Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-02-02
4 BLIZZARD.

Carrie Welton locked the school-houSe
door and walked down the dusty highway
! vard the farmhouse she called home.
! She was very tired, and the long mile be-
| fore her seemed interminable. just then
there was sound of wheels, and span
Of bay horses were reined up close beside
her.
"Would you like to ride hoGc, Miss
Welton:' some one said.
Carrie looked up in the sunbrowned
face of Alexander Hall. There was no
smile in his grave eyes, and The shadow
of frown WAS visible on his brow.
81 thank you-no. would prefer to
walk" Carrie responded.
very well. Get up, ponies
And the span and buggy whlrled past
her, leaving cloud of dust to settle upon
her linen dress and straw hat rs She
truged along the highway, looking very
! flushed snd very angry.
/ THE :dca Of his thinking would make
up with him III this way" she said, mem
tally. "No, indeed, lie will have to
apologize before l ride with him again. l
could see by his face that he was just as
set and stubborn as ever. No doubt lie
intended to give ne another lecture. and
thought this would be a splendid oPpor-
tunity. lie will learn that have some
dignity, | can tell him"
Carrie was so tired she ate but very liz
tie supper that night, and retired carly to
her room to think over matters in solitude,
away from the Gathering tongue of good
Mrs. Smith, who felt it her solemn duty
so ''cnter,an" her boardcr-said enter
tanment consisting in recit7t;ons of the
neighborhood affairs, past and present.
When Carrie felt well snd happy, and
was not worn cut with her days work,
she bore this very hcrocslly, But to-
night she was too nervous 10 endure the
ordeal Mrs. Smiths voice grated upon
her nerves like the filing Of a saw, snd
she flew to her room for protection,
pleading headache. In truth, it was 4
heartache which troubled the girl.
During tic last six months she and Al
cxandcr Hall had been very good friends
such very good friends that they were,
in fact, lovers, and needed only few
words to belong 20 each other forall time :;
words which would have been spoken ere
this but for an unexpected event.
| Smith:own boasted of two stores, which
of course were visited at certain periods
by drummcrs. One Of these, handsome,
dashing fellow, had recently made il in
his way to pass Sunday in Smith'own.
Bvery ono in the little town knew why he
had remained. he had ctanced to see
Carrie Wclton one evening at the store
making some purchases, and he was not
1T all slow to express his admiration for
the teacher. He begged the favor of an
! introduction, which, owing to the some-
what informal manners OF SmithtOwn So
ciety, it was not difficult 20 obtain, since
everybody knew everybody there, and the
handsome agent seemed p very nice fellow
indeed, one whom all the young ladies
would be glad to consider Nh scquaint-
! ance. Mr.. Parker attended church the
! following Sabbath, and walked home with
Carrie, much to the Indignation of Alex
ander Hall. lie took it upon himself to
say some very cutting things to Carrie
when they next met, to rebuke her
| for her readiness 10 receive attention from
q clothier's dummy" rs he called Mr..
Parker, and they parted in anger. Their
next meeting was that OIL the dusty road.
Carrie congratulated herself upon her
behavior, and then cried herself to sleep.
But she wa1 sure he would come again in
day or two, and then she would be 4
little more gracious, and take him back
into her favor, for really Smithtowu WAS
very dull without him. But Alexander
Hall did not come the next day, or the
next, and a whole week went by without
her seeing him. Then a strange report
came to her ears.
"Alex Hall has an auction to-day, zone
Of her pupils remarked.
"An auction. What for" Carrie said,
wonderingly.
"Why, he's going away-gong to take
up claim in Dakota. He's sold bis farm
to Mr. Roberts, and to-day he sell. oG his
horses and his machinery.
Does his mother 60 with him?" asked
Carrie, with dull pain at her heart.
NO; she is going to Iowa, TO her
daughter. or course the farm belongs 10
her, and the money VIII Jc hers; aud she
says she does not want to 50 into I new
country. But Alex is wild to 90, and pa
says lie will be rich man in few years
that land out there Sin sell for a big
price"
1t was not a very orderly school the &C.
maindcr of that day. Carrie seemed to be
in sort of nightmare. Could it jc trueE
And was he going away without coming
to say goodbye to her, and this shadow
between them? But he did, ali the same.
Three horrible days ahd nights went by,
and then she saw him pass the school
house on the way TO the afternoon train
which would bear him from Shutdown.
Il was the noon hour, and she and several
of the larger girls were sitting under
spreading oak, watching the smaller chill
dren play "Ring around the roses" As
he passed b. he swung bis hat to the chill
dren, with whom he was a great fIvoritc,
and said: Goodbye, girls. goodbye,
boys, am off for Dakota" And then
he was gone.
How the dreadful weeks wore by Carrie
never could tell. But they did 20 by, and