Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-07-08

| Lady, VIII 60 Will you, aflo u
crowd parted before tall finely formec
young man who came hastily to the sid
of the young girl.
l am unknown to you, and my station
in life is humble; but if you will trust me
the confidence shall not be misplaced"
He removed his hat from his head ant
stood erect and dignifed before her,
strikingly handsome youth, clad in a rougl
garh of grey. There was fire of loft
spirit burning in his deep hazel eye, ant
around his classically curved lips dwelt al
expression of half stern, half tender. Th'
clear blue eyes of the lady met his fixed
yet respectfully gaze searchingly-she pu
her hand in his:
"God bless you, sir! There is one true
heart in New Hampshire. 1 will trust yo,
sir"
An expression of pride and gratitude
swept over the young mans face, and bend
itg his head low before, said" In half al
hour l will return for yeu;" and with (
firm elastic step he left the depot.
The young lady dropped into seat be
fore the fire, and covering her face with
her hands, she seemed lost in painful rev
erie. The listless hangers-on about the
place gathered together in little knot be
fore the office window. There was new
subject to discuss.
Fool enough is Will Argensen to un
dertake the crossing of the lake tonight
he'll be frozen stiff" exclaimed an old man
evidently the oracle of the company.
"And the gal Its shame, though
for she's sweet lookin' critter! HEAVIER
pity and take care of her, for she'll need
somebody's care before the nights bal
throught?"
ashes in good hands though" said~the
third member of the coterie, Withdrawing
his pipe from his mouth as he spoke, " foI
Wits rs noble lad as ever breathed the
air of New Hampshire. He knows every
inch of the Winnie as we'll as l know the
way to the mill-and his horse is pow
orful deal more intelligent than many hu-
man folks anyhow"
"Argensen will do we'll enough if there
aint squall; but it strikes me the clouds
look rather hazy, and depend upon it this
lull aint for nothin'r' said the fourth, peer.
ing anxiously out into the darkness, I" and
if there is squall-a regular white eye
then," and the speakers involuntary shud
der ended the sentence. The men drew
closer together, as if for mutual protection
and there was silence for few moments
broken at last by the man who had first
spoken.
"Only last winter, poor Harry Bleechard
was frozen to death on the shore of Rat
tlesnake Island, and then just week af
terwards poor Cp'n Deer-ben on the lake
all his lifetime bewildered in squal
and died all alone out there in the darl
and cold, and his folks settin' up till day
light expecting him! o, it was awful
dreadful to think Of, but nothing to what
it would be if a woman-a young, tender
beautiful womanT' pa tear wet the face Of
the hardy old mountaineer' and he turned
to dry it on his coarse handkerchief
At this moment the brisk jingle of sleigh
bells was heard at the door, and before the
eager listeners could spring forward to oper
it upon the new conner, Will Argensen en-
tered, wrapped in buffalo robe.
al am ready to attend you to Wolfs
boro, if you still think of going" he said
addressing the lady. She arose quickly al
the sound of his voice, and accepting the
large blanket which the ticket master kind
ly offered her as a furter protection against
the inclement weather, she followed the
conductor out in the dark, piercing night,
and was lifted into the sleigh which await
ed them. Argensen wrapped the robe
closely around her, and attaching the glass
lantern which he carried in bis hand, to the
front part of the cutter, he sprang in. The
horse was large, powerful built animal
of dark iron gray grey color, and his fiery
eyes, rs well as his long slender neck
showed him spirited as well as strong.
The eager crowd of idlers left their warm
quarters by the inside stove, and gathered
around around the sleigh and its occupants
some expostulating with them for ven
turing out on such a night-others wish
ing them God-speed, and amid the mur
INJURED acclamations they drove of.
Half mile on terra frma, and the fee
of the horse rang sharp and clear on tn
solid ice of the Winnipscogee. The sum
init of the tall blue mountains which ros
on either side of our travellers were hid il
impenetrable mist, and the light wind
which blew was insufficient to break up tn
murky clouds that filled the air.
Little or no conversation passed hetweel
the two, so recently thrown together. Ar
gensen was occupied with thoughts of tn
perilous undertaking before him; the lad,
with sad images of her dying mother-dy
ing without kiss from her only child t,
smooth the dark dassage through the darl
void between time and eternity. With al
anxious eye the young mountaineer scanne'
the thickening air, aud the terrible. though
would fit across his brain" what if th
squall should raise?'
Nearly four miles of The journey wa
passed over in safety. they had reache
the dreariest part of the road, and darknes
became almost palpable. Mountains blac
as Erebus, completely walled in the shinin
track of ice, and by the pitching of the cu'
ter, they knew that drifts of snow an
bilges of ice obstructed the way. The win
steadily increased, and cut the face llk
sharp icieles. The breath of our traveller
congealed almast before it left their boo
les, and the dark sides of the horse wei
covered with feathery frost.
The cold became intense, penetrating th
t thick buffalo skins, as if they had bee
mere cobwebs, and the delicate frame of th
Young girl was chilled through. BraveI