Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-12-21

neaVHy, and to feel as III Sne mao
transformed into a bird, without
care in the world.
But the sun went down under a
dense bank of clouds: and a piercing
dampness began to make itself felt
through the wintry air. Instead of
the gradual, imperceptible deepening
of the twilight, night seemed to be
let fall like curtain, and little frisky
snow-fakes fitted about through the
air IN wayward fashion.
jamie began to look quite anxious
ly for some sign of human habita-
ton; she knew that the depot was
seven miles off, but she seemed to
have walked twice that distance, and
had reached the railroad some time
ago, yet not a house had she seen.
Assd now it is dark, quite dark. The
snow IS falling thick and fast until
she feels as though she was breath
ing snow-fakes and as the little icy
fingers touch her cheek, she is filled
with a great dread. Already the
ground is covered with a spotless
fleece and her feet are numb with
the cold. Still she trudges bravely
on.
Hark shrill whistle breaks in
on the oppressive stiffness, a wild,
wailing, unearthly shrek as of some
great animal IN mortal agony. Her
flesh starts and quivers over the ner-
vous spirit, but the wall dies out in a
weird, pitiful moan, followed by a
low, rumbling sound. 1t is only the
cars coming. But this brings new
terror, is she on the track? She
scarcely knows. 1t sounds so near,
is coming nearer more rapidly, and
it is so dark. Which way shall we
go? Thrice she turns, but each time
seems but to be flying into the face
of her pursuer, with Its one great red
eye and its Kissing mouth.
With desperate cry of horror,
she tulns once more away from the
light and rushes into the deepest
/ darkness of the forest. On she ran,
imagining each moment she heard the
| putting engine behind her, until utter
| ly exhausted with WEAKNESS and ter
ror, she sank down at the foot of Il
tree, so tired SO tired and then-a
blessed blank.
With returning consciousness she
felt a warm breath on her cheek,
heard with strangely drowsy senses,
the snuffing of huge, dark nose
around her, and felt the touch of a
shaggy coat. With instructive love
of life she reached out her stiffening
arms and clasped them as tightly as
she could around the great brown
head of sagaclous st. Bernard. He,
by vigorous pulls, soon got her into
sitting posture, and then running
back and forth began to bark in a
quick tone of alarm.
jamie could never tell how it all
happened, but when she became once
more thoroughly herself, she looked
around on small, but neat and COM
Portable room, and two old people
sitting by the fire, one smoking, the
other knitting, both looking now and
then at her
All in a tangled wonder of "WEere
am How came | here. and who
are apparently taking care of me?
jamie lay watching them.
A shuffling sound on the floor at.
racted her attention. And there she
saw the great brown ST. Bernard tha
had found her in the snow and bro I
deliverance to her. 1t all came back
to her like fash her leaving hel
uncle's; the long, weary walk anC
then-nothing, until the dog called
her back to life.
, "How long have | been here? !?
she asked when one of the old coupl,
turned and found her gaze fixed in
telligently on then, The old lad,
got up and came to the bedside then
answering:
"'Bout week, honey; but DON
you bother bout that; you're goins
to get better now, and then you'll tel
us where you come from, and wha
YOU was doing out in the cold ant
dark, but never mind bout it now
jest shut your eyes and go to sleel
r again.
p She did as she was bid so far as t
q shut her eyes, for she did not car
+ particularly to talk or to be talke'
, to, but instead of sleeping, she wa
thinking. Thinking of how kindl
T she had been received in her uncle
! family. However she may have con
, vinced herself TO the contrary, sh
+ felt that they were missing hel
! grieving for her.
, She had thought she would reac
. her des tination in a few days at fal
thest and would write at once tn
D letter had been even already made up i
e her mind, to tell her uncle that sh
e did not mean to be ungrateful fo
his kindness, but she was used t
: work and felt more natural when sh
had something to do, and so, hopin!
he would forgive her, and let he
r come to see him some of these days
t etc. But here it had been who'll
s week, and not word had they heard
o A whole week, then it must be tn
b day before Christmas. Were the.
: all having their happy time wlthou
II her or xuora thav as she could no