The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-02-07
5 mo-. 25.

saw him dozens O times, and he was
high headed, even if he was poor
He walked along like a lord, and he
wouldn't notice such as me-"
The driver pulled the robes away
from his mouth little more; and
went on:
"Crack to grashus! but didn't they
have a handsome gal! She was as
trim as an angel, handsome as June
day, and it was material that Luke
should fall in love with her. He was
at least thirty-tive, and neither good
lookin' nor edecated, but you can't
tell when a gal is goin' to love or
hate. | spect it riled the old folks
to think she'd take up with farmer,
an / spose they forbid him comm
there, leastwise that was the tag
along the road last fall. Luke peg
ged away the same as ever, an the
gal didn't look any the less hand
some as ever saw her at the gate.
AS winter set in, I didn't see much
of any of them, and by and by the
gossip began TO die out"
GLOW old was the girl2" asked the
traveller.
''Bout eighteen or nineteen, an
she had hair like gold. 1t just
makes my heart ache to remember
her. Well, it seemed that her and
Luke were bound to marry. The old
folks wouldn't give in an Luke fixed
it to be married down here bit at
the big red farm house. The preach
err was to be there, a crowd was COM
in to dance, an the gal was to slip
away from home an come down with
Luke, kinder hand in hand, as the
newspapers say. The gal got away
in the evenin', walked over to Luke's
and he had his horse an sleigh
'eady. 1t was the fust snow, but not
very good running. They got start.
I'd all right, happy as two doves, but
hey had only turned out o the yard
when it began to snow. l was out
n it, too; an great snakes how the
snow did come down! Itjust dropped
Town in chunks an patches, an in
lalf an hour the road was out o'sight
lnder six inches of snow, an the
Wind was hingin' it ten feet high
wherever it could strike.''
The driver looked over the lonely
Dad, drew a long breath, and went
IN:
'The Lord only knows how it
zane about, but Luke's horse fell in
o the ditch and broke its legs, an
hen the lovers sot out on foot.
they were right agin the drehul
storm, determined to reach the red
arm house. Right ahead here, Just
lalf way between the house, is whar
We found 'em. The storm ragged for
hree days, an in some places the
lritts were ten feet high. When it
'laared away the gal was missed,
tn gang Of us sot out to search tie
Dad. We found the horse, dead and
stiff, an then we knew it was all up
With the children. We had an aw-
'ul time diggin' through these drifts
IN trackin' the pair, an just under
his hill whar' we dug 'em out. How
ly'e spose we found emp
He waited half minute for the
answer that didn't come, and then
said:
"May the Lord bless Luke War;
ler! When the snow got deep he
lad taken that gal on his back.
When he found she was freezin' to
leath he had taken off his coats and
put them around her, and his vest
vas buttoned aroun' her head, to
lake the place Of her lost hat. He
stripped right to his shirt sleeves,
sir, to save that gal, an no man could
have done more. When the snow
got too deep he stopped, an crouch.
n agin the fence, with the poor
,al's face close to his, an their hands
;lasped, death came down through
this lonesome valley an took 'em.
It was an awful sight, sir, an the
,al's father took on so that men had
% hold him. The neighbors had to
ay out the corpses an bury 'em, an
t was right to put 'em both in one
grave. The mother went dead over
t before the grave was covered, an
he father is gone no one knows whar.
It's awful to think of, sir, an when I
,it to rememberin' all about it, such
lump comes up in my throat thas
can't talk"
The traveller looked up into the