The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-01-17

lady II she felt cold. She hesitatec
ior almost minute before replying,
When she assured me by a curt mon.
osyllable that she was not. Sociable
VERY! thought |, and made nc
further effort to talk. The going
was heavy, but not especially so, for
the way lay through the forest and
was rot drifted. Four miles brought
US TO the burnt land; a long, wind
swept space, where there we're Just
enough fallen trees along the road.
way to catch the driven snow. 1t
soon appeared that the road here
was succession of drifts, not deep,
but solid. and that, if any teams
mad been over it during the day,
their tracks had long since been
hlled in. Indeed, | could see in the
bright starlight that fine snow, al
most like ice dust, was moving
swiftly over the great white surface
spread out before us. The horse
could no longer trot, but settled
down to walk, the wind whistling
through the harness and blowing
their names and tails till thew pro-
Jected almost horizontally. How
cold 1t was! In the northwest the
bright disk of Venus shone with
wonderful splendor, and the pitiless
wind seemed to come straight from
the star. There seemed to be a
merclless glare in the splendid
planet, and longed TOR a cloud to
cover it from sight. l Ishivered under
all my clothing and began to feel
uneasy for my companion.
Are yon cold i? l shouted, for the
wind rendered it useless so speak in
an ordinary tone, mufied as we
were, and not facing each other.
She answered that she was,
whereupon | told her:to get as low
down in the sleigh as possible, which
she did, and | pulled the robes over
her head, she nesting very close to
me. Somehow this was not alto
gether disagreeable, and in my i'm.
aglnation | began to picture what
my companion was like. | con-
cluded that she was young and
beautiful, without any reason what
ever, except that it would be vastly
more pleasant to be taking care of
such girl than of one who was old
and i'll. favored.
The wind-swept stretch of road
was six miles long, and when we had
gone about one third of the distance
the horses stopped. Looking ahead
| found that the drifts had deepened
and that they were standing in 1t up
to their bodies. urged them little,
but soon saw it was of no use. They
only plunged in a manner to en-
danger themselves and the sleigh.
There was but one thing to do-get
out and break a road. Telling my
companion to crouch low in the
sleigh l covered her well with the
robes, and going in front OF the
horses began to tramp down the
snow. The poor animals stood
shivering in the wind, and 1 worked
with all my speed; yet it was more
than an hour, 1 judge, before l had
a track made for them. When l re-
turned to the sleigh, l was thor
oughly heated, and as wet from
perspiration as if l had been plunged
into water. l knew l was running
a fearful risk in sitting down in that
piercing wind, but there seemed to
be no alternative, so. protecting
myself as we'll as possible from the
blast which seemed to grow in
strength, l urged the horses along.
As they proceeded slowly my COM
panion threw the covering from her
head and said:
You must have got heated, work.
ing as you did, and you will take
cold unless you take something at
once. If you sit there till the cold
strikes you, you will die.
The voice seemed to have a trace
of tears in it, but that was doubtless
due to the fact that she herself was
far from comfortable.
| do not think there is any danger,
| said.
But | know there is, she an
swered. Then throwing down the
robes she stood up in the sleigh and
added: Give me the reins. Get
down there out of the wind and
cover yourself up.
| will do nothing of the kind, ]
replied.
You must, she insisted, or you
will die.
AT this moment shudder passed
over me, and l realized what truth
there might be in her words. She
OWNED the reason for my silence
and said
You know 1 am right. Oh, why
will YOU not do what | ask?
But you-
Never mind me, l will be alright
besides, it will only be for little
while.
A second shudder, worse than the
first, reused me thoroughly to my
danger, and, protesting that it wa:
only for a minute or two that
would avail myself of the shelter 0
the sleigh box, crouched down ane
allowed her to cover me over. | was
soon shaking like one in an ague-ht
growing hot and cold by turns. How
terribly slow we seemed to be going
Two or three times 1 tried to ris
and take the reins. but was unable
and nv companion assured me eacl