The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-02-07
Crossing
The Divide.
BY AZILE AIDYL.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Jessie Morgan.
BY AZILE AIDYL.

snappy December evening. The driver
swung his six horses with great -four
ish and cracking OF whip through the
rough but level road of the main street
and out at the north end Of the town.
A brilliant dash down the steep In
cline to the creek, and he brought the
coach far up the road on the other side,
where the mountains rose so suddenly
from the plains. And so began the
climb over the divide.
The three passengers Inside the
coach, young girl and two men, ap-
parently accustomed to this mode OF
travelling, did not brace themselves TO
resist the pitching and rolling Of the
ponderous vehicle, but allowed them
selves to sway with It's every motion.
The road was broken and rough from
the heavy autumn rains. Once the
coach struck "chuck hole" which al
most brought the inmates to their feet
and caused a general friendly laugh.
Up to this time the girl had paid no
attention 10 her fellow travellers. She
had been absorbed with her own home
sick thoughts. To start the drudgery
OF a governess' life, miles from no
where, with no prospect Of returning
home for year, was depressing oh,
well, she must make the best Of It,
She tried TO distinguish the mems faces,
but II was too dark, and both were
muffied In heavy overcoats. AS they
boarded the coach at Redding she had
noticed one was an old man, the other
gray as 10 hair, broad, strong and
youthful as TO shoulders.
The older man sat beside her on the
back seat The two men chatted about
the rich "strike" in Deadwood, where
fortunes were being made In day.
She gathered that the young-old man
was mining an old hydraulic property
Just beyond Lewiston, and he was on
his way there. Well, she was going
'just beyond Lewiston" also. and she
wondered II this huge person was to
be q neighbor OF hers.
Their desultory talk gradually died
away, the old man fell asleep, and his
head bobbed and swayed and ducked
about until he seemed In danger OF
losing It, but he slept on oblivious Of
such alarming possibilities.
At IL o'clock they reached the Half
way House, and while the driver
changed horses the passengers stretch
ed their cramped limbs, pacing the
narrow porch OF the inn. Later they
went into the low, long dining room,
where cold lunch and hot coffee were
tuI Npi a
red and white cloth. The girl saw
that the youngold giant could not be
more than thirty-seven or thlrty-eight
years old, though his hair was silver.
And such blue eyes! They seemed
to belong to child. so clear and un-
clouded were they.
He supplied her needs at the table
without seeming to do SO, and when
the driver called "All aboard he
helped her into the coach In the same
unobtrusive manner.
The fresh horses, only four now, rs
the heavy climb was over pulled the
stage along at livelier pace and
within half hour they had reached
the summit of the divide and com
menced the descent.
The driver cracked his whip, and
they whirled down the narrow noun
tain road swinging the horses far out
on the very edge OF the embankment
as they turned the outward curve Of
the mountain and then sweeping rapid
ly In at the bend-as, only stage
driver can and keep his coach I'm the
middle OF the road.
1t was n magnificent night, the moon
light making IL clear as day. The
girl from her window could see in
Vulnerable lofty peaks OF the great
coast range stretching In what seemed
level line.
The passengers were startled by a
sudden Jerking of the coach and n wild
imprecatlon from the driver.
Something's wrong" said the giant,
and he opened the window on the right
hand side and looked out In a mo-
ment he drew back.
"The Off lead has broken the inside
trace and Is frightened" ".hc said as he
divested himself Of his overcoat The
driver must have some help. Don't
be nervous"-this to the young girl.
"Well fix It all right"
He opened the door and stood on the
step a second. BY this time the terror
Of the runaway was communicated to
the other horses, and they were fast
getting beyond control. The coach was
rocking and pitching at tremendous
rate.
"Close the door after get on top
he called to the old man, who was
thoroughly awake by this time, and
then. waiting until the coach swung
around the inner curve, he put one
foot halfway up the door on the open
window ledge and, grasping the low
railing above, pulled himself up on e
the top OF the coach.
The girl had closed the door and
leaning far out, watched him rs tn,
swinging coach permitted step TO the
seat Of the driver and over the dash