The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-02-22
AN EAST BLOW.

The summer hotel among the noun
tains was almost deserted. Half q
dozen of the late-staying guests were
gathered in the little parlor for their
last evening. A high September wind
turn ed their thoughts to the desolate-
ness OF the winter months in the White
Hills. Maud Wellington, always a
leader in talk and action, called to the
landlord
"Come here, please, Mr.. Little; tell
us how you ever live here through the
winter?'
"Wa'al, you jest come up here and
try one of our east blows tell you,
{. you don't know anything about the
maountings. You only come up here
when it's warm and nice, and Mr..
George he drives his team around, what
dye call it2"
"Tandem |" suggested George.
eyes, tantrum and he takes you
girls to drive, and it's all very pretty.
jest let him be here in the winter, and
he'd drive tantrum, sure enough"
"Wouldn't it be fun?" asked Maud.
"Would you really take US in five came
mp next winter"
III guess most likely could. You'd
have TO kinder put mp with things,
though. I'd be real glad to see you,
naow; the winters is awful lonely -
81 am In earnest. and / will come II
the rest will. / think it would be
jolly" said Maud. w
''Yes, quite too awfully ghastly
jolly" murmured her brother George,
whose slang was overW helmiDg.
The others all promised they would
Join her If she formed party, and the
next morning they separated and forgot
all ahou' the plan and the promise, as
people do.
IL was late in December. The holi.
DAYS were approaching. Maud Well
ington was restless and dissatisfied
The season had been very disappoint-
ing. Everybody was dull and stupid;
Germans were tiresome, dinners more
SO, and she was tired of Boston and
every one in it. And all this was be-.
cause certain Thomas Sedgwick
Thornton had not appeared in the city
as she had expected. It was none the
less true because she would have de-
MED it, and that she had always laughed
at him, and professed to hold him in
the most perfect contempt. She knew
perfectly we'll that he was hard work.
ing lawyer in New York with little
Jiine for holiday making, but she was
quite unreasonable enough to think
that such trihes as business made no
difference. He ought TO have admired
her enough to have made any sacrifices,
and made haste to continue the sum
mer's acquaintance. 1t made no differ
ence to her, also, that there were many
others as assiduous in their devotion as
he was remiss. He was the Mordecai
at the gate, and she was unhappy. The
wind bowling round the corner of the
house took her thoughts back to the
last evening in the mountains, and a
sudden resolve made her spring to her
feet.
"Mother," she cried, rushing into
the warm library, where her mother sat
doing before the fire, "I have made
up my mind. We will go up to the
mountains and see how they look with
the snow on them"
"You crazy girl We won't do any
thing of the sort"
Mrs. Wellington always made point
of seeming to oppose her daughters
plans, but she always did just what her
children told her to do. Maud vast
ed no words in entreaty, but coolly told
her that she must go, without any more
ado.
With Maud to decide was to act.
George was delighted with the prospect
of such "lark;" he had not known
what to do with the holidays. Notes
were Immediately sent to those who had
been with them when the proposition
was made, and to several others who
might be congenial spirits. When
they had written nearly all Maud said,
with perfect carelessness:
"I suppose you will have to write to
that Mr.. Thornton. don't think he
would add much to the general hilarity,
but am afraid it wouldn't do 10 leave
him out and ask all the rest who were
there"
"Right You arep said George. "I'll
send an invite to the old duffeI; he's
not half bad fellow, after all. OF
course he won't put in an appearance.
But it is the impossible which hap
pens. For some occult reason Mr.
Wehnton chose to join this wild expe
dition, and presented himself at the ap
pointed time at the rendezvous. Wit