Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-03-01

WIZ was tte iipctty, saw Iotolid uC
girl did not answer readily when Miss
M9ntford .proposed'it, but she made no
Objection, and presently came down
equippedfor The walk.
take my boa, Stella, the wind IS
shsarp. across the. prairie Fannie said.
pointing to her fur box. - think it is
morrow. Althea?''
Simply because I want them to-
dav." she replied. haughtiiy. 81 don t
Miss Blake eye - should snow, which
you thought she was made of sugar, she
the soft, rich fur about Stela's neck,
and pinned the little crimson hood over
her ears carefully.
Il think she is flesh and blood. like
ourselves she replied, soft flush
Frightening her sallow cheek.
And that possibly Mr.. Arnold may
ask her who did her up so tenderly,"
she laughed, in mocking way.
The flush deepened to scarlet on the
sallow cheek, but there was no replv.
A little surprised look crossed Ste1la's
face, and she whispered undpr her
breath as she went ovbsof tie door:
'sI Ii take care that hef shall know, if
that is the way it is'' a'ne
.Itwas some thing like q nils to Mr.
Arnold 5. perhaps nearer a mile and a
half. Stella had been past there twice,
and knew the house and the way, per-
tectly. She set out at a raj id walk, for
there was a cutting chilliness in the air
which penetrated to ones marrow. Be
sides, the sky was of that peculiar
smooth, gray-white that betokens snow.
and the thought of being caught out in
the night and storm was not pleasant.
1t was near four o'clock when she set
out; by walking fast she could do little
more then get back by dark, the night
came down SO early those late Novenl-
Der days. 1t was Just half past four
when she rang the bell at Tom Arnolds
pretty cottage. Mr.. Arnold himself
answered it.
why Miss BlaRer' he said in sort
of yhasty surprise, "come in, child"
and he hurried her into the dining-room
where there was glorious wood-fre
in an open fire place.
A roumd-faced, black-eyed little wom-
an sat out chair directly in front of it,
and Stella sank into it a little giddy
from coming SO suddenly into the
warmth. |.t-. E.f-E...~ .-e..-.
'It is Mr.. Montford's girl. Miss
Blake, Mrs. Bugbee, and she has
walked over here in this cutting wind
on some foolish woman's errand, I'll
warrant. Get her something nice and
hot, Mrs. Bugbee, right off, Tom
Arnold gave the fire a poke rs he
stopped Speaking, which sent the sparks
up the chimney in a soft, crimson
aren't you most chilled to death,
poor child? Why your cheeks are pur-
plen' he exclaimed. r.-.-, 90 =, r.
Il found the wind very cutting, and
it is beginning to snow. L came for
some patterns for Miss Montford. Some
patterns that
Didn't [ say twas some woman's
foolishness?" he cried, half angry and
half laughing. -
"Miss Althea Montford it was who
sent me-" Stella interrupted. remem-
bering the ''good word'' she had re-
solved to speak. Her sister, Miss
Fannie, demonstrated, and begged her
to wait till to morrow, but Miss Mont
ford isn't used to waiting. This fur,
which Miss Fannie wrapped me in SO
kept me from much suffer-
ing" s.f.
"A sensible girl that Fannie Mont
ford, / always said so," he interrupted.
At that moment Mrs. Bugbee came in
wi tn the patterns and the hot tea. Miss
was in town visiting some
friends, and had left thespatterns to be
sent up the first opportunity. For. some
reason that young lady was not SO init
mate at Montford House as formerly.
1t showed quite hard when Stella
came to the door, but the wind was at
her back now, and she could soon get
home, she thought. But the twill CHIT,
somehow shut down all at once, and the
wind baffled about and turned and
doubled upon itself, and whirled the
snow in her face till she was nearly
blinded. And then how dark it grew!
She could hardly see the road, and only
now and then light cleaning through
the thick storm, Kept her from losing
her way altogether.
The wind increased momentarily, and
the storm grew thicker and thickcr 1t
seemed to her that she had travelled far
enough to be near Montford House.
She stopped, bracing herself against the
wind as well as she could. and tried to
peer through atu0 SbOTul stnQ uaE kIleSS.
But to her alarm no light was visible
anywhere so far as she could see-not
even the faintest and most ghostly
slimmer of light.
A sudden wild terror took possession
Of her, robbing her of strength and
Suppose she was lost on the
prairie! To be sure it was not far to a
house anywhere along there, but she
could see such little way, and she had
turned round and round. trying to find
4 light, until she had no idea which way
% 60. A numb sort of feeling seemed
20 be getting possession of her faculties, |
1t was not only an effort to move, but
he desire to move seemed as torpid and
numb as the limbs themselves. Was
she congealing. body and brain9 She
asked herself this question in a dull,
1rowsy way. With "a powerful effort !
She forced herself to look out once
more in search of light. but it was all
hick, misty-white, and impenetrab'e in !
every direction. She would sit down !.
md rest, she thought, she was SO tired |
md o. so sleepyi