The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-02
The Euening Story
The beautiful Adventure
(By lola Forrester.)

on the bleak little platform at ByerS
Corners and looked through the snow
fall for anything that seemed to be a
conveyance.
She had left Boston at 5:45-plenty
| of time to reach Windyheath in good
| time Anne had written her.
It's just nice little run over from
| Providence on the Providence and
Willimantic line. Well meet you at
| Byerss Corners. The trains only stop
! there on signal or to let off visitors,
and the only visitors that ever come
are ours. If Rolf or 1 can't come over
| I'll send a wonderful substitute"
! Evidently Rolf, Anne and the substi-
/ tute had been overcome by the storm.
Trains had been delayed from Boston
| to Providence and on the little local
| line they had waited again and again
along the way. There had been no
real need of any signal to let her off
when Byers's Corners came in view
| The drifts were so high that 1t took
| the train twenty minutes to get out of
| Byerss Corners, let alone getting in.
| But again Anne had written:
! Don't feel discouraged getting to
u.s. We live in the quaintest little viii
lage perched on the top of a hill. but
! it is wonderful when you get here,
and we're piling on big logs for you
and the latchstring bangles, so be sure
and come. Also, l have your-ro-
mancei He has come true, Win, at
last. and he's all that anyone who loves
you could wish for you.''
1t certainly was stimulating. if moth
| ing else, both the lure of the letter and
the trip itself Winifred went around
| the other side of the tiny station and
! heard voices. A man was arguing
about some way of reaching the Del
mars, and the stocky driver of a two
horse sleigh demurred evasively.
Its nine miles ordinarily up there
and we'd have to go roundabout by
/ Butts's bridge tonight cause the roads
amt been broke through tother way,
and then like enough we'd never make
| it. It's worth five dollars to drive over
| there, every cent of it,
I'll pay you five" said the stranger.
Hurry up
81 can't guarantee to get you there,
but I'll do my best. This here's the
| only team in town you could get to-
night. There's a dance over at Pom
fret Green and everybody's gone 1
meant to go, but l had to take som e
folks down to this train, sc I don't
mind making a little going since l had
| to earn some coming.
"Oh, could 1 go with you, please %
Winifred broke in. I'D pay half
don't you know, and there's plenty of
room. I'm going to the Delmars,
! too"
1t seemed too good to be true when
she found herself safely tucked away
| on the back seat, with buffalo robes
around her and the two horses taking
up the road splendidly, their hoofs
DdCk spray OI llSIlI SNOW
He was Gregory Ramsden, he told
her, writer and globe trotter. He had
Just got back from a year at the front
| in Europe and he said Connecticut
hills looked better to him than all the
old world put together. Even in the
darkness the pine trees stood out, their
| branches heavy with snow, end before
them here and there in the fields were
clumps of white birch and red oak,
with dry leaves still clinging TIC their
r1ae- OF l1xr Il ar- A
curious luminous radiance hung over
the winter world. and the stars shone
famously up in the winter sky.
Gregory half turned IN his seat and
| talked He had known Rolf since they
were boys back in Denver. Neither of
them noticed after five miles had been
covered that the horses were walking,
breasting the drifts and literally wad-
ing through, until they came to a
dead halt and the driver jumped out.
They couldn't go on, ne said. The
snow was up TO the top of the fences
as far as one could see. He could turn
around and get them up to the old
Anna Smith place, where there
was a telephone, ard they could call
up Windyhaath.
Its Only nine-thirty,s Gregory said
reassuringly. And we don't set an ad-
venture every day. Let's GO
The Snirh place was dark when
they reached it, but Ike driver
knocked Justify and finally there was
a faint, frightened voice from the
inner side of the front door asking
who it was that time of night. Greg
DRY explained, with the drivers help,
and they were admitted.
But you can't get word through to-
night. The wires don't work. They
never do after a big storm on these
here party lines" said Miss Smith
holding up 4 big oil lamp. Just step
right out into the kitchen and you
stir up the fire, Ira. Make yourselves
to home, folkses. Ira can drive back
and maybe telephone from the village
UP there"
Winifred never forgot that New
Years eve. After Ira had gone, they
sat out in the CHEEKY OLD kitchen
drinking tea, eating nuts and apples
and mince pie, and getting fearfullX
, | we'll acquainted, 8 Miss Smith put il
and split kindlings for morning, and
locked up for the night. While Miss
Smith went up to look after her OLD
bedridden father, they sat together b5
the fire, and somehow -alk died away
The old clock up on the chimney man.
tel softly struck twelve in the silence
Winifred looked up and smiled, hel
| head leaning back on the cushioned
top of the old black rocker.
Happy New Year" she said
isn't it the queerest thing, our being
way up here miles from every one We
: know, and not knowing each other
even, and starting off the new veal
, together ?"
IT'S great Gregory clasped hi:
hands around one knee, seated on the
woodbox under the big Dutch oven
Pm not superstitious, but after ram
bling for a year over there this seems
awfully much worth while. You know
I'd almost begun to think. if you won
, mind my saying so, that there WASH
any one like you in the world
Miss Smith hurried through the en-
try way.
"Ira's back with bigger team ant
y he's going TO take you through al
right, he says. He drove over tina
0 bad spot in the roads and broke i
for you. And he's telephoned to Mrs
e Delmar that you're coming"
1t was nearly two when the
,.c- 81, I, 81