The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-19

land to get frozen by Canadian winter. l
did not know you were so sentimentslly
foolish. Alice will not thank you for com
inE day sooner. Women don. like
bridegroom around when the wedding pre-
paratlons are going on, no matter how much
in love they are.'
Robert Russell had left England three
weeks before, to claim the woman OF ms
choice who had been year in montreal,
whether she had emigrated with her parents,
carving with her the love and promise OF
one in whom she believed with her utter
devotion Russell's uncle and adopted father
had accompanied him.
"There is a storm in the air, in spite of
this sunlight" Russell said still standing by
the window. 81 should not enjoy be-
ing biocksded IN by the snow on my jour
ney."
Probably not, but you might as we'll ex-
pect it IN this climate
"Well l shall take Alice back to England
as soon as possible" Russell said, with his
then, good bye.
Russell wa, soon speeding from the town,
his eyes looked eagerly forward over the
vast stretches of snow, as if he would out
strip even the storm that bore him. He
was not half through his journey by rail,
when from the west, where it had fingered
through the sunny morning, rose the hlmy
white veil that is the herald of snow.
Russell, looking. felt his face grow paltid
in spite of his hopes, his youthful energy.
He did not fear the storm while on the cars;
he knew that they would get TO their destina
ton before the storm would be sufficiently
advanced to retard them much. But he
Al l.
in cutter at the last station, for Alice
awaited him at the residence beyond Mon
treal 1t had showed two hours when
Russell alighted at the station st Montreal.
1t was already dark, save the gloom Was
mitigated by full moon.
He was half bsnumbed by cold. sitting SO
long. but he could not wai. Reason told
him he was a day early, and he might east! :
stay in the city until tomorrow; but
some feverish, morbid haste urged him on.
He stood for few moments by the bright
FIRE in the waiting room. Then be decided
TO go to the house occupied by Alice 5
parents. Arriving at the house, he learned
with dsmay that Alice had left two or three
hours previous. Oppressed with fearful
forebodlngs, he hurried on. taking the road
which the servant supposed her driver had
selected.
AS ne emerged into the open country, the
runners Of the cutter sank deep into the
snow The horses Struggled desperately
through the drifts, while the binding storm
and benumbing cold almost overpowered
hun. To arouse himself from the lethargy
which he felt was the precursor OF death. be
stepped out of the sleigh and plodded on
beside it For hours it seemed to him he
Id 81, IL. i -, Il.
animals he drove being nearly exhausted.
Suddedly, with q snort of surprise or alarm,
his horses stopped and threw up their heads
their eyes staring In their sockets At some
thing ndistinct III the gloom ahead
A shudder like the first chill of an i'm
pending doom, shook the young man as he
came upon cutter overturned in the snow
He was close to it before he could make out
VIVA. it was. There were no horses attached
he saw that at a glance-but the tugs, cut
short off, we're fastened there. The snow
had blown awny from one side of the sleigh,
while the other was deeply imbedded He
leaped upon the runner, and hurriedly pulled
the buffalo robes away; a fear came upon
him such as he had never known before.
At last, it seemed to him so long though
1t was scarcely q moment-in that snowy
moonshIne he saw the pallid face of a wo-
man lying motionless among her furs. With
Il suppressed cry he lifted that beautiful
form 20 his shoulder, and sat down on the
cutter, bending his lips to the cold ones that
could not respond to his caress And vet
she was not dead-a faint breath Just sighed
across his cheek.
He bore his burden to his own cutter. tax
ing with him the furs that could not Save
her. His horses walked on again-they
needed no guide-they could find their way
better than man could direct Anything
but intense love would have despaired in
that tempest Of snow, with that pltiless wind
freezing across the earth, raising no glow
on the blue, white face against his own. He
roughly chated with snow her hands and
face, but ne soon saw that severer measurers
must De used hat the lethargy was too deep
She dimly felt the fierce friction, for she
moaned aud seemed to shrink from ia
wordless request to be left alone.
Pussel had forgotten the cold for himself,
the snow swept by HIM uuheeded. Again
he lifted her into his arm and stepped out
into the snow, letting her stand beside him,
then trying 70 make her fight her way on,
knowing that if she could once be reused,
che was saved. At first she fell down help
lesslyr sank inanimately with no wish to stir.
But IN moment his ceasless efforts had
some effect, and he could compel her to use
ner muscles slightly, though her head
dropped IN an unknowing stupor
Ills lace was pale and sick as he knew
the agon'es she endured, But pain was the
signal of life, and not now would ne dssns;r
At last she looked at him recogpizine. evas
and when everything else had failed iove
reached the fountain of crimson, and sent .
wave of it to her face. Could he keep tho
life he had saved, through much longer
Journey? When he left the city, there we're
few houses scattered by the roadside for
two or three miles. The dim plimmer of
their lights he had seen; but since then he
had noticed nothing-it was q waste through
which he was riding, with no lamp of hope
held out to him.
Human endurance could not last forever,
and 1t was almost more than he could do to
preserve the feeble life he had recalled. In
another half hour ice and cold might con.
quer him. BE would die with her. he could
not live when that dear face was banaotb the
sod. A quarter of a mile farther on and ba
saw through the storm, dark object by the
roadside 1t was building of some kind
and it could shelter them He turned his
horses heads that way, and plunged through
the snow. There was no door. 1t was a
dismantled log hut, with it's door gone, and
its only little window broken out.
But it was better than the fury without.
and in another five minutes Alice was shell.
tered from the wind With painful and IA.
tient fumbling, he succeeded in fastening
the buffalo skin in front Of the doorw TINS
forcing an insufficient barrier. Then he
drew from his pocket his cigar case and
matches, and lighting one of the latter
looked eagerly around the room in the flick
ering light. That glance told him that there
was an immense FIRE place at one side of the
hut, and divine light Of joy streamed inte
his soul at the sight.
AS the horse dragged the cutter to thu
mouse the runner had grated over the tol