Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-10-15

ohO" "-0HoCo, anu ShOiN "hN o"h"'f
set off in the waning afternoon up
the white slope and along the zigzag
trail.
1t had already grown colder, and
squalls of sleet and snow hung thick
about the summit of the mountain,
hiding the perilous pass she must
cross: and, before arriving to where
the trail led into the road, the sun
had set, and the shadows began to
creep over the slope. Then the strap
to one of her snow-shoes broke, and
more than quarter of an hour was
spent in making it serviceable again.
She remembered now that it was
nearly off the last time she had been
out with them, and bitterly regretted
the neglect of repairs.
Dusk was fast settling over the
mountain and, what was worse, the
squall, which had lifted little, be-
gan to whirl the snow, and a bitter
wind buffeted her about.
Slowly and cautiously she plodded
on, keeping close to the CHASTITY
crags which formed a broken wall
against the sky above the rough road,
tumbling on loose stones, Gathering
over bare lodges, plunging into deep
hollows, and sometimes tripping with
the clumsy snow-shoes, which was now
such a clog to the weary feet grow
ing numb with cold. On, on, crouching
and clinging in terror to the naked
rocks, hiding in sheltered inches for
the furious blasts to spend them
selves, till at last the storm-cloud
: passed down the mountain, the stars
like a million sparks sprinkled the
deep sky, and faint new moon, a
silver bow, hung low above the crags.
Sally was near the pass and she
was very grateful for even this dim
light. Taking off her snow-shoes,
she again bound them to her back, E,
and throwing herself upon the ground
clutched the bare rocks with chilled
fingers, and crept shuddering along
the narrow road. She dared not stand
erect for fear that the furious gusts
always raging here would sweep her
into the gorge below, whose jagged
edge could be felt only a few feet
away.
At last, after what seemed hours
to the girl, she was over. Her hands
were numb and frost-bitten, and she
had scarcely strength to bind her
shoes. Emerging from the pass,
Sally could now discern, yet mistily,
the far, faint lights of the town
glimmering in the valley below, which,
if she could but reach, meant rescue.
Her mouth was parched with the
painting breath. In her eyes there
danced unsteady lights, and the lag
ging crunch of her snow-shoes sound
ed faint and far off to her dull ears.
Every moment she was i'm immi-
nent danger of falling into the nu-
merous ice gorges which Aanked the
way, but an unseen hand guided her
steps in the right path, as it guides
/ the birds flight unerringly over track
less space.
How Sally got down into the val
ley she scarcely knew; yet through
all the wanderings of feet and brain
there always remained the conscious
ness that, in some way, she must
reach the lights, but, as even these
went out one by one in the cabins of
the weary miners, a feeling of deser-
tion at the last nearly overcome her.
She strained her eyes anXlOusly,
vet glimmered. She steered her
course toward it. 1t, too, disappear
ed, then came again, bobbing about
like u will-o'- -the-wisp, then settled
down to a steady, bright point.
Now the town was reached, and
the cabin with the blessed light was
very near. The rays flashed out
through the dingy window upon a
white face with frosty hair about it.
Such long, long way it seemed to
Sally to reach the door.
But the brave girl was soon in
kindly hands, and the news of trouble
at Bruce's camp quickly spread
throughout the little hamlet. For
although Sally was unconscious a
long time and unable to give any
intelligence of the disaster, yet these
hardy men, quick to respond to app
peals for assistance, understood at
once that nothing less than question
of life or death could have driven
the girl to undertake so hazardous a
journey.
Everybody was astir. Lights flash
er about the place, and party of
men set off at once with lanterns and
implements to meet any emergency.
Milton Bruce was rescued, but
barely alive. He was brought over
to the valley and faithfully attended
by the miners wives and Sally, af-
ter she had recovered. He had on
that last day indeed seen indications
of the presence of rich ore, which in
time brought fortune to him.
"And owe it all to Sally" he
said ''for, had she not braved what
no other woman would have thought
of, we should have both miserably
perished i'm that buried cabin. -
Golden Days.
If the bowels costive, complexion is sallow,
and the sleep. is disturbed, remedy will act so