The Herald, 1910-01-07, Page 3• EAKI N
POWD111
'. FOOD
MAI'►E IN CANADA.
E:W.GILLETT CO. LTD. TORONTO, ONT..Illitesporoesommemessmomessososerommonomsommoserseseommessissomsememmonsowssessowecomeseromissi
MAG I C
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"It has been long years since I crossed
this threshold, going over the village,
but I could not lose my way. I, •Frances
Barrison, the proud, unyielding old
grandmother, will present myself at the
bailable old blacksmith's cottage, and sue
to see my only daughter's child, Norine.
And after 1 have looked upon her face 1
—I will go away. I will find the old
lawyer's house, and then—yes, then—
the
hen
the wrong of years shall bo righted, and
Frances Barrison's conscience will be at
rest at last!"
She was old and infirm, yet she did
not shrink from the imposed task she
had assigned herself, even when she
crossed over to the window and drew
aside the rich, haevy curtains, and look-
ed 'out into the darkness of the bitter
cold night.
"I can come and, go," she muttered,
"without any one being any the wiser'."
It was a wonderful undertaking' for
this woman, who had not been beyond
the confines of those walls for so many
years, that she almost forgot what the
outside world was like. And she, quite
an invalid at that; hat intense longing
and excitement seemed -DO ouoy her up.
She took from her.Wardrobe a long fur
cloak, a bonnet and veil, and heavy, fur -
lined shoes. •
It did not occur to her how weird they
looked and strangely at variance with
the fashion of the present day as she
donned them. Her mind was busy with
other thoughts.
"Now that 1 come to think of it, I
need not walk so very far," she rumin-
ated. "The stage bound for the Great
Bear Mines must pass the turn of the
road here. I can board the stage and
get out at the turn that leads over the
mougtain. Long'as 1 have been a recluse
within these walls, I have not forgotten
that."
She ,could not have told what prompt-
ed her to place the old will in her bosons,
and hold the new one tightly grasped
in her hand. The key of the door was
hanging on a nail in its accustomed
place. With steadfast hand.she inserted
it in the lock, and the ponderous oaken
door swung noiselessly . bade on its
hinges. She stepped quickly over the
threshold, and, for the first time in long,
miserable years, the fresh air of heaven
blew upon het fact.
How strange it seemed to he out under
the stars of heaven once again. She did
not have time to thick of this long, how-
ever, for at that moment the horn of
the on -coming stage sounded' clear and
shrill on the night air.
With all haste the closely -veiled figure
made its way down to the bend of the
. road, reaching there just in the nick of
time to • hail the vassing coach.
The driver- did look a little astounded
at picking up it passenger in that seclud-
ed spot, and especially a woman, at that,
He did not have the trouble of climb-
ing down off his box to open the door
for her, for the service was performed by
for her, for that service was performed
by the passenger inside—Joe Brainard,
who was going all the trip with him,
as far as the Great Bear mines.
Joe was quite as much surprised AS
the driver had been to see this closely -
veiled, apparently elderly woman board
the stage, for he had been assured that
he was the only passenger booked for the
trip. Joe noticed that the stranger sank
quickly down into the nearest seat, as
though the effort of climbing into the
high, lumbering old vehicle had taken
considerable of her strength from her,
and, moreover, she had no rugs with
which to wrap about her to make her-
self comfortable on this bitter cold night.
The swinging old coach proceeded on
its way, jolting the two occupants con-
siderably as they struggled up the steep
mountain path.
"Who and what is this woman?" Joe
ondered, a strange sense of uneasiness
hat he could not shake off oppressing
him. "It's always unlucky for a woman
to board a stage after it has started"
words to Joe Brainard, then closed the
door with a bang.
Joe looked at his companion sitting
opposite, who appeared to be in a deep
sleep, induced by the motion of the
swaying coach, hoping she might remain
unconscious as to what .was going on
denly sat bolt upright, inquiring impa-
deniy stn bolt upright, inquiring impa-
tiently what was the natter, and why
the stage had come to a standstill.
There was no other way out of it than
to tell her the truth.
"We have had the misfortune to break
down, madam, and the driver was obliged
to ride one of the horses back to Hadley
—quite two miles to bring some one
to repair the broken axle ere we can
proceed."
The woman sat bolt upright, uttering
a ory of consternation, exclaiming: se
"Back to Hadley, did I understand
you to ,say? Surely I could not have
heard aright."
"This is the stage which goes over the
mountain. It started from IIadiey,.suro-
ly you could not have made the mistake
of supposing it went to the village?" he
exclaimed fu eonsternation. •
"Yes, that is what I thouglit," replied
his companion, excitedly. "Great hea-
ven! what shall I do? I will be obliged
to walk back the entire distance. How
will I ever be able to do it? I—I will
pay the driver any price he asks if he
wd]a only turn around and take me back
to Hadley."
"That would be quite an impossibility,
madam, as you will readily see when I
explain the mutter to you," said Joe,
continuing: "This stage has its regular
trip to make at a given time; other;
vehicles which must cross the mount -
aim are obliged to wait for it, for, should
two conveyances chance to meet in the
roadway a mile higher up, a great cal-
amity would ensue; for the road is too
narrow to pass each other by."
"What shall I do?" exclaimed the wo-
man, growing almost hysterical. "1
wanted to go to Hadley. I have taken
the whong stage. I—I shall hove to get
out and—and—try to make my way on
foot."
"Allow me to suggest a much more
practical way," returned. Joe. "Remain
in this stage until the Hadley coach
passes, and then transfer into that. You
may lose an hour or so of time, but
that is nothing compared to the hard-
ship of attempting to make your way
back down the path on foot. Few men
would attempt it in this Egyptian dark-
ness, and -surely no woman could afford
to risk her life by doing so."
?1I am forced to take your advice and
accept the situation as calmly as possi-
ble, since there is no other way- out of
it," she answered, with a sigh of resig-
nation, as she sank back into her seat.
Before Joe 'could reply to her rens ark,
the door of the coach was hastily flung
open, and the red, flaring. light from a
bull's-eye lantern was flashed upon the
two occupants of the vehicle, and above
it loomed a man's face, upon which. was
a black mask.
In each hand he carried a loaded revol-
ver, and a brace of weapons gleamed
from lits belt.
"It's an ill wind w^hack blows nobody
good," exc]aimed the stranger, adding,
with a sardonic laugh: "The accident
which caused the drivel's return to the
village was most fortunate for me. Oth-
erwise I should have had two men to
overpower instead of one. But to busi-
ness. You are the express messenger
from Hadley; you carry with you a
very valuable package, which I must
trouble you to hand over without de-
lay, my good sir. In othee words, your
money or your life," he exclaimed.
.As he spoke, the muzzle of one of the
revolvers was pressed close to Joe's
temple, tare other over his heart,
That yoke! The moment the sound
of it. even though the tone was disguis-
ed, fell upon the strange woman's ear,
the very heart in her bosom stood still,
for she reeoznized at once. She tried to
cry ort,, tried to utter a single word,
but her tongue, her every limb seemed
peaarlyzed. Slto . oould not have uttered
a single sound if her life had depended
upon it, sho could only sit there rigid
and cold, like a statue,carved in marble,
watching the two luridly piercing eyes
that looked out from the mask, and the
white hands holding the revolvers.
'It also took Joe a moment to recover
frpm the awful shock •of horror that
•strept over him like a wave of death.
"Be quick!" cried the mean at the
door, the cold steel of the revolver
pressed stil•1 closer to Joe's throbbing
brow. "Hand over that package of
• CHAPTER Y.
On and on rattled the old stage up the
narrow, steep incline, pitching from side
to side like a boat on au angry sea,
threatening each moment to tip over
and hurl itself down the yawning, icy
abyss which seemed waiting to receive it
and its human freight. ,
Suddenly there ;