For barbed by malice was the dart,
And sped by treachery's deadliest art,
The shaft ne'er sped in vain."

The wild winds wailed wofully over the lonesome prairie, smiting sadly
upon poor Annie's heavy heart as she sat in the hard, jolting coach,
which, owing to the bad state of the roads, made but sorry progress. It
was already dark, and the driver said they had yet ten miles to ride in
order to reach the nearest post town. They entered a dense timber land,
and the wheels struck deep into a loose, gravelly sand, so the poor
horses could scarcely drag on at a slow walk. The coachman hallooed and
cracked his whip about their ears, but all to no effect; the animals
were worn down by a hard day's travel; and Annie, annoyed by his
boisterous vociferations, at last put her head out the window and begged
him not to beat the jaded animals, but let them proceed at their own
pace.

"All one to me, miss," was the answer; "did it to please you; thought
you mought be a hungry, or mebbe sort o' tired, a settin' in there all
alone so. Whoa, Johnny! take it easy since it is the lady's wish. We
shall be just as well off a hundred years hence, I dare say, and supper
will be sweeter, the longer delayed."

With this philosophical reflection, he relapsed into silence, and for
two hours they continued to drag through the heavy sand, with nothing to
relieve the monotony, save the shrill bark of the wolf, far in the deep
forest, answered by the deep growl of the bear, or piercing cry of the
ferocious catamount.

Annie shivered with nervous terror at these wild, savage sounds; and
when at last, as they reached the open prairie, and struck a harder
bottom, the horses mended their paces, she felt sensibly relieved. At
length they entered a small, new town, and drew up before a large,
awkward building. The steps were lowered and Annie alighted, and soon
found herself in a long, dingy apartment, with a bright pine-wood fire
blazing and crackling in a huge, yawning fire-place at its farthest
extremity. She was chilled, and sat down before the glowing hearth to
warm her benumbed fingers. Presently a tall woman, in a short-sleeved
frock and large deer-skin moccasins, strode into the room, and with a
deep, ungainly courtesy asked, "What the lady would be thinking to take
for a bit of supper?"

Annie answered she would take a biscuit and cup of tea, if she pleased,
and then retire to her apartment, as