The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-15

uiiNCi iuSly AL dDOdlu. DIouSht
the girl and the young man hGrrying
into its dismal depths.
Il s'pose you're for F~erguson's
place" remarked the driver as he
turned the horses skillfully in the mar
row space.
Yes" said the man rather grufiy.
I thought there would be a carriage
to meet u.s."
so there has-so there has! Beer
prancin' around her for two or three
hours. but l guess they got disgusted;
anyways. they left word for me to stay
one was bound for their place to bring
EN- along. The trains four hours late
as it is. and l don't suppose them SER
wants want to be kept away from their
Christmas dinner"
How long will it AXE us?" asked
he girl.
"A matter of an hour or So" was
the unconcerned reply.
The girl stifed an exclamation OF
annoyance and she drew still farther
away from the vicinity of the morose
young man. The latter turned up the
a~strakhan collar of his overcoat and
dropped his chin into its depths.
They had started forth that morning
SO joyfully-Polly Standish and Der
rick Gordon-newly engaged and bliss
fully happy. Things had gone wrong
from the very beginning. Polly's aunt,
who was to accompany them Nr the
short stay at Ferguson's h~ospitable
country house, had failed to put In an
appearance, and consequently had
been left behind. That was ~vexatious.
Then the train had been delayed by
snow drifts and during the four hours
wait In the cold train Polly and Der
rick had quarreled.
Mice Christmas day" volunteered
the stage driver in his queer, cracked
voice. as they squeaked over the hard
packed snow.
Very" returned Derrick, sarcastic
ally.
There was a long silence as the
strong white horses plodded up the
steep incline of the mountain Here
the snowfall had been light and only
served to dust the dark green pines
and hemlocks with a white powder.
They had reached the top of a steep
incline and were rolling evenly over a
level stretch when suddenly. without
an i~nstant's warning, the stage
crashed down and precipitated the
passengers and luggage in an ignomini-
Gus heap under the drivers seat.
Are you hurt?" asked Derrick cold
ly. as he assisted Polly to her feet.
mo, thank you," she said stifly, as
she peered out from the curtained win
dow.
The driver was soothing the fright
ened horses and his nut-cracke:. face
was knotted anxiously.
Lost a wheel, by gorry," he said.
ruefully. Smashed 1T to finders."
Derrick had crawled out and stood
beside him.
This is the dickens Of a mess-how
are We to get to Ferguson's place? Are
we neal a telephone-or where are we
anyway?'
Luke Sanders scratched his ear
thoughtfully. II took a short ROAD
across-tAin't the usual route to Fer.
g~uson's and we amt near nobody! Ten
miles from anywhere. The only thing
to do is for me to ride one of the
horses into the village and send back
another wagon. You and the young
lady better get out and move about a
bit and keep warm. You might build
a fife-there's plenty of fuel" He
was embarrassing the horses as he
spoke.
why can't we all ride-or better
still. Miss Standish can ride one of
them and | will walk beside her. We
will get there much quicker and can
keep warm and have something to
eat. We're almost starved" Derrick
glanced quickly at the stage where
darkened opening.
Cant nobody ride Bob-white. A
jumpin' kangaroo amt nothin' to that
horse IL anybody gifts on his back!
Just you stay here and make your
selves comfortable and warm and I'll
be back in the course of an hour or
So" He tethered the ferocious Bob
white TO a tree by the roadside. Then
from the space under his seal in the
Stage he drew forth a basket covered
with a white cloth.
"'This here basket has got a Christ
mas dinner inside-my wife fixed IL up
for old Miss Benton down to the ford
but ! can stop and get another basket.
full for the old lady. You two are wei.
come to it." He clambered on the
waiting horse and smiled as his horny
hand closed around the generous bank,
note that Derrick slipped from his
pocket.
wife. sir" he called back over his
shoulder before he disappeared around
a turn in the road.
Derrick did not dare to look at Polly
Standish; ne knew she was sitting
proud and defiant with a contemptu'
Gus curl on her red lip. Instead, he
stared away through the aisles OF
trees, made into golden paths by the
later afternoon sun.
1t was too bad that Christmas
should have turned out SO disastrous
ly for them both. There was to be
jolly party at the Fergusons and In
the evening a Christmas dance. Per
haps Ralph Ferguson would send forth
another conveyance for them-but L
would go by that other road. The,
we're marooned on the short cut.
A glimpse OF Polly's woeful face
! brought a revulsion of feeling. Pool