Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-04-14
oSentral gnttIIistnes
A NiGRTN- STORM,

PROVINCES Two men sAt ~ u WeA sPteAu
breakfast table. The younger had just
pushed back from the table with an impa-
tient movement, 1.t- h.
mo" he said abruptly Il cannot eat, |
cannot drink If I believed in presenti-
ments, should say Ifelt o warning of
something dsagreeable, if not horrible.
"Well, then, my dear nephew" said the
elder. ''as you do not believe in such
things, why not make yourself comfortable,
and enjoy your breakfast You are not to
start until tomorrow any way, you know. =
The young man arose from his seat and
walkedto the window, throwing it open,
and looking out into the frosty, brilliant
sunshine. The air was intensely cold, and
Redeemed his cheeksinstautly He drew in
his head, saying: IS a lr..t
81 shall start this morning. There'sgor
ing to be storm, and must go. Will
you accompany me to the station2 The
train startsin an hour?" N-
The uncle shivered, and drew his dress
ing-gown closer 4 g rt r,
aNo," he said, "I'll not leave the house
unless I'm obliged to. Ididnot leave Eng
land to get frozen by n Canadian winter.
did not know you were 30 sentimentally
foolish. Alice will not thank you for COM
ing day sooner. Women don't like q
bridegroom around when the wedding pre-
parations are going on, no matter how
much in love they nre, Take my advice,
and stay here until the time appointed for
you TO start" ''F 1858.
Robert Russell, the young man address,
ed, listened with bare Civility to his COM
panion's words What was such advice in
comparison with the urgent cries of his
whole nature? He had left England, three
weeks before, to claim the woman of his
choice, who had been three weeks in Mon
treal, whittier she had snigrated with her
parents, carrying with her the love and
promise of one in whom she believed with
utter devotion.
Russell's uncle, and adopted father, had
accompanied him, and now sat smiling at
the impatience, the whims ofyouth.
There is a storm in the air in spite of
this sunlight" Russell said, still standing
by the window 81 shonld not enjoy being
blockaded in by snow on my journey"
Probably not; but you might as well
expect it in this climate
''Well, shall take Alice back to Eng
land as soon as possible" Russell said, with
his hand on the door, ''Good-bye, uncle,
then, goodbye"
Russell vas soon speeding from hetown,
his eyes looking eagerly forward over the
vast stretches Of snow as if he would out
strip even the steam which bore him,
He was not half through his journey by
rail, when from the west, where it had
fingered throughout the sunny morning,
rose the flimsy, white veil that is the her
aid of snow. Weather. wise people looked
out of the car-windows, and shook their
heads, saying;
This will be a hard one. It's Just q
year ago since the horrible storm that block
AIDED this train"
Robert Russell, looking, felthis face grow
pallid In spite Of his hopes, his youthful
energy.
He did not fear the storm while in the
cars; he knew they would get to their des-
tination before the storm would be suffi-
ciently advanced to retard them much. But
he remembered the twenty miles he must
go in a cutter after the last station; for AL
ice waited for him at the residence of re-
lative beyond Montreal. Her aunt had
persuaded her to have the marriage there,
where wealth could give its glow to the
ceremony; and what girl could resist such
an invitation?
"If she were only in Montral," murmur.
ed Russell and the iirstfew flakes began to
drift slowly downward.
Soon the air was filled with fine, sharp
particles. 1t grew colder instead of warm
er,-or apparently So for the wind rose and
whirled the snow iercelv,
1t had showed two hours when Russell
alighted at the station in Montreal Itwas
already dark, save that the glohrn was miti-
gated by full moon.
He was half benumbed by cold and sit
ting so long, but he could not wait R0a-
son told him he was day early, and might
easily stay in the city until tomorrow; but
some feverish, morbid haste urged him on;
it was impossible for him to rest quiet a
moment.
He stood few moments by the bright
fire in the waiting-room. Then he decid-
ed to go to the house occupied by Alices
parents. ,'..0
Arriving Mt the house, he learned with
dsmay that Alice had left two or three
hours previously. Oppressed with fearful
forebodings, he hurried on, taking the road
which his servant supposed her driver had
selected. As he emerged into the open
country, the runners of tho cutter sank
desperately through the drifts, while the
binding storm and benumbing cold almost
overpowered him. To arouse ehimselffrom
the lethargy which he felt was the precur-
sor of death, he stepped out of the sleigh
and plodded on beside it. For hours, it
seemedto him, he travelled, alternately walk
ing and riding, the animals he drove being
almost exhausted
Suddenly, with snort of surprise or
alarm, his horses stopped and threw up
their heads, their eyes starting in their
sockets, atsomething indistinct in the gloom
ahead
There is something injecting in the alarm
OF an animal, and Russell felt his cheeks
pale as he moved slowly forward, leaving
the horses standing there.
A shudder like the first chill of an i'm
pending doom shook the young man, as he
came upon O cutter ovoEturned in the snow.
He was close TO il before he could make out
what it was. There were no horses attach
ed, that he saw at glance, but the tugs,
cut short off, were fastened there. The
snow had blowned away from one side of
the sleigh, while the other side was deeply
imbedded. He leaped upon the runner,
and hurriedly pulled the buffalo robes away
q fear coming upon him such as he had ne
yer known before,
AT last-it seemed to him 30 long, though
it was hardly q moment,-in that snowy
moonshine he saw the pallid face of a wo-
man lying motionless among her furs
With suppressed cry he lifted that beau
tiful form TO his shoulder, and sat down on
the cutter, bending his lips to the cold ones
that could not respond to his caress And
yet she was not dead-ea faint breath Just
sighed across his cheek A'
Was it thus he had thought to greet his
promised wifeP He could not think,--he
knew nothing but that he had found Alice,
and his whole being rose TO the resolve
that he would save her, that neither snow,
nor ice, nor cold should take her from him.
She was his, and he claimed her, despite
everything. ~ Dl n.r e'as
But he could not linger there; he must
be moving on, though ever 40 slowly. He