The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-01-12
Wallace Alwade stood warming his

Wallace Alwade stood warming hi
hands by the fire.
"She went in the night, You say?"
eyes. or very early this morning."
"Why did she go?"
Cant say"
perhaps she left some word, mote
or something?"
"Not thing"
"She must have been brave to dare
cold winters night for tho sake Of leaving
f! here unseen"
'Its queer, very queer" muttered the
woman. "Melth and L agreed perfectly
1 can't see what cause she had fol
leaving"
Alwade turned hurriedly to depart
As he did so his eyes caught sight of 8
white edge OF paper peering from the
inner side Of the decreasing. Drawing
it forth, he found a few lines hastily writ
ten thereon:
"MR. ALwADE-When met you tonight
knew that you were the one who once knew
Meltha Bayne under far different eircum
stances l knew that you recognized me, and
doubtless felt gratifed in your heart for the re
yenge time has wrought you. OF course can,
not remain another day under this roof.
MELTHA."
There was not the slightest clew in
this brief note to guide his steps. There
were but few settlers in the woods, how
ever. and he felt that it wouid he an easy
matter to discover the whereabouts of
the missing woman.
Dnon r,Dra nptei,1n tha ,r,ntor
touched his cheeks with icy fingers, and
a shudder convulsed his frame as he
thought of poor. little. helpless Meltha,
exposed to the cold under pitiless win.
ter sky, with no home, no place to lay
her head.
It was his duty to find her before night
and offer her better situation than the
one she had but lately occupied.
A sudden snow-storm came up, which
soon filed the road, so that Alwade's
swift bays found it difficult to make any
thing but the slowest Roadway.
Down in tieecy pillows the snow sifted,
filling the air and covering the ground
completely.
The wind rose, whirling the snow up
uBdlilbt Iue plies LII huge ulllS. Lie
track was no longer visible.
Huge banks of snow blocked the way.
and the lumberman came suddenly to a
full knowledge of the fact that it would
soon be impossible for him to proceed.
"Ugh what fearful night we're hav-
ing!" muttered the lumberman, as he
buttoned his great coat more closely and
strove to peer ahead through the blind,
ing storm. Suppose Meltha hasn't
found shelter?" The thought sent o
chill to his heart.
On and on the horses foundered the
drifts growing deeper, the storm fercer,
meantime.
The wind rose to gale, hurting the
snow in sheeted masses through the air,
while the gloom Of approaching night
settled down upon the forest.
Alwade consulted his watch in somt
surprise
$50 late?" he muttercd. 81 did not
think / was going at such a snail's pace.
Now I'm in fix, to be sure. "
His horses, struggling in deeper drift
than usual, came suddenly to n halt.
Alwade peered about him. The forest
looked strange and new to him. The
truth suddenly flashed upon his brain.
81 see; I've lost the main road. some
how, and this is some one of the many
old logging tracks, unused the lumber
man, forgetting Meltha for the time,
under the difficulties of his own situation.
Night was setting in rapidly. The
storm still ragged furiously. There was
no chance of finding the right road to-
night. If this was log-road, there must
be an end somewhere, and then he would
find shanties.
He touched his horses with the whip.
After several attempts, the noble ami
mails cleared the drift and moved slowly
on.
The storm seemed to increase in fury
every minute.
If he found no shelter soon, Alwade
feared for the consequences.
Peering anxiously ahead, dark snow
capped pile met his straining vision
The next minute his horses stood steam
ing beside half-ruined log shanty.
1t was almost dark now. but Alwade
quietly unhitched from the cutter, and
drove his team under the friendly shelter.
This had once been used for a barn.
Across the way, some rods ahead, was
the cooks shanty.
Alwade found the door hanging on one
hinge portion of the shanty roof fallen
in, but this shelter was better than the !
snow and storm outside.
He had matches in his pocket, and one
OF these was quickly ignited. An old
bunk stood next the wall. Quickly de-
this, the lumberman soon had
a brisk fire in the long unused fire. place.
Removing his great coat, he stood
over the fire and warmed his hands,
for his lucky escape from death
at the hands of the frost king.
The fire blazed up brightly, lighting
the room throughout.
"Good heaven! what's this p
Wallace Atwood stood staring into the
corner OF the room, where human form
lay coiled upon the frozen ground. |
Approaching, the lumberman stood
over the dark-robed figure, stood and
gazed for a minute, spell-bound, into
the face Of woman.
"Meltha p
Bending down quickly, the stout man
the light form in his arms and
bore it to the fire.
'Dead!" he groaned, as he gazed into
the rigid face.
To his great delight, he was soon re-
warded with a groan, followed shortly
after by sight Of two great, frightened
violet eyes.
"Meltha Bayne," he whispered softly.
"Where am I?' she answered.
"Safe, Meltha. Thank heaven for
sending me out Of my road tonight"
said Wallace Alwade, fervently.
An hour later Meltha Bayne was able
% sit up.
In few brief words she related her
adventures of the past twenty hours.
She had wandered off from the main
l. |