Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-06-11


sition and surroundings, and with moth
ing to attract her to the barren littl
. inn, took no note Of how rapidly tim
was passing. Neither did she motto
that the pale sunshine of the early af
, ternoon had vanished and the sky ha,
grown dull and gray. Joe, keen-eyet
. country boy, saw it, but he only chuck
led to himself:
81 don't care for q few flakes
and l guess she needn't when she's al
bundled up twice as warm. Any way
L can't go a-larkin' every day, and ]
amt goin' to say word about gein
back till she does, you bet!''
So he Travelled along the devious foot.
paths, pointing out various favorite
hooks and exhibiting the wild charms
of the place to the best of his ability.
"Consid' able of holler down there,
amt it?" he said, pausing on the brink
Of ravine whose nearer bank was a
steep, almost smooth, descant. 'That
brook down at the bottom is a regular
creek in summertime"
1t aSas but narrow line then, frozen
white and still, as Marion stood for a
moment trying to fancy it ripping,
sparkling stream. just then the great
shaggy dog, who had been a particular
ly useless member of the party thus far,
was seized with sudden fit of ecstasy,
and bounded against Marion so violent
ly as to knock her feet from under her
and send her sliding down that slippery
snowy hill. Joe uttered one startled
"hallo," made a frantic effort to catch
the lady's dress, and failing in that,
lost his own balance and relied rapidly
after her. On they went without a
pause until almost simultaneously they
reached the icy streamlet at the bot
tom.
"Could have showed you an easier
path, ma'am, if I'd known you was so
sot on cemin' down" said Joe, sitting
up and rubbing one ankle vigorously.
"Thank you, presume this route
was the Shortest" responded Marion,
with an odd blending of fright, vexa-
tion, and amusement in her voice, as
she slowly regained her feet.
"kind of s'prise party, wasn't it {?
The first ridin' down hill I've done this
winter" Joe laughed but knit his
brows as if in p ain at the same mo-
ment.
"Did You sprain your ankle ~ Mari
on questioned as he sat still.
"Seems like it. Queer feller can't
have little fun once in awhile with
out such fuss about it,
He made an effort TO rise, but sank
down again with half-groan that
ended in whistle. Marion suggested
his resting little and rubbing the
wounded member, but glanced anxious
ly toward the sky, whence few flakes
OF snow were beginning to fall. Joe
Strengthened his foot, examined it, and
waited, trying vainly to fancy that
it was growing more comfortable.
Meanwhile the snow came faster and |
still faster, until the air became thick
with the falling flakes. The boy got
upon his feet again.
"It's no use stayin' here; we must
get home somehow" he said. T'll try
to find that easier path up the hill,
cause l don't s'pose we can go back |
the way we come down.
He limped forward bravely though
with evident pain, but he could only go
very slowly, and after short distance
stopped to rest.
''Must breathe a bit. Such an old
feller can't keep up with young folks
like you, ma'am.''
The next time he moved still more
slowly, and stopped sooner, though
Marion was trying to assist him. Her
face was gravely anxious, and the last
pretence of unconcern had faded from
his. 1t was clearly impossible for him
to walk the long distance between them
and home, and there was little chance
that Marion could find the way alone,
through the storm, which
was becoming every minute more steady
and binding. They were near no
no human habitation was in
sight, and the gravity of their situation
forced itself gradually upon the
thought Of each. 1t was Marion that
hesitatingly put it into words.
"If we stay here, Joe, and no help
comes, what then?''
Joe shook his head. "I don't see
nothin' We can do, and it amt a very
likely place for anybody to be travelin'
along, that's fact; but hope some
body'll come. It'll be pretty hard for
'em at home if don't get back. They
need me powerful bad, they dc, cause
there's mother and the children to be
.ook care of, and father lie amt overly
strong. l like to get out Of work some
lines, but Pd hate mighty bad not to
never help 'em anv more"
Silence fell then, long silence. Mar
on was questioning doubtfully what
Inference it would make anywhere If
he should not return. This life that
he had called SO wearisome few hours
before, had never made valuable to any
me by real service or loving interest.
She had held her place in society, but
hen society had u comfortable way of |
loing without those who slipped out of
t; and as she sat there leaning back s
gainst the trunk Of great tree and 4
Watching the snow slft down upon her i
lress, her keenest regret was for Joe a
md that little home where he was
leeded. The boy had given himself to o
10 such useless meditation; he had been
tudying every possible and impossible Il
Ian of escape, and suddenly turned to a
Ia nomnanion IN.