Daily Republican., 1886-07-16
A WILD NIGHT
BY CLYDE RAYMOND.

BY CLYDE RAYMOND.
"Very well; I will take your advice,
sir, and not attempt to 90 forward to.
night. Indeed, doubt II either my self
or my horse could survive this stoi m
one half the distance. Ten miles in the
very teeth of this blizzard Ughl"
And the CHILLED and half benumb bed
traveller reluctantly Invested himself Of
his heavy overcoat, gloves and thick,
| wooden scarf, ali Of which had failed to
shield him from the bitter, piercing
cold Of the terrible snowstorm that was
raging, and sat down, shivering, before
the glowing wood fire while the hosts
son, q nero boy Of twelve or thirteen,
took his horse and sluigh around to the
shelter of comfortable stable.
A woman, evidently q housekeeper
or servant, could be seen through q
partially open door, moving about In
the Kitchen preparing supper; and, al
together, there WAS an air of great
comfort and cheeriness about the house,
although the old gentleman himself,
lying back In q great Arm chair and
| carefully wrapped in large blanket
shawl, was uDmistakably an invalid.
AS the stranger Eat holding his hands
out before the cheering blaze the fire.
light revealed compact, well knit
figure, of little over medium height,
and a handsome blond face whose &c
NAL brightness was almost offset by q
certain hint of sternness that lurked In
the handsome blue eyes and gave q
strangely resolute expression of the
well out lips under the heS*y blonde
N ustache
One could See that firmness-stub-
bornn~s, l should say, perhaps
amounted to q fault with him; and 1t
was this which made him 80 reluctant
to abandon the trip upon which he had
Get out, for he had yielded but slowly to
the warnings Of the old gentleman at
whose house he had stopped to warm
himself ere going further on his jour.
ney.
The business upon which he was
bound WAS really Important, and the
man he WAS going to see intended 10
leave for the east ns soon as it WAS con-
summated; 70 there was no telling but
this confounded delay-I am merely
Itranslating Mr.. Allan Gath woods I'm
patient thoughts rs he sat there staring
half regretfully into the fie-might
upset the whole transaction.
line OF q railway, he had set out with
horse and sleigh TO drive the distance,
and the blizzard-for it was nothing
less-had swooped down upon him
with terrible suddenIess. OF course he
would not be 30 foolhardy as to risk his
life by going ahead, and yet-he felt
angry with himself for permitting
even the elements to conquer his in.
domitable will.
Yes, it's wild night, O terrible
night, assented the invalid, speaking
more TO himself than to his Rueot, land
l wish Kate wac not coming. / fear me
she won't get here safe and sound, al
though II al ything can be trusted to get
through these Western whirlwinds all
right it's Andrew and old Jake. They re
used to 'eln. But still I'm sore afraid
sore afraid"
The stranger looked up from the pic.
lures Ia the fire which he had been alb
sently studying, and . CLEAN of interest
and anxiety crossed his hand some face.
"Wh&t's tina. you're saying. sir?" he
aeked In a shocked tone. "a woman
out in this storm? Aerciful heaven
What night for o woman to venture
from homel Why, she'll certainly per-
ish."
T'm afraid of it, sir-sore afraid of
tiff they should happen to lose their
way" repeated the old man, in q weak,
nervous voice. "But, as / was saying
just now, il there's anybody as can
bring her safely through It's Andrew,
the hired man, that started to the depot
just ~ the storm set in, and old Jake,
the horse. You see, air." he added in
explanation, "it's my daughter, who
has been away from home for years.
She wouldn't lie coming back now only
I'm a'most gone with consumption, and
she got to worrying for fear I'd die, rs
her POOR mother did, without her ever
seing me again, and making up-but
checking himself,
9th or day, to let everything slide, and
come home to her poor old father, who
ain Z got many weeks to live, at best.
And she sends q telegram that she was
going TO start on the train that is due
here tonight, and Andrews gone to
meet her. And can only hope''-with
n sigh that ended in q long, exhaustir &
they'll get through the
storm all right; but my heart misgives
me, indeed it does, SIR"
Allan Oath wood, seeing how weak
and nervous the old gentleman was,
spoke some reassuring words, and went
TO the window, lifted the crimson cui-
tains, and stood for many minutes
silently gazing out into the stormy
black ness of the night.
"Rate p How that name thrilled
him, how II stirred anew thoughts ana
IN .mories that had tortured HIM ~ |
yesrs!
Four years ago he had met and loved,
and very soon aftt rward married a
beautifui dark eyed girl named Kate
Kate Falconer-an art student in New
York.
She was an ardent and enthusiastic |
devotee At the shrine Of her chosen pro
fessiop, and it was that very trait which |
had made her seem go charming in his |
eyes. ~.
Bot after their marriage 1t was diff
ferent matter. He did not like her 10 |
mipgle freely with her old associates In
study-his jealousy WAS intense and
easily aroused-and the pretty Bohe-
mianism which had pleased him 30 at |
first became o source Of bitter trouble
between his young wife and himself