The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-13
She shakes her head in sadness.

I
come back and comfort Laura, it would
gladden. me and do me good" She
| pressed her hand to her heart as she
speaks. and looks toward Stephen, who
turns from his child with groan
Laura Is very unhappy, doctor?"
Very unhappy, child" replies DR..
Bax, in tone of infinite compassion;
for words have passed between him
| and Stephen Winkworth which made
him more than suspect the deformed
girls secret of her hopeless love.
You really do not know, DOCTOR"
she asks, what made William Fair
field go away so SUDDENLY"
''How on earth should know" cried
DR.. Bax, irascibly. 'Some COMPOUNDED
mischief-maker had hand in it, dare
say. And yet that he should have so
conducted himself! 1t is unaccount-
able, most unaccountable. / was in
his company last Christmas Eve until
nearly midnight, and if had had the
most remote suspicion of what was
passing in his mind, l would never
have left him, never! L have lived in
this miserable world q good many
years, my dear, and the longer live
the more it puzzles me. How such
young man-generOus and noble-mind-
ed, as | believed him to be, could so
basely desert that sweet girl-for she's
an angel, my dear, and so are youl-
is the most incomprehensible piece of
folly it has ever been my bad fortune
to be mixed up in. Upon my word, [
believe the world and everybody in it
have gone crazy. Goodbye, my dear,
L will see you Tomorrow"
And DR.. Bax leaves the house, rub
bing his head with an air of great vex.
alton.
William Garfield saw nothing but
the desOlate ranges; heard nothing but
the shrieking of the storm, and a terri
bic and hopeless despair gathered about
his heart. He could scarcely keep his
senses at the thought of diving uncared
for in this wild spot. But he could not
bear the cold, and he was fain to Join
his mates in the tent.
II tave never been much of be-
iever in presentiments,' Gentleman
George was saying, but Ihave got the
idea in my head that if we don't get
out of this tomorrow, we shall never
get out of it alive. We could keep the
snow away for pretty long time, but
without wood for 3 fire, I'd defy the
very devil to keep himself from freez-
ing. Then, we have nothing to eat"
''And the bacca' nearly all run out"
grumbled Cornish Tom. I'D give a
pound of gold for pound of Barrett's
twist. l wouldn't care brass farthing
if we had plenty of bacca."
"Will the old folks at home" said
Gentleman George, lever have an idea
of our fate?'
Don't keep on talking like that,
George" demonstrated Cornish Tom;
you'll make me feel as low-spirited as
a bandicootr'
The simile was accepted in its most
expressive sense by his mates, though
it would have puzzled any one of them
to impart accurate information as to
whether the animal were predisposed
to low spirits. But for iorcible figures
of speech on the gold-felds the bandi-
coot was an invaluable creature.
1T isn't my fault, Tom, it comes. 1
haven't seen my parents for over ten
years, and though l don't write to |
them, and don't know. indeed, if they
are alive, l can't help thinking of them |
at such time as this. l never heard |
you.speak of yours, Tom
Haven't got none," said Cornish |
Tom, laconically.
"Have you, Willy?" asked Gentle
man George.
William shook his head.
You have, know, Dick" George |
pursued, ''for have seen you reading |
their letters-and have envied YOU, |
mate. You see, | was n scape-grace at |
home, and they were glad to get rid of |
me and was not sorry to go. But L
should like to see their dear old faces
again. if they are alive"
and so you will, George" said
Cornish Tom, theoretically; "but we
are not going the right way about it.
We must keep stout hearts, and we shall |
be all right At all eyelts, we won't
stay here till we're so snugly showed
in that we can't escape. Wen start
tomorrow morning and cut our way
out of this"
"Harkr' cried William. starting to
his feet. do you not hear a cry?"
They all listened attentively; no
sound reached their ears but the moan
ing of the wind.
Its hard for man to hear any
thing in such gale as this" said
Cornish Tom. 'Great Lord! what is
-hat?'
They rushed to the door. A dead
ening roar drowned the shrieking and
of the wind. and, looking
out, they beheld a sight which made
hem hold on to one another in awe
md wonder An avalanche, slipping
rom the summit of one of the Hottest
,anges! Down, down, it Numbered,
throwing out huge snow sprays, each
)ne sufficient to bury hundred men.
Down the steep side of the mountain It
'ushed, increasing in volume with
very foot it rolled, and detaching great
masses of snow and ice, which leaped
over each other with awful velocity,
Until they Numbered into the gulley A
oar as of ten thousand evil spirits; an
lngry rush as of giant army of white
filling the air with terrible
lights and sounds; and then the ava
ance spread itself with a terrific thud
It the base of the mountain.
The lookers-on, with white faces,
leld their breaths, all thought of their
'wn peril gone in the awful grandeur
# the scene.
1--WE shall be blown into ice-blocks,"
PRESENTLY said Gentleman George, as a
Ieep sigh of relief escaped him, If we
tand here much longer. Thank God
We are not under it!''
With feeling of. devout thankful
less in their hearts, they went into the
ent, and, scraping up the scattered en-
.ar- of tho fro bu1dlad orOun1 ~ ~, / !