Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-07-27

and stars. In the strength CT a mighty
glee, the wind raved and roared, sweep
ing he drifting snow about her like
a shrold.
"I-can--go-no-further!'
With a moan that was a ny the
delicate girl sank down. Her strength
had given out completely. The snow
came thicker, the wind blew faster,
the CHASTITY white stretch before her
began to be fiecked with fire, as her
overstrained nerves drove the fever
blood from heart to brain.
oh. the rest-the QUIET" she MUIR
INJURED, as she closed her eyes In that
fatal delight which cold and exhaus-
ton bring. to lure the deludad victim
to the last long sleep. "liaymond-
Beatrice - father! goodnight, - good
night"
A rare, ecstatic smile stole over her
face. The suffering Of life was merg-
ing into the. delirium of dreamland.
She had lain down 10 desc young,
SO fair, SO little realizing how near
death grazed her bonny heart!
oh! let me rest; / am so weary"
A rough contact, a blast OF warm
breath sweeping her face reused the
ptiuiHoeu glrl 10 look up.
Then, with a frantic scream, she
struggled TO her feet ard stood tiem-
blingly staring at an intruder, The shock
happily dissipated the lethargy that
benumbed her senses, ami bringing her
a realization anew of the perils that
menaced her.
The hideous form that her uncertain
vision had exaggerated into some ter
rible creation of her fancy. brushed
close against her, its rough head swept
her hands and face, thrilling them to
a sense of feeling with the animal
warmth of its rough caress,
A great h~omely-faced horse. lost or
strayed from home, like a puzzled wan-
dyer v e the black expause, seek
ing shelter, the animal had saved her
life.
Il was going to sleep painted Edna,
with an affrighted shudder. "Oh! T
must struggle on. for Raymond's sake.
heaven help and guide me, l cannot
die here alone!"
She grasped the horses name as the
animal neighed uneasily. Clinsiag to it
she w~alked-was dragged along. The
patient horse plodded forward. They
reached n road. Minutes seemed an
hour. Edna was conscious of relaxing
her hold on her dumb guide from sheer
weakness, Of sinking helpless TO the
ground.
Was that n light shining near-Grate-
fully near? She tried to cry out. but
her utterance seemed choked and hol-
low, and its faint echo died in her wv
throat.
Surely. there was a house before her!
an open shed, too, beneath which the
horse stood painting, but safe from the
storm.
If she would only drag herself therei
But it was not to be. Exhausted ma
tlre could endure no more.
She closed her eyes with n OF
utter WEAKNESS and despair. Again
her senses glided into the fatal dream
land of u~nreality. The snow seemed
destined TO finish a dark nights work
by burying Edna Deane and the mys-
terry Of her fair young life beneath its
mantle alike.
Ghostly fell the snow!
Fiercer rose the wild winds, more
weird became the clogged misshapen
landscape; darker grew the night. The
dainty form was outlined. first in a
royal robe of ermine, then a little
mound showed, then a greater one, and
then-only a bleak level of expanse-
the wanderer completely o~bliterated,
as if a part of the great spreading
meadow itself.
And ghostly fell the snow!
ITO Be C~outinued.O