San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-06

IhO "Ollu Sudl L S6I HOu6! Ilo gil
thought.
And then she wrapped her cloak very
close around her, and looked up to see
indeedl, and took deep breath, and
bent down her face, and started again.
This time, being prepared for what
she should encounter, she succeeded in
getting her corner turned, and in the
face of wind and snow for few mo-
ments she fought her way on bravely;
then she had to raise her head a little
to seas far as it was possible to see
if she was going right, and Of
course in an instant the snow got into
her eyes again; and then, as an effort
to escape from the snow that was blind
ing her for the moment diverted her
from the business of keeping close heed
to her steps, in another instant the
wind had lifted her almost of her feet,
and-there being nothing else to cling
to-She made grip at the hawthorn
hedge by the roadside and chung to that,
the wind and snow the while whirling
past her with force that seemed nearly
great enough to take her with them.
She grasped thick stem Of one of
the hawthorn bushes, and this time she
did not laugh. She was not frightened,
but she was very cold, and it was be-
ginning to get so dark. She wondered
If she had better go back to Mrs. Hills,
and if she had been wise she would
have done that, as to go back would
have been comparatively easy; but she
was half way home, and she was scarce
ly disposed to retrace her steps. BE
sides, it is only this one little bit that
will be so very bad,-just from here to
the top of the lane. AS soon as get
into the lane shall be all right" she
said to herself.
So, after she had taken breath, she
tried it again; and for the space of a
minute or two there came little lull in
the tempest, and she managed to make
some way; but still it was hard work,
and she was so physically miserable
that she began to take it good deal
more seriously than she had done at
first.
IF only that dreadful snow would
keep out of my eyes! The snow is ten
times worse than the wind; never was
so blinded before by anything in all my
lifel Oh dear, hope 1 shall not miss
the lane!" she began to think.
The way had seemed long to her-as
was little wonder, and the fact was that
she was yet good way from the lane,
but after this fear of missing it had
once come into her mind, for the first
time she began to get really nervous;
she thought that perhaps she had pass
ed this point which she had not passed,
and in her anxiety lest she should have
missed it, she turned back little way,
and then again retraced her steps. and
struggled forward, always looking for
the turning into the lane in vain, till,
fairly frightened and almost sick with
cold, the poor little thing got blinded at
last by something else than snowflakes,
and, beginning to realize quite wildly
las it seemed to herr for the first time
in her life what it was to be lost in the
snow, she had just made up her mind
that all attempts to get home were
hopeless, and that the only thing left
for her to do was to turn round before
she were quite frozen, and let herself
be drifted or driven back to Mrs. Hills
when all at once flor on this wild Sum
day evening not creature had either
passed or Overtaken her since she be-
gan her walk she heard step upon the
road. and in a few moments-the thick
ness of the air, as in a fog, making
sounds till they were close at hand I'M
heard-an approaching figure doomed
through the snow, and Gabrielle stood
still for second or two, GREATNESS
with expectation, and then gave little
glad start and cry.
"Oh, Mr.. Gilbert" she said; and
George Gilbert, at that mo-
ment no more of Gabrielle than of the
north pole-suddenly received to his
amazement pair of tremulous small
hands upon his arm, that chung to him
with an eagerness which would have
been flattering perhaps if it had been a
little less involuntary; but the truth
was that the wind at this moment rose
in so sudden a whirl that if she had not
held to him she would almost have been
swept by it clean out of his sight.
Miss Lynn" he exclaimed, in tone
of such unmitigated amaZement that,
though she had been crying minute
before, she began to laugh, and then,
half crying and half laughing
"Oh, l am so glad that you have
comel have lost my way, and / can't
see. / wonder-I wonder if you would
help me homer" she said.
Certainly; but you have not lost
your way; you are all right" he an
swered. "Stand here with your back
to the wind for moment till you take
breath. How in the world do you come
to be out on such nightp" he said, and
the eyes with which he looked at her
were still so full of establishment that,
being relieved now, and, in spite of the
wind and cold, tolerably if not entirely
treasured, she could not keep from
laughing again.
"You may well ask me that! Does it
not seem absurd?" she answered. But
l was at Mrs. Hills, and it was hardly
showing bit when | come away. 1t
came on like this all at once,-and now
/ can't see where l am. i have been
4 a.. C. II.rr1 not