San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-18

the brothers, both heavily booted and
ulstered, were drinking coffee by candle
light. A hastily laid breakfast was on
the table, but it had not been touched.
The gray morning light was turning the
fame of the candles to rusty yellow,
and outside upon the wide stone sills the
snow lay high against the panes.
Ralph was sitting with bent head by
the fire, stick and cap in hand, his heavy
boot beating the t.oor impatientiy. He
lo2':"d up as l came in, but did not
speak The ruddy color in his cheeks
was faded, his face was drawn and set.
He looked ten years older.
I'VE ought to be off" he said at last
in low voice.
"No hurry" replied Charles; finish
your coffee"
l hastily drank some also, and told
| Charles that was coming with them.
'No," said Charles.
Yes" ! replied. you are going to
London, and so Nm l. have decided to
curtail my visit by few days under the
circumstances. shall travel up with
you. My luggage can follow"
As soon as Charles grasped the idea
that was not going to return to Stoke
| Moreton his opposition melted away. He
even seemed to hail my departure with
a certain sense of relief.
LAS you like" he said. You can
leave at this unearthly hour if you wish
| and travel with US as far as Padding
ton"
nodded and went after my great
coat. OF course l had not the slightest
intention of leaving them at Padding
ton, but felt that the time had not ar
| rived to say so.
Here comes the dog cart" said
| Charles as | returned.
Ralph was already on his feet. But
the dog cart, with its great bay horse.
| could not be brought up to the door.
| The snow had drifted heavily before the
steps and right up into the archway, and
the cart had to go round to the back
again before we could get in and start.
| Charles took the reins, and his brother
| got up beside him. The groom and
squeezed ourselves into the back seat.
could see that | was only allowed to
| come on sufferance, and that at the last
moment they would have been willing
| to dispense with my presence. Howev
| er, felt that | should never have for
| given myself if had let them go alone.
| Charles was not 30 and Ralph several
years younger. An experienced man of
| so to consult in case of need might be of
the greatest assistance in an emergency.
QUICKER" said Ralph; 1--WE shall miss
the train"
No quicker if we mean to catch it,"
said Charles. Il allowed ten minutes
extra for the snow. We shall do it if
we go quietly, but not if | let him go.
| An upset would clinch the matter
We drove noiselessly through the great
| gates, with their stone lions on either
side, rampant in wreaths of snow, and
up the village street where life was
hardly stirring yet. The sun was rising
large and red, ball of dull fire in the
heavy sky. it seemed to be rising on a
dead world.
Before us (only to be seen on my part
by craning ground) stretched the long,
white road At intervals here and there
among the shrouded fields lay cottages
Half hidden by white network of trees.
Groups of yellow sheep stood clustered
together under hedgerOws, motiOnless in
the low mist and making no sound A
lonely colt, with tail erect, ran beside
US on the other side of the hedge as far
as his field would allow him, his heavy
hoofs falling noiselessly in the snow.
| The cold was intense.
There will be drift at the bottom
of Farrow hill" said Ralph; I'VE shall
be late for the train"
And in truth, as we came cautiously
down the hill, on turning a corner we
beheld a smooth sheet of snow tapping
over the top of the hedge on one side,
like iced sugar on a cake, and sloping
downward to the ditch on the other side
of the road
Hold on" cried Charles, as l stood
up to look, and in another moment we
were pushing our way through the
SNOW, keeping as near the ditch as pos
Sible-tOO near, as it turned out But it
was not to be.
A few yards in front of us lay the
road-snowy, but practicable; but we
could not reach it. We swayed back,
ward and forward; we tilted up and
down. Charles whistled, and made
divers consolatory and encouraging
sounds to the bay horse; but the bay
horse began to plunge; he made a side
movement: one wheel crunched down
-Lo 100 1;+ni onI oil