The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-22

ed nerSei1 ae 20 near every WOxu y
spoke. He only saw, with wratl
and shame, that she was flirtin
. openly, desperately, with that soul
less, brainless Livingston.
But even Thornton shook off hi
J gloom when they came among tn
hills. The highest peaks wer
; white with snow, rejecting the sci
, ting sun with dazzling brillianc,
against the marvellous blue of tn
; sky. 1t was very cold, but still ant
, clear, when they left the cars 70
a drive of few miles. Mr.. L;ttl
. met them with his six-horse stage
the wind had not left enough snoy
on the ground for sleighing, t
. Maud's regret. 1t was an exhilera
ting drive. The air was like wine
, and made each inhalation an in
creasing JOY. The laugh and tn
sweet, ringing voices of the girls NJ
, longer Jared upon him; he was |
boy again himself, and startled
them by his wit and gaity. Maut
was delighted. She warmed toward
him, and left poor Livingston shiv
ering out of the sunlight fher favor
1t was all going to be a perfect sue
cess, she thought, and blessed her
self for the inspiration.
The hotel, when they had reached
il, after the stars had come out su
perbly in the clear air, looked as i
prepared for q siege. 1t was closed
except few rooms on the ground
floor of the west and south sides
On the north and east every blind
was securely fastened.
"Have you had an east blow yet?'
asked Maud, as they dashed up tc
the door.
"No, miss. not yet" said the land
lord. a guess we will hev, pretty
quick though. The maountain hey
kinder looked like it all day."
Il hope it will come. should
consider our whole tripa failure i
| it does not"
| Mr. Little shook his head and
smiled doubtfully. Il guess when
you have seed one, you won't be
likely to want to see another very
quick"
The next day Vas gloriously
clear. There was no wind stirring
as yet. 1t was this stiffness that
reused the forebodings Of the land
lord. His guests had a magnifi-
cent walk, they said: they climbed
part way up Starr King, and had a
view hundred times more superb
than they ever imagined it tcould be.
1t had been hard work climbing
over the slippery rocks, and they
came back to the house delightfully."-
tired and in undiminished spirits.
The general hilarity tagged not dur
ing the coy evening round the
open fire, and one and all pronoun-
ced their satisfaction and delight
all except Mrs. Wellington who had
not stirred from the fire all day, and
who grew more and more nervous
as the talk about the expected east
blow continued.
In the morning Mr.. Little's pre-
dictions were verified. The city
peoples ears were startled by what
he had SO often described as the
roaring of the maountain." This
strange, steadily increasing roar,
filled some with alarm, some with
most enjoyable excitement. Mr..
Little called them to see the "churn-
ing of the clouds up the chasm," /"
and, looking they forgot to smile
because he pronounced the ch OF
the last word as he did in the first.
1t was sight, as the angry clouds
came up, rolling over and over, as it
seemed, through the gap which
opened out toward the east.
Within the house there were
hurried preparations. Mrs. Lit
tie and her sons went about
making everything as fast as posi-
BILE, while her husband and the two
men went to the barns to give the
cattle and horses food and water to
last them till the storm had passed ;
for when it had reached its height,
nei..Ier man nor beast could stand
against it. Thornton, George and
his class-mate prepared to go down
to the barn and help them, for the
time seemed very short. Every
moment the tempest increased in
violence. Quick as thought Maud
wrapped herself in her fur cloak,
and she would go with them. Her
mother was SO distressed that she
would have desisted, but that she
caught Thornton's look of disap'
proval and disgust, she thought,
and then nothing could have pre-
vented her. Selling her brothers
hand, she rushed out of the house.
The barns were west of the the ho-
tel, some little distance down the
hill. The wind carried them on as
if they were straws, and drove them
breathless against the building.
Maud had never dreamed of its
force. When they were inside the
barn, and the door had been closed
with difficulty, Thornton said to her
sternly:
"This is perfect folly. If you do
not go back to the house instantly,
you will not be able to 20 at all"
MT. Little said the same; the
storm roared so that they could
scarcely hear each other even then.
Maud was bitterly ashamed of her
folly, but not one whit afraid. Even
Thornton could not help admiring
even while he blamed her. He ask.
ed Little to take her and "the boys
back to the house. He himself, be-
ing strong and large, would stay
and help the men. Ii was the best
plan. The four had a hard fight 10
return. Holding each others hands,
one keeping behind the other as
much as possible, the struggled up
the hill. Once they fell fat to the
earth, but regaining their feet again
after a moment, they toiled on, and
reached the protectien of the house.
Little said he had never seen lie
'blow come on SO fast" There
was no use in trying to get back to