Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1904-01-07
CHAPTER I.

ceAterhhlre, though the May Of the year
In which our story opens wns already two
weeks old. II was late spring, the
country people snid, meaning that the
hall, and sleet, aud rain, aud bitter east
Winds were still In the ascendant. and
that there was not n glimpse Of sunshine
from weeks end 20 weeks end. Times
were hard and business was bad. and peo.
pie already croaked about the danger
TO the harvest. II was n world that shiv-
cred by the fire still, aud waited for a
change, Weather-wlse folks looked mp
At the leaden sky every day, shook their
heads and said more vet; and the wet
came down as though they had asked for
II, and washed out the energy from
three-fourths of the humankind In Wor-
cester.
II had been raining all day In the loyal
city, Just as IL had raincd the day before,
and the day preceding that. II was ain.
Ing nj ten o'clock In the evening In as Wig.
orous and lively fashion as though II
had just commenced, aud the wind had
turned ont with extra strength to add 10
the dark nights discomfort Worcester
had lost heart and given up and gone to
he'd, and at the railway station. where,
by the tables. one could ascertain that a
train was behind time by three minutes,
there was faint semblance Of life, morc
depressing thnn the elements. There was
one fly, with It's driver asleep Ia the in-
terior Of his vehicle, aud It's drabby horse
coughing like man, There was a wet
old gentleman. gllttering like beetle In
his waterproof as he walked up and
down, under the dim gas lamps Of the
station. There was a railway portcr's
head pecring occasionally from n half.
open door. and declining to allow It's body
TO come forward until the glaring eyes
Of the engine were seen advancing
through the mlserIes Of the night; and
there was a short, thin, haggard scrap Of
youth, In tattered corduroys and a red
comforter, curled up on n porter's truck,
and sleeping plaeidly.
The train that was overdue was not
calculated to rouse the officials into en-
ergy. II came from n dull, dead branch
line, and was going on to Gloucester; il
was not likely TO land many travellers or
take up many at that hour Of the night,
When II arrived At last, II came into the
station noiselessly and In spiritlcss con.
dition, as though the steam were low end
the engine-driver had just buried his
wife, aud only one bespotted window was
slowly lowered In a third-ciass carriage,
as the train giided 10 the platform.
From this window an ungloved hand
and arm protrudcd and unlatchcd the
door, and then n stalwart man of four or
five and twenty years Of age, a bright.
faced, brown-bcarded man, stepped out,
dragged forth portmanteau and hat
box. stood aside to allow Of the brisk en-
trance Of the man In the shiny water
proof, aud looked around him In that
half.sharp. half.vague manner common
70 individuals who find themselves in
places that are new to them, or have
changed much since their last farewell.
The guard banged the door to, the engine
gave a melancholy wall, and toilcd on
with II burden; the youth In corduroys sat
up on the barrow and stared at the port.
manteau and hat box rather than at their
owner; the fy-driver, who had reused
himself, called out Carriage, sirT" and
not receiving response, cut the coughing
/ horse viclously under the chin with his
whip aud drove off at full speed.
The traveller, after a hasty glance at
the sky, called out in sharp, clear voice
to the porter:
II expected carriage for me tonight"
"What sort Of carriageT
"a private carriage from Mr.. Gull
wick's, of Sedge Hill, Do you know Mr..
Culwick by sight, or his coachmanf"
"There has been nothing here but cabs
all day--and there's nothing likely to
come now, reckon"
do you want anybody to carry your
! luggage, sirT asked weak voice, and
the lad who had been doing away time
on the barrow obtruded In an edgewisc
manner into the conversation, The trav.
elerd glanced at him and said:
at is too heavy for you, my man."
"No It isn't" said the youth with alac'
rity. "I'm very strong; have been
waiting for a job all night, sir---if you
don't mind, sir--for I'm very strong,
am, indeed"
The eagerness of the request, the reiter
alton Of his powers, the contrast which
his words presented to his white cheeks
and eager, dark eyes, attracted anew the
attention of the gentleman for whom nc
carriage had arrived, before the railway
porter turned upon the applicant.
"You get out Of this, young shaver
you've been here a sight too long al
ready" cried the porter, land I've hat
my hi on you these two hours It's nj
use your hanging about as If"
The boy covered for an Instant, an(
then turned quickly on the man.
"And I'm very strong, sir" he nrget
again. may l tryF I'll carry 1t easily
see nowI"
The portmanteau was raised and funI
upon his shoulder, the other hand caugh
up the leather hat box, and the whit
face looked round the burden inQuiring
ly,
1 "Where to, sirf"
ITO Muddleton's Hotel"
The youth strobe into the wind an(
rain, and then the traveller, after givlnt
tug to his cap, put his hands In tn,
pockets of his coat and followed hi
guide across and out of the station yard
The youth turned corner with the lug
gage, and the proprietor found him lean
ing against the brick wall of hous,
when he had turned after him.
(which way, sir?" he inquired.
(which wayV' echoed the stranger
"why, straight along there. Don't yol
know the way2"
"Con't say that know much aboa
hotels--I haven't been at this kind o
work great while, sir"
| Elbow long?" inquired the traveller
somewhat curiously.
"Three hours and half" M
"Come, that's perseverance, If we tax
the weather into consideration. You ar
= the lad to make your way in the world
in good time. Three hours and half
| What have you been doing before thisT