The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-04-01


over the vast stretches of snow as il he
would outstrip even tie 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 filmy white veil that is the her.
aid of snow. Weatherwise people locked
out of the car windows and shook their
heads, saying
''This will be hard one It's lust a
year ago since the horrible storm that
blockaded in this train
Russell, looking, felt his face grow pal
lid in spite of his hopes, his youthful en-
ergy.
lie did not fear the storm while on the
cars he knew they would get TO their
destination before the storm would be suf-
ficiently advanced to retard them much.
But he remembered the twenty miles he
must go in a cutter after the last station,
for Alice waited him at the residence of
relative beyond Montreal. Her aunt had
persuaded her to have the wedding there,
where wealth could give its glow to the
ceremony, and what girl could resist such
an Invitation.
''H she were only in Montreal !" mur-
INJURED Russell, and the first few fakes
began to drift slowly downward.
Soon the air was filled with fine sharp
particles. 1t grew colder instead Of
warmer, or apparently so, for the wind
rose and whirled the snow iercely.
1t had showed two hours when Russell
alighted at the station in Montreal. 1t
was already dark, save that the gloom
was mitigated by full moon.
He was half benumbed by cold and
sitting SO long, but he could not wait
Reason told him that be was day carly,
and might easily stay in the city until to-
morrow but some feverish, morbid haste
urged him ont was impossible for him
to rest quiet moment
He stood a few moments by the bright
fire in the waiting room. Then he de-
cided to 90 to the house occupied by
Alice's parents.
Arrived at the house he learned with
dismay that Alice had left two or three
hours previous. Oppressed with fearful
forebodiDgs he hurried on, taking the road
which his servant supposed her driver had
selected. AS he emerged into tie open
country the runners of the cutter sank
deep into the snow The horses strug-
gIed desperately through the drifts, while
the binding storm and benumbing cold
almost overpowered him. To arouse him>
self from the lethargy which he felt was the
precursor of death, he stepped out of the
sleigh and plodded on beside it. For
hours it seemed to him. he travelled, al
ternately walking 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 at something indisiinct 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 a cutter overturned in the
snow He was close to il before he could
make out what it was. There were no
horses attached-that he saw at a glance
but the tugs cut short off, were fastened
there. The snow had blown 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 fear came upon
him such as he had never known before.
At last, it seemed to him so long,
snowy moonsLine he saw the paid face
of woman lying motionless among her
furs.
With a suppressed cry he lifted that
beautiful 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-a
faint breath just sighed across his cheek.
Was it thus he had thought to greet
his promised wife! He could not think
he knew nothing but that he had found
Alice-and his whole being rose to tho
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.
But he could not linger there he must
be moving on, though ever so slowly.-
He bore his burden to his own cutter;
taking with him the furs that could not
save her after that fearful sleep had be-
gun. His horses walked On again-they
needed no guiding-they could find their
way better than man could direct.
Anything but intense .ove would have
dsspaired in that tempest Of snow, with
that pitiless wind freezing across the earth
raising its glow on the blue white face
against his own.
He roughly chafed with snow her hands
and face but be soon saw that severer
measures must be tried; that the lethargy
was too deep. She dimly felt the fierce
friction, for she moaned and seemed to
shrink from ia wordless request to be
left alone.