Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-01-14
The Mania
Weird Story of a Man
Who Must Move On.
By F. A. mitchell
sssssssssseesseeesss

sssssssssssessssesssssssss
When | was young man | went
west and settled in Atchison, Kan.
That was just after the close of the
war between the states, and the Kan
sas jayhawkers, as the proslavery men
were called. were settling down to
peaceful pursuits. l confess | was of
a wandering disposition. Not satisfied
to remain in Atchison, | went to To
peka. But was not satisfied there Ell
Their and concluded to go down to San
Ia Fe, y. NJ. 1t was Oh this trip that
| received a shock that sent me back
to my home in Ohio. where | have
| lived ever since. my desire for wander
ing about the land having been entire.
ly eradicated.
| could have gone south in a stage
coach. but there was money to be
made in those days in shipping goods
into the heart Of New Mexico, and
| determined to take stock of house
hold articles with me over the freight
ing road of the period. | concluded
to outfit at Denver and went there for
| the purpose. | had money and credit
together to buy three wagons, with the
| teams to haul them. and hired two
men.
| | hadn't been out q week when one
of the men took sick and died sudden
| ~. This left me short handed. Then
one of my wagons broke down. and
was obliged to leave it at ranch on
the way. In crossing the Rio Grande
my second wagon went over ledge of
rock on the river bottom and was a
total loss, the man driving it being
drowned. | had pluck enough to go
on with the remaining wagon. and if
| it had not been for what I'm going to
tell you | Isight have continued to be
a wanderer to the present day.
One evening | campcd on the bank
of the Rio Grande. There was a
branch wagon road running for a
short distance parallel with the road
was on and half mile away. had
fed my stock, eaten my supper and
was smoking my pipe, feeling mighty
lonesome. The night had come on, and
shining through Il dreary, misty atmOS-
phere.
1t was the kind of night to bring on
a depression of spirits, and l felt such
a depression stealing over me. My eff
forts to throw it off We're in vain. Oh,
why, | asked myself. did | leave Il
comfortable home to camp alone IN
such a dead place? | felt that | was
in wise from which | could not es-
cape. | had been born wanderer, |
would live wandPrer. | would die a
J wanderer.
While was sitting there trying to
keep UP my spirits by pulling Justify on
my pipe-fOr the glow of the burning
tobacco was the only cheerful thing
about heard the creaking of wag
on, which seemed TO come from the
other road. listened, and, sure
enough, there was that familiar creak.
only in this case it was more pro
nOunced than | had ever heard it. as
though every stick of timber every
hub, every spoke, was loose.
Then I heard something else that
was even far more dismal than the
wagon creak. 1t was a wOman's voice
| trying to get the team onward. and |
| judged that she was having hard
time doingit for presently she broke
down, and | could hear that she was
crying
AT this | got right up off the box |
was sitting on and lit out in the direc.
! ton the sounds came from, After
passing through Il low growth of brush
| emerged upon the other road, and
there was wagon standing stock still.
one hind wheel in hole up to the hub.
1t was the sorricst looking vehicle |
ever saw. Every bit of paint had been
worn or washed off it. and the cover
was rotten and full of holes, the whole
looking rs If it were ready to fall to
pieces. There were two horses har-
the leather having been replaced with
rope. | didn't see any human being
about till, hearing a moan, looked on
the other side of the road. and there.
sitting OH a stump, was a wOman-a
young woman apparently, though since
her face was covered with her hands !
couldn't tell her age
Cheer up, young woman" | said
Pm ready to help you. What are sou
doing here alone without a man, driv-
ing il team and wagon ut this time Of
night"
The only reply | received was Il
moan | went 70 her and took her
hands from her face ana looked down
IN IT. 1t was very sweet, but very
melancholy In the faded cheeks |
Gould discern traces of beauty Beauty
there was in pair Of ilHring eyes
though there was something uncanny
about them. The HANDS took III
mine were icy, but the night was chill
ana the poor girl WAS thinly clad. In
deed. her apparel correspondent with
the rest Of the outfit,
was so moved by the pitifu sight
that | put an arm about her. She let
her head fall upon my shoulder and
wept. afrcsh.
| desired to comfort her. but her
Sobs did not cease. and | continued to
clasp a form Of marble. Her face was
toward mine. but ! felt no breath.
Notwithstanding her pitiful condi.
ton could but wonder what in
the world "irl VINO could not have
been more than nineteen years old
could be doing in such peculiar situa