Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-27

nave t*pu killed outright IL Gabriel bad not
quickly peeled hin out As It sns be SUI
ferpl verT sssriorzs injury vhile Saorkis
arm was terribly lacerated
.-Hs~.1S a tzsi ht.siness.s said Eben Wren
than Is he held Steve upon the cart SNOW
ius. too. Ike all possessed' How d ye ieeis
ron Steve, iooks ike Death don't hef Il
an aaflihis asisfa -
stexe was gha<riy pale, indeed. and bis
tee.h chartered and his eyes rolisd rouna
continually. =.
sol. LoriI. he u,oansd. I'm all gone to
snash Get ne hezae, boys. qEiek.
GABRIEL spoke 10 him reassGrr7gly as he
started cd the team. But at the motion
stsve gave sroan and his head fen TO one
side. Then he opened bis eyes again and
called feetly -Gabe!7
Gabriel lent down W hat Is II, SteveF
ar, eie,,. for said Steve. who evidently
fauciesi hialsef dying. 'and-0nd want to
tell ys sslniething. Gabe, IL lied TO ye that
time. about-about Lefty
Gabriel had drawn away his hands and
stood pale and lowering over Steve The
other two fen bacz. looking on wonderingiy,
while Steve in broken sentences told the true
story Of that evening Underhill had met
fe,fv bv chance In the wood road and bad
sad soo.i-by to her, saying that he was going
away On the morrow As he held her hand
in uartiny be bent down and kissed her. but
Lefty steg-uly freed herself with an exelaila-
tion Of amer Underhil laughed and prom
iss,d not to olTeud again, and presently they
seperated This was the kernel Of truth II
that lie which had changed GabrieIs Whole
life As for the repeated meetings, the IRE
quent embraces. these were all the coinage OF
Steve's angry and envious mind, bent on in
turing the three against whom he had a
grudse
when Steve had finished his story, Gabriel
said huarsefy; You swear before God this
Is truef'
As hope to be forgiven" gasped Steve.
Gabriel lifted his clinched hand Eben
Wrentt.aIn caught it. No, no, Gabe, you
wouldn .-aot when Steve's hurt so badr'-
Hurt uuttered Gabriel, ''hurt-where's
ny tabyi That's dead and Lettyr-
He wrerched bis hand suddenly free, and
brought il down violently that the blood
gushed afresh from the ragged wound made
IN rescuing Steve Curse the hand that
saved himir he muttered again as he dashed
down the road
The Wrentham brothers, after one blank
stare, turned back TO the business of the mo
ment well, Steve" said Eben, IA good
Job you've made of 1T altogether | spose
well have to get you back somehow now
Steve only groaned as they started up the
team again They were forced to go slowly
on his account, and the rapidly fa.hng light
and fast falling snow rendered progress dliii-
cult. while the night was setting in bitterly
cold with a singing wind
The next day dawned bright but with that
intense cold which sometimes follows heavy
snowstorm The sky had the clear pale blue
Of ice, the air was like ice crystals, every
thing froze and sparkled Lawyer Fernald,
looking out at this piled up drifts. concluded
that be would have to wait yet another day
TO see Gabriel Dallas.
The Wrentham brothers, however who
lived in Gabriel's neighborhood, were con
cerned to know how he reached home, in
view of his injured arm and his desperate
state of mind So after breakfast Eben broke
his way over
Gabriel was not there. The house was shut
up, and there was no appearance of life about
the place Eben made his way to the next
house, where Gabriel bad used TO take his
meals since his wifes departure But moth
ing had been seen OF him there either, since
the previous morning when he started off
with the logging party. Eben, uneasy, went
home and informed his brother of the result
OF his expedition The two stood looking at
each other and the same thought came into
~ eyes OF both.
lefty" said Eben.
''yle old house in the hollow p exclaimed
William in the same breath.
They harnc~seti n heavy sledge. and started
out toward the old house There were no in
dications that Gabriel had passed along the
wood road diverging 10 the hollow. but yes
tertlay's abundant snowfall would doubtless
efTace his tracks. They labored on until the
house itself was reached Here, too. was the
same silence, the same dcsolate loneliness
The only suggestion Of life-a life which had
gone out in death-was the little white grave
unler the hemlock tree.
They went up to the door. which tho wind
had wrenched partly OF in the night, A
great heap Of snow lay within the small pas
sage as they stepped inside, but there was no
sign Of human presence, only dead cold
that seemed to chill the blood in their veins
William stopped with his hand on the latch
II don't beneve theyri here, Eb," he said
hesitatingly.
They must be, Lefty at any rate" an
swcred Eben; open the door, will you,
Bill"
They entered, but there was no one there
They crossed the floor and paused on the
threshold of the next and only other room of
Ii. rude little structure William stood still,
with chattoriug teeth, for the cold seemed to
increase at every step. The door was just
niar. and over his brothers shoulder Eben
reached forward and pushed it gently open.
A first they thought that this room, too,
was empty, but after moment the figures
Of man and women were discernible at the
farther end The man was lying on narrow
bed. the scanty covering of which was red
dencd with "a great dark stain. Half kneel
ing beside him. with her head close to his and
her arm about him, rested the woman's form
Neither stirred at the noise of the entrance
1T is Gabriel, and they're both fast asleep,
said Ehrn in n tone Of relief But | should
think they'd freeze
He ljosei at his brother. but Williams
eyes. a. they met his, were dilated with a
strange terror
"Oh, Laeur' he gasped, that amt sleep
They-thy are lruze!'
Ebcn stared. speeches., for moment,
then lie rushed forward and laid his hand on
the motion 5 figures The touch sent a chill
through bis arm Yes they re gone" he
u
at those white, upturnel faces on which rest
ed u smile of perfect peace.
The two young men stood looking down
pitifully at the sight oh Eb." said soft
hearted William, are You slref'
Eben started. Was he suref Gabriel must
have been exhausted with tho loss Of blood
and that long tramp through the snow, while
Letty's siren 3 wgs worn away by all that
she bad Suffered Might not this scmbance
of death be hu; the chin preceding it, from
which they could yet he rousedf Eben bent
down and Examined them more closely. then
he shouted in excitement: "Quick, Bill take
the team uptp the village and come bacl,
with the doctor III ji.fyl Please God, Well
save EN- Yeti"
William wanted no second word In an
incredibly short time he was OF and back
again with the doctor 1t was a hard fight
in the old house that day between life and
death, bat life conquered Ia the cad
When the nlG'rin%'s events were known
the - hole village bcg;irse'l Itself to offer as
sistance. Forecast among those who came
was Mr. FcruaL
You don't dscrve your good uck. you
obstinate GLOW sid Inc old man. in a tone
that belicYl lis harsh words. hut for Lefty :
sake Ge G.e e-i thalksGl tope after this.
Gabriel, g. continued seriously, you'll
make it Up q her. oas''
IN try c.>wered Gabriel, soleinnlv. as
one waur- u .-r % vow Il know" be went
on, "thgt t~atl.f" . ING Is well as SteveS.
If had ls-I i94-,a-to and wai;e4-if had
oily Wa 81" Us face contracted Mr.
Fernali tr.T tis' Le was thinking of the
htiie gF -s .sier tilc lemlocS tree.