Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-06-25

a time for dreaming? We have taker
the wrong road ~
81 think not" said the elder brother
slowly "but-''
"This is not time for butts! / tell
you We are wrong. If you care nothing
for your own life-and 1 don't think
you domino is precious, / can tell you,
to others beside myself"
II know it." said the elder man hum
bly,; $50 do you lead, Frank"
Frank waited for no more, but set off
with long strides through the ever-accu-
mulating snow, which, filling the air
with soft hurtling sound, seemed to
hem them in closer and closer with q
worse than Egyptian darkness. Then
the ground beneath them grew all of a
sudden boggy and soft; and, with a
despairing cry, Frank threw up his
arms over his head and sank down ut
terly exhausted.
Quick and ardent in all things, he had
not the endurance, either mental or
physical, of his elder brother. If there
was something of the sweetness, there
was also something of the weakness of
his mother in him; and he showed it
now by breaking down entirely, by turns
reproaching himself and upbraiding his
brother for yielding to him, and then
weeping like child.
"We must move-we must walk for
bare life J" said the Laird. 'Come,
Frank ~
Dreary, dreary work it was the slow
fatiguing motion scarcely kept them
from freezing, and the bitter wind ,driv-
ing right into their faces, seemed to
bite into their very bones, till every
nerve and sinew appeared to start and
swell and then contract into rigid numb
ness.
81 am one lump of ice," at last
groaned Frank, ''and so tired, so sleepy,
William, can go no farther L must
lie down and sleep, if it is only for a
minute"
keep up, Frank, for the sake of
dear life, only few minutes longer.
We are on the road again, know
am sure of it. Keep up for Cecil's
sake"
For Cecil's sake ?'' said the younger
brother drowsily. ''Pretty Cecil Who
told you about her, WHIP Nay, don't
bother-it's not a bit of use. l must
and will sleep, but only for Ave minutes.
| Imust," he went on, in dogged, reso-
lutte tone.
"At least wrap my plaid round yOu,"
saId the elder brother, recognizing the
hope,essness of struggling any longer
with the Obstinacy induced by suffer-
ing.
Il am too tired, ;" rejOined the young
er, in drowsy lethargic tone-"only
let me sleep Five minutes will make
new man of me. Put the plaid closer
round me. All, that Is so nice After
all, VIII, there is no place for comfort
like home"
Already half asleep, he was dreaming
that he was in their common room at
ROchard. while the Laird. bending over
him with all a mothers care, wrapped
him tenderly in the plaid and great-coat
of which he denuded himself.
81 promised her, long ago, to take
care of you, dear lad" he muttered,
land l will to the last and Cecit too
she will one day bless me for this. And
now goodbye, my own boy l''-and he
lightly kissed the sleeper's brow, who
moved uneasily at the touch of his lips.
"Why won't you let me sleep, VIII !?
1t is unkind Of you - he murmured.
To this petulant appeal the Laird
made no reply. He knew now where
he was and his whole soul, every fac
ulty of his being, was absorbed IN one
supreme desire TO reach, if possible, a
cottage occupied by an under-game-
keeper of his own, which lay he thought.
in an adjacent hollow. 1t was but a
little way off, and, warmly covered as
Frank was, he could reach it, he thought,
In time to save his life.
He had gone only very short way
indeed when he was overpowered by a
sensation OF extreme fatigue, and then
the fatal, deadly. irresistible sleep be-
gan to steal over him, struggle as he
would. He felt that he had no time to
lose, and, almost despairingly. he began
to shout wildly. Terrible anguish-laden
shouts they were, which reverberatsd
through the snOw-filled air: but there
was no answer save the pitiless mock
ing echo, and, thinly clothed as he was,
he was diving fast. Gathering up all
his strength, he uttered one long last
walling cry of distress.
1t was answered, but he did not
know it, or at least it could only be con-
jectured that he did by the sweet bright
smile that rested on his dead lips when
he was found on the hillside the next
Help was coming; but it
came, not to HIM, but to Frank, who
was found asleep, but still alive, under
the pile of clothes beside the clump of
whin. A few minutes more, and the
rescuers would have been too late even
for him. As it was, they had much ado
in restoring him TO life; and, when they
succeeded at last, the first question he
asked was-"Wher is VIII 7"
No one had seen the Lard, no one
knew where he was and, although the
continued all night, it was not until the
next morning that he was found, cold |
and stiff. with his smiling face upturn- |
ed to the chill gray sky.
As for Frank ROchard, he recovered |
from his terrible exposure |
but, as if the mantle of his dying bro |
ther's self-denying, self-respecting spirit |
had fallen upon him, he became from |
that memorable night an altered man. |
The luxurious self-indulgent life that
he had led had no longer any charms
for him, nor had indeed the pretty Ce-
ell either.
81 am William Rochard's brother"
was all the explanation he made to her
with respect to his altered manner.
The self-convicted coquette felt that
it was enough, and made no effort to
win him back but she regretted him
Dften and bitterly when, glancing over
.he Indian news, she read from time to
time of brilliant deeds achieved and
honors won by the man she
mad betrayed into seeming lngratitnde
20 his best friend.
Colonel r chard Campbell has never
married and pretty Cecil, who has
been twice a widow, has somehow con-
rived to induce her own immediate
circle of friends to believe that this
strange celibacy is owing to an early
cruelty on her part.
Mingling in the same society, they
meet sometimes; and her friends are
'ond of alleging-behind her back, of
Cecil has tried very hard