The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-01-14

ton.
Eyes. She must have slipped off in
the night some time, said Mrs Watson,
looking her surprise at the strange inter
est her employer took i'll the little faded
cook. "It don't matter great deal,
though, continued Mrs Watson. 'My
husband can hunt up another woman
right quick
Wallace Alwade stood warming his
hands by the fire.
s'She went in the night, you say?'
Eyes. OF very early this morning
why did she go?'
Cant say"
"Perhaps she left some word, a note
or something?"
"Not a thing"
"She must have been brave to dare
cold winters night for tile sake 81 leaving
hero unseen.
Its queer, very queer, muttered the
woman. "Melth and agreed perfectly
can't see what cause she had for
leaving"
Alwade turned hurriedly to depart
AS he did SO his eyes caught sight Of
white edge Of paper peering from the
inner side of the decreasing. Drawing
it forth, he found few lines hastily writ
ten thereon;
tAfR. ALwADE- When met you tonight /
knew that you were the one who once knew
Meltha Bayne under far different circum.
stances. ] knew that you recognized me, and
doubtless felt grati6ed in your heart for the re-
venge time hns wrought you. or 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 TINT it would he an easy
matter to discover the whereabouts Of
the missing woman.
Once more outside, the winter mir
] touched his cheeks with icy fingers, and
| shudder convulsed his frame as he
thought Of poor. little. helpless Meltha,
exposed to the cold under a pitiless win
ter sky, with no home, no place to lay
| her head
1t 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 filled the road 50 that Alwade's
swift bays found it difficult to make any
! thing but the slowest headway.
Down III lieecy billows the snow sifted
filing the mir and covering the ground
completely.
The wind rose, whirling the snow mp
against the pines In huge drifts. The
track was no longer visible.
Huge banks Of snow blocked the way.
| and the lumberman came suddenly to q
full knowledge Of the fact that il would
soon be impossible for him TO proceed.
"Ugh! what a fearful night were hay
ingr' muttered the lumbeman, as ht
buttoned his great coat more closely, ane
gtroye to peer ahead through the bind
ing storm. aSuppose Meltha hasnt
found shelter?" The thought sent
chill to his heart
On and on the horses foundered, tho
drifts growing deeper, the storm tiercer
meantime.
The wind rose to gale, hurling tn,
snow in sheeted masses through the alr
while the gloom Of approaching nigh
settled down upon the forest.
Alwade consulted his watch in SOM
surprise.
$50 late?" he muttered II did no
think was going at such snail's pace
! Now I'm in n fix, to be sure"
His horses, struggling in a deeper drii
than usual, came suddenly to q halt
- Alwade peered about him. The fores
: looked strange and new to him. III
truth suddenly flashed upon his brain.
, II see; I've lost the main road, some
how, and this is some one of the man
: old logging tracks, mused the lumbe
! man, forgetting Meltha for the time
under the difficulties Of his own situation
Night was setting in rapidly. I'll
!, storm still ragged furiously. There VIZ
9 no chance Of finding the right road t
: night Ii this was o log-road, there mu
! be an end somewhere, and then he won
i i find shanties.
q He touched his horses with the viii
J After several attempts, the noble al
g mails cleared the drift and moved slow
on.
g The storm seemed to increase in fu
= every minute.
If he found no shelter soon, Alwa
Il feared for the consequences.
4 Peering anxiously ahead, dark sno
= capped pile met his straining visic
e The next minute his horses stood stea'
% ing beside half-ruined log shanty.
;, It was almost dark now, but Alwa
- quietly unhitched from the cutter, a
\ drove his team under the friendly shelf
4 This had once been used for bal
Z, q Across the way, some rods ahead, v
- u the cooks shanty.
: Alwade found the door hanging on &
a hinge, portion of the shanty roof fall
IN in, but this shelter was better than
. snow and storm outside
He had matches in his pocket, and {
70 of these was quickly ignited. An
" bunk stood next the wall. Quickly
~ y molishing this, the lumberman soon
g brisk fire in the long unused fire-pla
III Removing his great coat, he stt
re over the Are and warmed his han
lrs thankful for his lucky escape from de
le. at the hands of the frost king.
to The fire blazed up brightly, Light
II the room throughout.
m "Good heavenl what's this :"
Wallace Atwood stood staring into