, 1874-03-22

She va1 becoming really anxious lbout Archie
lon5-continusd absence. He Ind left homo
the morning with the first peep OF daylight
climb tho hill, according to his custom, and j,
tended to como home, as he usually did about l
Sho tried meanwhile to calm har anxiety
thlnkin. that something might have happeue
to one Of. the sheep, or, that he might have bea
detained gathering. them into the fold III PIC
paration for an approaching storm. At lenGt
sf1e heard the dog seratcitin. 1T. the door, IN
loyfully said to herself: '41Ic Gamma be far 0
noo!" but, on opening the door, the dog, instea
OF running 1oyfully to the fire, or curling hinsel
up bcueath one Of the beds, as he usually did
began to jump f1wniugfy upon her. and to f1in
pitifuily; she coald net understand tile reason o
tins At all, when suddenly HI idea burst upo,
Archie WAS III,
HAD HURT u1s1sELF,
[ perhaps, somewhete on tue hills. and the. dog
had como fot help. She. shook ! deadly faint
| ness whleh cfeps over her at the thought; and
ruusing herself, she drew the fire together. il
case Of sparks, placed the cradle on one OF thf
BEDS for safety, and, throwing p1ail about her
| followed the dog,
During, these Preparations, '.Laldie" had
stood still and motionless Us statue: bur. wi,eu
she moved towards the door, ha jumped with
| delight, fawnod upon her, aad licked her hands
and then bounded hastily forward, in the dlrec.-
| ton Of the glen. The Ordinary route along
| Glen Dyna was to climb tho steep hill which
footpath which wound along the top Of the glen
| fur about tnle. There WAS no fence or pro-
tect!on whatever; and tleze we're several sad
stories told Of people who had missed
thelr, footing, or, in tho, darkness. had
wandered too near the edge, and so had come to
violent end. Just two winters before this, an
unfortunate man had perished not far from the
mouth OF tho glen. He WIS packman, with a
donkey, who WAS we'll known At all the farm
ho1scs; and was. in his way, a well-to-do man,
with awel-assorted pack, the contents Of which
ranged from ribbons and jevelry to note-paper,
hair-pins. and sray-laces. In fact, it was do
signed to supply alt the little wants OF female
population VINO were seldom able to indulge in
the luxury Of going a-shoppiag. Tom Carson,
the packnan, vas, therefore, great favorite.
aud not only because Of his wares, but because
he was cheery pleasant fellow; and kirstie
remembered uell what CONSERVATION was caused
IN the Mtchcn st Aneheusack when rt,u,or
arose that T ON Carson had Disappeared; and
It Tas thought that SONIA one must h1zye made
away with hun for the sake of his pack which.
AZ 1t Taa New Years time, MAS unuaually heaTy
1t wan only conjecture, however, for, nothing
could be- heard Of Kim; but yvhet, at last hs
snow, which lay that winter for several VEGAS
had melted, the mystery was solved, and ppor,
Tom Carson, with his donkey and his pach, YES
AT TEE BoIron or GLEN DYSE.
ls vas supposed that he had been coming, to
Aucaensack, where Ire was great fayorite; that
he had been ovsrtaken bT the Storm; that the
donkey Ind lost itstootlny, and, in his efforts to
it.. Il WAS = sal story, alld cast a deeper sAa1le
OF gloom over Glen Dyne, which indeed bore no
good name already. AS kirutie tuiied up tue
bill. it all came back appauingly afresh to her
memory.
About bali way up the Steep precipitous side
Of thu glen there ran very harrow, INSECURE @
foot-path called the s'Tods Path" owing to 4
fo1-burrow up near the head OF the gen Few
people: ever venture1 alone in it, except .ho
gane-kcepers and the shepherds, and even they
Al the point where this path turned of from th9,
face Of the hill, "Laddie began again to jump
upon his mistress; then running few steps.
along the path and coming back, he wagsed lis
tail and looked up ut her with besaeching eyes,
saying AS plainly as dog could FAY, in his mu.o
but expressive language: "Come this way"
Kratie
DID NOT HESITATE 70 FOLLOW.
b.d though the way Was, for it led, she was sure,
to her husband; and, besides ~ .llttla cluld.
che had often to come WITH her fsther before aha
knaW "hat fear was, and therefore, knew. every
turn and bend: in the patti. Todng up the wild
soltuda her feelings overca1uo her. aud uncon-
sciously forced from her lips. tho cry: so
Archie, Archie, my man, where are ye pr
just at this point q little runlot ct water
Which came down from the hill lad spread itself
ac1oss the path in solid Sheet Office. Kiratie
I'M
life or death, and she must hasten on; 30 she
did cross, hut her foot shipped and ahe narrowly
escaped falling. The snow now began to fall
more quickly and in large fakes, and she had to
trust more to memory for the path than actual
sight On and OIL ahe went, however, till she
1ad gons nearly mile up the glen, when sud-
ienly 50 Laddie" +" gave short, joyful bark, and
3ha saw DIRK object stretched across the patti.
IT WAS INDEED ARCHIE;
Is Was leaning against large stone which
'ee1ned to hare broken his fall; his hair WAS
powdered with snow, hie face. was white aud
,gid, aud his lips vera lvid- kirstie never
[oubted but that he wns dead, and threw hor- |
elf on the ground beside him, With . CRY OF |
sony; when suddenly his 2ves opened, u con
cions look came into hia face: and be said ia !
was gaun to dec my lane, aud never sec 70
1slr."
sob, whcest, Archie, whecst," she walled;
yell break my heart; dinna speak that way"
He continued after moments psnse: II
Tipped 1t the top a the hrae, aad maun hae
waned, ! for wakened as cauII as 6:aDe, vi I
addia licking my face; 40 I sent him hamo,
uir bcast~ NO holp could do me guid now,
ristie, he said, US if in answer to the thoughts
hich we're passing through her mind at the
onaent- Z" My leg is broken; and I've hurt NY
dc; and, wi tho darkness aud the storm,
ere; and it wad be- hours before anybody
ould come. Kirstie, woman, I marn leave
aud the wce bairn, lie added with choking
b.
Ei.stie did not answer for moment and
leu her faco WA lighted up with look OF high
solve, and sl,e said: "Mony stlme, Archie, /
I've wondered why the Lord gied me ny great
rength and my long arms, but see it now !;
ID, il it he Els will,
WILL SAVE Y0U THIS NIGHT"
" Ye're no fit to carry me, - Archie remnn-
rated freely "and think what road, Kir-
ia"
II Do I no ken tho road better than ony nerl
the country Z" she replied I" and We maun
i for help higher than manH.' -
As ahe knelt beside her husband, with, tho | ,
ow falling On her upturned face, and the wild
nd whistling round, aud in few aud simple
'1ds. as il she were speaking to d near and | ,
ging friend, asked the aid OF the Almighty arm ,
guide her perilous way aud keep her feet j
,m fslling, Archie Brydone, oven in the mi4st
ali his pain and weakness, felt that he had ,
yer before truly known his wife. She then
ted Archie as gently and tender1y as she s
a1d; but he give deep groaD, and she found
1t he had tainted quite away. Maybe it's 7
tter," she murmurcd; *fhe Wilma know I'LL :
} dangers past. Then, With another upward
Inco for help, she set out on her
ageroua way. Il would, by this time, | r
re been perfectly dark, but there was
title moonlight. juat enough to show the nero +
Zine OF the path and the glen The path i
II WAS, by this time. quite covered with SNOW; +
1T step WAS taken in uncertainty; zho hardly !.
~ If she were keeping the path at all. Strong ,