The west shore., June 01, 1889, Page 320, Image 28

3S)
THE WEST SHORE.
A HTOIIY OF TUB WELSH HILLS.
'PHK train bad hrokm d.wn at an ouUf-tbe-way
1 atalion in Walr-a. llfatb-crowned bill lPed
down turd the lie, and joat U-twoen them I caught
glitn4M of blue In tbe diiUnce, It mattered
my litlU It m brn I wu told that do train would
go on for U-a Louri I wu in search of health, and
ltmo K.ft, It ath-cowrd Liili would do at well for
toe m anywhere da. A lady puaongcr wbo bad
tr atrM in the aame train m myself alao alighted at
the station. IIr qatck, springitg aUp and graceful
figure (old that ibr wu young and wm probably not
in Mucb of health. I waa ouch struck, too, by the
Mtrrmn awn-thcM of bnr voic, u ibe made inqair
ita ffdro the litry porter.
" Tone U no train till uioe o'clock to-night? "
- Xo,"
M lluv far ii Trixlrgar acrou the billi?"
" AU.ut Cflwn tnibV
M Tbrre it no coUTrjance?"
M No, miu, bone wbatfw."
Tln-n will yoo lock up my box in tbe office here?
I mutt talk In Trixli'gnr."
Hiou wu muito itaclf. No hurry, no agita
ti"D. hb apiarivl rrficil calm and collected.
" An I thw parcel, miu," laid tbe porter, looking
at a Irfcthor dupatch Ikx which tbe lady carried,
"hall I Uk it up nitb the trunk?"
M N'V ihe r.-plil, M I will carry that."
ltd ihe know what she wu saying ? I wondered.
Wtifra twilr otrr alrp hills, carrying a heavy dis
Uh U i, rnant great ftignv Involuntarily I took
a atrp f..r t rj - lut it wu no affir of mine, I thought
Kitarthlnc Lowcrrr, in that involuntary stop made
Ut turn and Uk at m New had I awn, nay, I
doul t briber 1 nrr thall mcb another face aa
that It wu rlm and rather pale, with Urge, toft,
fcatl rrt Ukirg out from it The calm of that face
wu the calm of lU oun who bad nothing new loft to
MlTrr. Ttr; wrro atrange, mjr.tic eyoi; the aenii.
U raoulh and and chin were all dominated by
thorn. Ihe rich hair, which warM low over a broad
ftrUJ. wu liM UjtUy .j the hnm which wu
lowict td aho th, llrfCj.th of lhe whil lrow
lTtcth it Ai ah. U4r4 toward me a alight color
r In !,cr dfxU
" Uia i. a tery nkwkrd breakdown," I said, tak
lit 5 y bat, - and put. jou, I fW Ul OUf h "
cr bctuumw lUn it d mT
ill. ..t lwaWctl U to,uIN '
T!ecr tk-tigtt" K W
" Aod you axe nlly p,.iCg tj walk? "
" Yc. tbrre U uo trip U it"
"And carry that box?"
" Ye, the box is more important, a great
than I am."
I hesitated for an instant, and then impelled by a
strong attraction, said
" Will you allow me to carry your box for you
and assist yon in finding your way over the hills to
Tredegar? I Bhall be able to catch aome train to.
night I've nothing to do here till then, and it will
be a real pleasure to me to help you."
Bhe looked at me acrutinizingly and said
" I believe it would be a pleasure to you to
another, and I shall indeed be most gratefaL"
She made some little change in her drees in the
little office, laid aside a heavy traveling cloak, show,
ing a close-fitting serge dress of a dark color. She
pat on a soft hat matching it and was ready. I took
up the leather case and started beside her. We
quickly left behind us the wayside station and the
brown trout stream which ran past it, and began to
mount the hills almost immediately.
The same wonderful calm was noticeable in the
lady's voice; her words came with musical delibera
tion, and as we glided from one subject to another I
felt as if I were entering a new world. She seemed
to have thought fieshly on many subjects and to have
formed opinions on them, but she was entirely free
from the dogmatism of half educated women, and her
expressions were those of suggestion rather than as
sertion. It was after we had been talking for some
time that she broke into a child-like, happy laugh
and said
" There is something very wonderful in an uttor
stranger like you, that I've never seen before, walk,
ing over the bills with me and carrying my box. I
wonder if I'm doing most harm or good by allowing
you to do it."
" Good," I answered, decidedly.
"Why?"
M Because, you are making me useful"
We had come to a ragged thorn bush, blown all to
one side and stretching out long arms as if for pity.
I put the leather case down and cut two long sticks
from which I carefully took the thorns. I had found
one branch with a sort of curled hook to serve as
handle. When I had cut it into shape I handed it to
her and said-
" Have a pilgrim stick, lady."
Again that look of childlike pleasure came with
hpr ready thanks, and she sprang lightly to the top
of a hillock near.
Such a view! An inland sea of purple and gold,
for the gorse waa in bloasom, too, and woven into
ld tapo8try with the heather, and the blue bill
med milting away in the distance, for the son,