Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01

sight Twenty minutes more and they
would be safe. Suddenly a light breeze
blew in their faces, and Nelly uttered a cry
of alarm, for there were snow flakes with
it. No choice of retreat now. Glendin-
ming held out his hand, saying:
Let US run, Nelly, before the storm
comes"
Instantly she placed her hand in his, and
they started. So active were her little feet
that, to his surprise, she kept pace with
him easily; and he began to hope that
they wotld reach the shelter of the Point
in time, when, without further warning,
the snow squall burst over them. Fhe wind
came roaring down the lake, and with it a
torrent of binding snow. Instinctively
Giendinning grasped and held fast his con-
panion or she would havebeen whirled away
into. the darkness. He instantly realized
the danger of losing their direction in this
snow-cloud, and stood perfectly still, wait
ing for it to pass. Experience had taught
him that the more violent the gust the
sooner would it spend its fury. This was
true of the wind, which subsidized in a long
half hour. But the sky grew darker, and
the snowfall increased From the smooth
ice near the center the snow was nearly all
swept by the force of the wind, while it
piled 1t in drifts over the rougher portions
nearer the shore. The situation was very
serious. All signs of guidance were
shrouded ia the thick, white gloom To
leave the lake was TO get among the snow
drifts, without any certainty of finding
shelter, while walking upon the ice was
comparatively easy. He was quite certain
that storm so sudden and violent must be
of short duration, and he believed it would
be best to keep upon the path and walk on,
for exercise was needed tok keep them warm.
His first impulse was to feel in his pocket
for his trusty little compass, and he was
greatly troubled to find that he had left il
in his working suit when he changed his
clothes for the ball. If he had been alone
the prospect of nights exposure would
have given him very little uneasiness but
his poor little companion How would
she bear it?
His thoughts fluctuated between the
tenderest pity for her and anger against
the stern father, whose hardness had
driven her into her present peril. AT first
he had been fully occupied with thoughts
of Rose McGregor. The image of her fair,
large presence. fioated before him; and
even in the snow-mist his cheek burned as
he remembered that her golden curls had
brushed it more than once during that
merry evening, as he had held her (closer
than was needful) in the dance, with the
happy audacity of his 26 years. And Rose
did not shrink from him, he well knew.
But anew interest for his companion awoke
now. He looked down on her, as she
clurg to his arm, with keen observance,
as if to see of what metal she was. His
eyes, now accustomed 10 the 1alnt white
light. saw her face plainly 1t was very
pale, but composed Since the gale passed
she had not spoken. Her whole bearing
was patient and firm. He told her very
gently ana courteouSly what their position
was Instead OF the alarm lie expected,
she sad:
MY latner Will Know that L could not
come. She SAID IL with sigh OF relief.
That fear laid to rest, she seemed to have
no other
They walked on, as Glendinning thought.
in the direction in which they were going
when overtaken by the storm-with eye
and ear strained to catch any sign of relief
or rescue. They walked, not fast, but keep
ing their blood IN motion. Glendinning
was careful not to exhaust the strength of
his companion, which he feared might be
tried for several hours. He remembered
that he saw roguish Robin turn back the
hands OF the big clock fully an hour; and
thus he knew-though Nelly did not-that
1t was really far past midnight when they
left Robinson's. 1t was certainly past 2
O'Clock now, yet fully four hours before they
would be likely to meet early travellers or
woodchoppers, If they should be kept upon
the ice until that time. He reused himself
TO the necessity OF Keeping Nelly as cheer
full as possible. as the best means of keep
ing up her courage and beguiling the time.
And so he found himself exerting his pow
ers OF entertainment for the amusement of
this little girl. towhom he had hardly given
thought under ordinary conditions. With
that unselfish tenderness and devotion to
HELPLESS womanhood which is the soul of
chivalry, the heart of this man was filed.
The same impulse that led him to forsake
pleasanter company at the sight of her dis
tress, would keep him her devoted knight
and servant until death-lf death must be
the end,
In reply to some umid question he told
her his own hlstory-of father lost
at sea, before he could remember; of the
dear mother, 10 whom ne was all-ln-all !;
how he came across the green hills in sum-
mer to go to school in EdinborC', and the
ice-plains IN winter. When he was man
IN stature, put stu a happy boy at heart,
ms mother Jailed slowly ana LETT HIM alone.
HOW the GEAR, iamlilar places grew to be
hateiul 10 MN, IN his grief and loneliness,
and he had lett them all for America, with
the name and direction OF benjamin Rob-
lnson scrawled IN his mothers feeble hand
his only landmark IN that strange new
world. All THIS not told commercially, but
pleceu out with scraps OF boyish adven-
ture, ana sometimes snatch OF song. lie
had voice not remarkabie, perhaps, yet
weii-tralned ana when Nelly joined 1t with
her clear, glrhsh treble, IN some chorus
that she knew, the voices rang out over the
white waste with pathetic sweetness that
would nave charmed any listener. But God
alone heard them.
Giendlnning had hope that they might
be heard by dwellers on the shore of the
lake. lie OCCASIONALLY gave shrill whistle,
such as was used by lumbermen in camp,
as signal, but no one answered. The
White dlmneSs deepened; the cold in
creased; walking grew more difficult, vet
walk they must. y, the mlser1es of the
night to those two young creatures, shut in
by wall OF snow-as lmpenetrable as If it
had been OF adamant-from all the world
once Nelly sad, II must be very late,
ana iittie Mysie VIII wake and miss me.
S y. always wakes. AZ the thought OF her
Httie sister IN the warm, whlte-curtained
nest reaching out her arms and calling in
vain ior her Nelly, the only tears that she
shed mat niSht ran last down her cheeks.
Ulendinning soothed her, and she was
soon her own brave sell again. My father
Will know l could not help 1t, she said
often AND that thought always gave her
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