he speaker. "I could doze in a chair in the
barroom for that matter. The driver could be as easily disposed of."

"Then bring the lady right in," said the old innkeeper. A moment later,
the lovely girl, still unconscious, was brought in and laid upon the
settee in the best room.

"What is the matter with the young woman?" gasped the innkeeper, his
eyes opening wide with amazement.

"Merely fainted from the intense cold," returned one of the men briefly,
adding: "If you will see that a fire is lighted in the room that you
spoke of I shall be very much obliged."

"I'll have my wife down in a jiffy. No doubt the poor creature's half
frozen, but a hot whiskey toddy will thaw her out quicker than you could
say Jack Robinson," and he trotted off briskly on his double mission of
rousing his wife to look after the girl and his hired help to assist the
driver in putting away the horses, while he himself attended to making a
blazing fire in the little chamber over the best room.

In less time than it takes to tell it the good housewife was by the
girl's side.

"What a beautiful young creature!" she exclaimed, as the veil was
thrown back and she beheld the lovely face, white as chiseled marble,
framed in its cloud of golden hair. "Is it your sister, sir?" she asked,
with all a country woman's thoughtless curiosity.

"No, she is my wife," exclaimed the stranger, who stood over by the
fireplace, his brows meeting in a decided frown.

"Laws a mercy! Isn't she young to be married?" exclaimed the woman.
"Why, she don't look sixteen. Been married long?"

The stranger by the fireplace deliberately turned his back on the woman,
vouchsafing her no reply.

By that time the innkeeper announced that the room above was ready, and
that they might come up as soon as they liked.

Again the stranger by the fireplace lifted the slender figure, bore her
up the narrow rickety stairway, saying good-night to his friend as he
passed him by.

"Good-night to you, and pleasant dreams," replied Halloran; "the same to
your wife."

The innkeeper followed the tall stranger with his burden to see that
everything was made comfortable, put more logs in the fireplace, then
turning, said:

"Is there anything else I can do for you, stranger?"

"Nothing," replied the man curtly, but as the old innkeeper reached the
door he called sharply: "Yes, I think there is something else that would
add to my comfort, and that is a good stiff glass of brandy, i