Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1908-09-04

- 2@N appears John Armitage
~ possessed a great store
6II>0 of geographical knowl
edge as interpreted in such literature
He could tell you without leaving his
room and probably without opening
DIS trunk the quickest way out of
Tokyo or St Petersburg or Calcutta or
Cinch Tight. Mont. if you suddenly re
ceiVed a cablegram calling you to vi
emma or Paris or Washington from Que,
Of those places.
such being the case, ii was remark
able that he should have started for
point in the Virginia hills by way of
Boston, thence to Norfolk by coastwse
steamer and on to Lamar by lines OF
railroad whose schedules would have
been the despair of unhardened travel
ers. He had expressed his trunks iii
rect and Travelled with two suit cases
and an umbrella. His journey since his |
boat swung out into Massachusetts /
bay had been spent in gloomy specula-
tons. and two young women booked
for Baltimore wrongly attributed his
reticence and aloofness 10 a grievou-
disappointment in love
He had wanted time 10 think-to Don
der his affairs-to devise some way ont
Of his difficulties and to contrive th
defeat Of Chauvenet Moreover, his
relations to the Claibornes were in an
ugly tangle Chauvenet had dealt him
q telling blow in a quarter where he \
particularly wished 10 appear to ad
vantage
He jumped out of the day coach in
which he had accomplished the last
stage Of his Journey to Lamar just at ..
dawn and found Oscar. with two 7
horses waiting
Good morning" said Oscar. salut
ing
You are prompt sergeant" And Ar
mitage shook hands with him.
AS the train roared on through the u
valley Armitage opened one of the suit Il
cases and took out a pair of leather
ieggings, which he strapped on. Then L
Oscar tied the cases together with a
rope and hung them across his saddle L
bow. II
THE place-what Of ity asked Armi, u
tage. V
There may be worse. l have not p'
decided" II
Armitage laughed aloud. %
rs it as bad as that?" y"
The man was busy tightening the ia
saddle girths, and he answered Armi Si.
lagos further questions with soldier an
Ike brevity on
You have been here Ou
Two weeks. sir" Sc
And nothing has happened? It isa ue
rood report" blt
1T is good for the soul to stand or 20
Mountains and look at the world. Yon
vii like that animal-yes? He is light II"
r than a cavalry horse. Mine you will 'U
office, is trife heavier / bought o VI,
BEN at a stock farm in another val I'
" and rode them up to the place" Ie
The train sent back loud echoes. A III
irl in pink sunbonnet rode up on a. ,H'
lUle and carried off the mail pouch lns
he station agent was busy inside AZ VI,
Is telegraph instruments and paid no wei
ed to the horsemen. Save for a few VI
Its clustered on the hillside there
ere no signs of human habitation in -
yht. The lights in a switch target -7
owed yellow against the growing g
Wn OeIi
q m, .,,,.. - rows
r, touching his hat. There is moth 80
here but the station. The settle. an
mt is farther on our way" - 80
Then let us be off" said Armitage. o,an,
inging into the saddle. IN, m
'scar led the way in silence along traiI
ROW road that chung close to the shor,
rnin, So p.ue 'o1ereu nli' Inc that
aIa5 9H",p anu tue horses prop,
''' ue Dreatn OF their steep