Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-11-23

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Nelly's eyes looked rcd and swollen
when her father entered the cottage
where they lived. but otherwise she
showed no traces of the ordeal she had
undergone.
1t was poor sort Of place, that hum
| bic shepherds hut. but scrupulously
clean and neat. and Martins supper of
| bread and checGc was laid out ready for
| his arrival.
How different things might have
! looked, he thought. had he not gone to
| the bad years before lie had once been
| the prosperous owner Of fine, big farm
himself. for the Daglshas had been yco-
men and owners Of their own land for
| generations back. but it had all gone,
had all melted away to satisfy that I'M
natural thirst which had taken posses
sion of the last OF the family.
Martins reflections, as the drink died
out Of him, were of u very sad and de-
pressing character. He leaned his head
ON his hand and kept watching Nelly all
tine while. II was the only good and
beautiful trait left il. him now. that he
loved this girl passiou1tely and TO some
extent uns"lishly.
For her sake be had made several at
tcmpts to break the chain that bound
him. hut the fascination was too power
FIJI to le resisted. His blood was by this
time little else than alcohol. and within
his veins il.e cried oUt to like Never
thelcss a rush of tenderness still camc
over lis sodlened senses whenever she
L. Ii, ,r1,,
"Ye'rc moi well. daddy" She said now
in = gentle voice rs she noticed that he
ate no supper and looked sick and sorry,
Docs yorI' head ache very bad
Martin PIT up lis trembling la! as
though to stop hcr.
"Dinna speak like that, Nelly, ma
b:ii'n. Tell me tina; Avn shame and
disgrace TO yc and that the sooner Alvin
ont O the world thc better fox every one,
but DINA pity lae. Aw Gamma b;lc it,
".,w'll say nothing Of the kind, retort
ed Nelly Indignantly. II would like
we'll to sec ycu set the better of drn!;
for Your own sake as well as mine but
Aw'ilneycr wish YOU owt hut good. never!
we've been Il kind teythcr to me, any
WAYS
"A kind feythcr." groancd the old
shepherd. "Oh. Nelly. Nelly, We break
ma hairt Wi yer tenderness, Do e not
wish me doid, them
For answer Nelly CAM across to
where he sat put her soft loving arms
around his neck ard kissed the poor.
cleared, drink sodden face over and over
again.
Many time aftorward did the men,
DRY Of those kisses rise to the girls mind
and comfort her inozpressibly.
:: :; "
Before daybreali the clouds had re-
solved themselves into II storm Of snow
the moss penetrating and persistent that
had been known. even i'll that bleak dis
trct. for many years.
Long Gre dawn Martin Dagiish was mp
and away over the iclls to look after the
outl lying foc;s in his charge.
On these CXter ,i'-c border farms, where
tho grazing land is composed both Of
valley and fell. and where the sheep
travel lnilo5 away from any place Of safc
shelter ANA refuge, the utmost prccau-
tionc are necessary in rough seasons to
prevent the Cocks from pcrialIng from
cold or being ongulfeI i'll Il living grave
OF anoVdriits.
In the ho.loWs these same drifts form
to m aiGr2liAc depth, and many . tleccy
clad carcass lies buried beneath every
considerable fall Of snow. unless the
greatest care is taken to prevent such
catastropAca.
Martin WAS a good and careful shep-
herd, and III spite If his failing was
never known 30 neglect the safety Of his
sheep.
But ON this morning as he crossed the
moors in TIE face of that binding storm
he recognized the fact that il would take
him FL his limo to prevent many of
thcm from perishing in this storm. The
other shepherds We're off. also in differ
ent directions. but the district under
Martins special charge was the most re-
mote and the one soonest i'll danger,
because it lay in situation that exposed
it to the inclemcncy Of the weather.
The snow came down in that fine,
poWdery, iHpaipable sort Of fashion
which denotes protracted aud heavy
fall, and it was all that Martin cOuld do
to keep to the track. Had he not been
Of pedestrians he must have inevitably
been lost at once.
The snow glued his eyclids together.
penetrated his clothing and fIozc upon
his face. Even his dog Rover, collie OF
great sayacity and experience, required
some enc Encouragement to induce him to
face the storm, ond every now ald again
he wlincl ana drew closer to his mas
ter's heels, as though protesting against
: the cruelty OF nature.
Long before they reached the place
where the last flock of sheep We're hud-
died hclpl"sSly together awaiting i'll stu
pid resignation their doom both man
. and dog W re about spent.
But at ight of the silly, frightened
sheep Rover gave a joyous bark and
bounded forward at once. true to his i'll
Stinct and trai,ing With the stupidity