The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-02-01
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two. | guessed what this meant, but
resolved not to draw back; and present.
ly the landlords voice began again:
Have ye a too high a stomach to lie
on straw
"Oho!" thought | to myself, "then I
am to be kept for the mares sake. but
not admitted to the house, and said
aloud that l could put up with a straw
bed.
Because there's the stable loft at
your service. As We hear, our house is
full of company. But straw is clean bed
ding, and the mare I'll help to put in
STALL
Agreed" | said, "on one condition
that you send me out some food"
To this he consented, and, stepping
back into a side room. with the other
fellow, returned in a minute alone, car
rying a lantern. The flare, as we picked
our way along, fell for a moment on an
open cart shed, and within, on the gilt
panels Of a coach. In the stable | was
surprised to find half a dozen horses
standing, ready saddled. and munching
their fill Of oats. They were ungroomed,
and one or two in n lather OF sweat that
on such n night was hard to account for.
But i asked no questions, and my COM
panion vouchsafed no talk, though twice
| caught him regarding mi curiously as
l unbridled the mare in the only vacant
stall. Not a word pass'd as he took the
lantern off the peg again, and led the
way up a ramshackle ladder to the loft
above. He was a fat, numbering fellow,
and made the old timbers creak. At the
top he set down the light, and pointed
to a heap Of straw in the corner.
lyons your bed" he growled; and be-
fore / could answer, was picking his way
down the ladder again.
/ look'd about, and shiver'd. The caves
OF my bedchamber were scarce on speak
ing terms with the walls, and through a
score of crannies at least the wind pour
ed and whistled, so that after shifting
my truss of straw n dozen times / found
myself still the center Of a whirl Of
draught. The candle flame, too, was
pulled this way and that inside the horn
sheath. | was losing patience when |
heard footsteps below: the ladder creak'd,
and the red hair and broad shoulders of
a chambermaid rose into view. She
carried a salver with food, and mutter'd
all the while. The wench had a kind
face, tho; and a pair of eyes that did
her more credit than her tongue.
And what's to be my reward for this,
/ wan to know" she painted out, rest
ing her left palm on her hip.
why, a groat or two said /. Il beg
your pardon. but my wits are frozen up,
| think. There's two, for interest; and
another il you tell me whom your master
entertains tonight, that l must be con-
tent with this crib"
"Well-to begin, there's the gentle
folk that came this afternoon with their
own carriage and heathenish French ser
want; a cranky old grandee and a daugh-
ter with more airs than a peacock; Sir
Something-or-other Killigrew-bless the
boyp'
For l had dropp'd the mug and split
the hot coffee all about the straw, where
it trickled away with a fragrance re-
proachfully delicious.
Nov l beg your pardon a hundred
times; but the chill is in my bones worse
than the ague;;' and budding my shout
ders up, i counterfeited a shivering fit
with a truthfulness that surprised my
self.
"Poor lad!'
"And it's first hot and then cold all
down my spine, and goose flesh and
Pushes all over my body; and by morn
ing l shall be in a high fever; and oh!
| feel l shall die of itv'
"Don't-don'tvr The honest girls eyes
were full of tears. II wonder, now"
she began; and | waited, eager for her
next words. "Sure, masters at cards in
the parlor. Shalt pass the night by the
kitchen fire, il only thou make no noise
"But your mistress-what will she
sayf'
rs in heaven these two years; and
out Of masters speaking distance forever.
SO blow out the light and follow me
gently"
Still ~feigring to SILVER, / follow'd her
down the ladder, and through the stable
into the open. The girl took me by the
hand to guide me; for, save from the
one bright window in the upper floor,
there was no light at all in the yard.
Clearly, she was in dread of her masters
anger, for We stole across like ghosts, and
once or twice she WHISPERED a warning
when my toe kick'd against a loose cob
BILE. But just rs | seem'd to be walk
ing into a stone wall. she put out her
hand. / heard the click of a latch, and
stood in a dark, narrow passage.
The passage led to a second floor that
open'd on a wide, stone-pav'd kitchen,
lit by a cheerful fire. wherein a kettle
Missed and dubbed. Close by the chin
ney corner was a sort of buttery hatch,
for pushing the hot dishes conveniently
into the parlor on the other side OF the
wall.
"Sit." WHISPERED the girl, "and make
no noise, while | attend to the men folk
Ia the parlor." She jerked her thumb
toward the buttery hatch, where i had
already caught the murmur of voices.
took up a chair softly, and set it
down between fhe hatch and the fire.