Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-08-28

would then have stopped me. She could not
have gone the way l came.
But where was shel In what direction
was l to seek herr Argue the matter as
would-loath as / was to allow myself to be
convinced, | was bound to decide hat she
must have taken the path to Roding. There
was no other. She had gone, even as I was
going, to meet Ferrand. She may have
started, intending to come to me; but at the
last moment a desire to see the man once
more-I fondly hoped for the purpose OF
heaping reproaches on his head-had mas
tered her. Yes, whatever her object might
be, she had gone to meet him. And my
heart sank as conviction was carried to it
by the remembrance that coupled with her
refusal to permit me to fetch her was an as
sertion that she had something to do before
she came to me. That, as 1 now read it,
could be but one thing-to meet this man!
Never again, if l can help If, shall his
voice strike on her earl Never again shall
their eyes meeti Never again shall the
touch Of even his finger c~ontaminate her!
Let me follow, and stand between her and
the s%coundrel. If they meet he will wound
her to the heart. Her pride will rise; she
VIII JlIedltus 1h6n thO SOH0A0 "HA VI
another line. He will plead for mercy; he
will swear he still loves her; he will bait his
hook with promises. She will listen; hest
tate; perhaps yield, and find herself once
more deceived. Then she will be lost to me
forever. Now she is, in my eyes, pure as
when first we met. Let me haste on, over
take, pass her meet her betrayer, and, If
needful, strike him to the ground.
As l turned from the house / became
aware that a great and sudden change had
come over the night. 1t seemed to me that,
even in the few minutes which l had spent
in considering what to do, the heavy clouds
had banked and massed together. 1t was
all but pitch-dark; so dark that I paused,
and drawing from my pocket the lantern
with which Williams foresight had provid-
ed me, managed after several trials to light
it. Then, impatient at the delay, I sped up
the road.
l was now almost facing the wind. All at
once, sharp and quick, l felt the binding
snow on my face. The wind moaned through
the leafess branches OH either side Of the
road. The snow fakes whirled madly here
and there. Even in my excitement l was
able to realize the fact that never before
had l seen in England SO fierce q snow
storm, or one which came on so suddenly.
And, like myself. Philippe was abroad, and
exposed to its full fury. Heavens! she
might lose her way, and wander about all
night.
This fear Guickened my steps. l forced
my way on through the mad storm. For the
time all thought OF Sir Mervyn Ferrand and
vengeance left my heart. All 1 now wanted
was to find Philippa; to lead her home, and
see her safe beneath my roof. ''Surely," l
said, as l battled along, 'she cannot have
gone much further"
kept a sharp lookout-if, indeed, it can
be called a lookout; for the whirling snow
made everything, save what was within a
few feet of me, invisible. l strained my
ears to catch the faintest cry or other sound.
l went on, flashing my lantern first on one
and then on the other side Of the road. My
dread was that Philippa, utterly unable tc
fight against the white tempest, might be
crouching under one of the banks, and if 81
l might pass without seeing her or even at
tracing her attention. My doing so OF
such a night as this might mean her death
Oh, why had she not come as promised
Why had she gone to meet the man who hac
so foully wronged herr After what haC
happened, she could not, dared not love him
And for q dreary comfort [ recalled til,
utter bitterness Of her accent last nigh
when she turned to me and said, "Basil, dix
you ever hate a manT' No, she could no
love him!
These thoughts brought my craving TO
uoyrronnnO hooI- ~ ra- ~as~I TTlA. 49,.
Fernando By all my calculations, taking
into account the time wasted at starting,
should by now have met him. Perhaps h
had not come, after all. Perhaps the lool
of the weather had frightened him, and h
had decided to stay at Roding for the night
ragged at the thought! If only l knew tina
Philippa was safely housed, nothing, in m,
present frame Of mind, would have suitet
me better than to have met him on thi
lonely road, in the midst of this wild storm
Ii Philippa were only safe
Still no sign of her. l began to waver ii
my mind. WHAT if my first supposition
that had passed her on the road, was cor
rect? She might be now at my cottage
wondering what had become of me. Should
l go further OF turn back? But what would
be my feelings if I did the latter and founc
when l arrived home that she had not made
her appearance
l halted, ~irresolute, in the centre Of tn,
road. Instinctively 1 beat my hands to
gether to promote circulation. l had lef
my home hurriedly, and had made no bro
vision for the undergoing of such an ordea
as this terrible, unprecedented snowstorn
inflicted. In spite of the speed at which
had travelled, my hands and feet were grow
ing numbed, my face smarted with the cold
Heaven help me to decide Alright, whether t,
go on or turn back!
The decision was not left to me. Suddenly
close at hand, l heard a wild peal, a scream
of laughter which made my blood run cold
Swift from the whirling, tossing, driftin;
snow emerged a tall gray figure. 1t swep
past me like the wind; but as it passed me
knew that my quest was ended-that Philip
pa was found!
She vanished in a second, before the ter
ror which rooted me to the spot had passet
away. Then l turned and, fast as l coul
run, followed her, crying as I went, "Phil
ippal P~hilippaF.
l soon overlook her; but so dark was tn
night that l was almost touching her befor
l saw her shadowy, ghostlike form. Ithrev
my arms round her and held her. She strug
gled violently in my grasp.
'Philippa, dearest! it is l, BASIL" l said
bending close to her ear.
The sound of my voice seemed to calm her
or l should rather say she ceased to strug
gle.
"Thank heaven, I have found you'll" Isaid
"Let us get back as soon as possible
"Back! MOI Go On, go on!" she exclaimed
ION, on, on, up the road yet awhile-ol