Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-07-03
THE wINDnAM COUNTY REFoRMER, FRIDAY, JULY 8 1908

AY, JULY 3, 1908.
suitable proportions FOR the princess
This came in good play, as her fine gen
tleman's attire would be but poor STU
to turn the water. The wind, which
had arisen with just enough force &c
set up a dismal wall. gave the rain
horizontal slant and drove 1t in at every
opening. The flaps Of the comfortable
great cloak blew back from Mary
knees, and she felt many chilling
drop through her fine new silk trunks
that made her wish for buckram IN
their place. Soon the water began 10
trickle down her legs and find lodg-
ment in the jack boots, and as the ram
and wind came In tremulous httie
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.
BILE and almost throw her over his head
an 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 10
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. II
Is true they had two stout men, ana an
were armed, yet they might easily
come upon a party too strong for them,
and no one could tell what might hap
pen, thought the princess. There was
that pitchy darkness through whlch
she could hardly see her horses head
q 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 a 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
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.
II 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
al those terrors would not suggest even
4 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
'oof structure, half mud, half wood
Ind all nlth. There are many inns in
England that are tidy enough, but this
me was little of the main road-se-
ected for that reason-and the IN
DEAFNESS was not the least OF Mary's
rails that hard night. She had not
asted food since noon and felt the
.een hunger natural to youth and
ealth such as hers after twelve hours
I fasting and eight hours of riding.
Ter appetite soon overcame her repug-
ance. and she ate with a zest that
7as new to her the humblest fare that
ad ever passed her lips. One often
Kisses the zest Of life's joys by having
20 much of them. One must want a
hing before 1t can be appreciated.
A hard ride Of five hours brought our
'avelers to Bath, which place they
ode around just as the sun began to
I'D the tile roofs and steeples. and an
Their hour brought them to Bristol.
The ship was to sail at sunrise, but
, the wind had died out with the