but this
one was little off the main road-se-
lected for that reason-and the un-
cleanness was not the least of Mary's
trials that hard night. She had not
tasted food since noon and felt the
keen hunger natural to youth and
health such as hers after twelve hours
OF fasting ano eight hours of riding.
Her appetite soon overcame her repug-
nance, and she ate with a zest that
was new to her the humblest fare that
had ever passed her lips. One often
misses the zest of life's joys by having
too much of them. One must want a
thing before 1t can be appreciated.
hard ride Of five hours brought our
travellers to Bath, which place they
rode around Just as the sun began to
gid the tile roofs and steeples, and an
other hour brought them to Bristol.
To be continued.