The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-01-16

had felt that the air was growing hot
ter and hotter, but nobody seemed to notice
it until the moon went ont and burning
hot wind began lashing the orange trees
with sound like the noise of the sea. Be
fore we knew where we were the dust
storm was on us and everything was roar
ing, whirling darkness. The supper table
was blown bodily into the tank. We were
afraid of staying anywhere near the old
tomb for fear it might be blown down. So
we felt our way to the orange trees where
the horses were picketed and waited for
the storm to blow over. Then the little
ray of light that was left vanished and you
could not see your hand before your face
The air was heavy with dust and sand
from the bed Of the river, that filed boots
and pockets and drifted down necks and
coated eyebrows and mustaches. 1t was
one Of the worst dust storms of the year.
We were all huddled together close to the
trembling horses, with the thunder clat-
tering overhead and the lightning squirting
like water from sluice, all ways at once.
There was no danger of course, unless the
horses broke loose.
was standing with my head downward
and my hands over my mouth, hearing the
trees threshing each other. l could not
see who was next me till the flashes came.
Then | found that | was packed near Sau-
marez and the eldest Miss Copleigh, be-
cause she had pagri round her helmet and
the younger had not. All the electricity
in the air had gone into my body and was
quivering and tingling from head to foot
exactly as a corn shoots and tingles before
rain. 1t was grand storm. The wind
seemed to be picking up the earth and
pitching it to the leeward in great heaps;
and the heat beat up from the ground like
the heat of the Day of Judgement.
The storm lulled slightly after the first
half hour, and heard despairing voice
close to my ear, saying to itself, quietly and
softly, as if some lost soul were flying about
with the wind: ooh my God" Then
the younger Miss Copleigh stumbled into
my arms saying 'Where is my horse
Get my horse. | want to go home. Take
me home"
thought that the lightning and the
black darkness had frightened her; so said
there was no danger, but she must wait till
the storm blew over She answered: at
is not that 1t is not that want to &C
home Oh, take me away from here!'
1 said that she could not go till the light
came; but | felt her brush past me and &C
away. 1t was too dark to see where. Ther
the whole sky was split open with one tire
mendous flash, as if the end of the worlt
were coming, and all the women shrieked
Almost directly after this felt man:
hand on my shoulder and heard Saumarel
believing in my ear. Through the rattlins
of the trees and bowling of the wind
did not catch his words at once. At last
heard him say; GIVE proposed 70 the wrong
one What shall | do?H Saumarez had
no occasion to make this confidence to me
l was never friend of his, nor am | now
but fancy neither Of us were ourselves
just then. He was shaking as he stood
with excitement, and | was feeling queer
all over with the electricity l could moi
think of anything to say except, "More foo
for you proposing in dust Storm" Bu
| did not see how that would improve til,
mistake.
Then he shouted: "Where's Edith
Edith Copleigh p Edith was the youngel
sister. | answered out ofmy astonishment
"What do you want with her?" Woult
! you believe it, for the next two hours h,