The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-06-01
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They had just passed the somber-
faced man and his girlish companion
struggling through the snow, and, sup
posing they were bent down the river
shore instead of across the unsafe
bridge, had passed on without uttering
q warming.
Now coming to the river path beyond
clump of trees, that wild cry had
reached the ears Of the younger of the
twain.
Help! helpw
Looking quickly back and down the
stream, he caught glimpse of a form
struggling in the wild waters of the
torrent.
'They were strangersw he calculated.
THE bridge! They've tried to cross it,
and have fallen through
1t took them ten minutes fully to re-
trace their steps, running around the
bluffy timber stretch. They reached
the bridge. Horror-eyed, appalled,, they
stared blankly at the trodden snow and
the gaping hole, through which the
darkling waters showed twenty feet
below.
HE went DOWN. saw him in the
water" muttered one of the men.
But the other?"
What otherY
THE girl"
"Ah, yes! l forgot. There was
girl with him. Jem, they're gone! Man
and woman both, sure as fate!"
They glanced far down the river
banks. They even lined the stream for
some distance, but found no trace of
the supposed victims of a terrible mis-
take.
Thus it was that rumor, speculation
and horror were rife at the little rail-
road settlement that evening when the
two men returned thither and told
their tragic story.
This man remembered seeing the two
arrive on the late afternoon train-that
one described the gaunt, solemn-faced
stranger seeking conveyance to take
them across country. A party was
made up to make search for some trace
of the bodies of the unfortunates, but,
after lining the bleak shores of the river
for bours, they returned bootless from
their task at midnight, the swirling
waters and increasing storm bidding
fair to sweep away or cover up for
evermore the identity of the man and
the girl who had seemingly met death
at the bridge. Esz
AS the reader knows, Edna Deane's
guide alone had sunk through the bro.
ken plank. Edna herself, frozen
with horror, had remained for a mo-
ment chilled to helplessness by the sud
den disaster. Then, frantic with ter
ror, vaguely hoping to reach some hab-
itation and summon it's denizens to at
tempt the rescue of her guide, she
| hn
Through the heavy snow she ran, the
darkening landscape showing distant
light. Towards it she bent her steps
lost it as copse interviewed, struggled
Oh again, crossed gully, reached Z
rise in the ground, and then leaned
against q tree, painting for breath, and
staring wild-eyed and, alarmed al
about her
Her bedraggled dress, soaked shoes
chilled frame and anguished hear
drove every sense to vivid suffering
With a moan Of distress she realized
that her companion was past earthl!
help, that the river had swept hin
away. The instinct of self-oreserya
ton, the fright of the moment ttullet
her memory Of that terrible scene a
the bridge; for utter loneliness ant
desolatiOn spread before her; not a nab
itation, human being or light showed
She might have been thousand mile
from civilization for all it's evidence
that existed in her immediate proxim
ity.
"Oh! where shall l go-which wa,
shall turn? am lost!'
Her tones were hollow, the utter
ance despairing, affrighted. Nurture
amid delicate care, scarcely clothed t
endure the rigors of such exposure
she felt that her strength and her wi
, we're fast deserving her.
|, She tried to summon all her fortitud
a and calmness. She decided that til
, town they had left an hour previou
, must lie beyond level waste bounde
+ on it's farther edge by a ridge of tree
and bushes In that direction she star
: ed.
Knee-deep in drift, swayiug lill
a reed in the wind, she wavered. fairl
: in the center of the vast meadow.
: Snow was all about her-earth an
;, air seemed full of it. 1t tlazzled lie
vision it penetrated sleeve and hoot
4 it choked and blinded her.
|, A fearful night, truly! fhe noise {
+ the rising tempest rang out like til
t waves of angry sea- The storm ha
;, tapped out the baleful light Of moo
and stars In the strength Of might
a glee, the wind raved and roared, sweel
ing the drifting snow about her Liz
/ q Shroud.
/, -go-no--further!'
With moan that was prayer, IL
o delicate girl sank down. Her strengt
:, had given out completely. The sno
It eame7 thicker, the wind blew taste
:, the CHASTITY white stretch before HI
began to be fiecked with fire, as h
e overstrained nerves drove the feve
it blood from heart to brain.
p "Oh! the rest-the quiet!' she mu
n INJURED, as she closed her eyes in tn;
L fatal delight which cold and eNhau
e ton bring, to lure the deluded victi
to the last long sleep. Raymond
e Beatrice father! goodnight, goo
e night.'
. A rare, ecstatic smile stole over b
face The suffering OF life was Iner
l. ing into the delIpiufil OF dleamlan
81 She had lain down TO desc youn
y so fair, so little realizing how ne
:, death grazed her bonny heart!
:. 'Oh! let me rest; am so weary
A rough contact, n blast of war
= breath sweeping her face reused t
9 benumbed girl to look up. Fl =
y Then, with frantic scream, 81
Y struggled to her feet and stood tlel
u bIingIy staring at an intruder, The sho
= hhppiiFs a!ssibafed tie letflaigE til
* benhmhed her aenaos and bringing +
. q realization anew OF the pepls ia
menaced her.
y. The hideous form that her uncerta
"a vision had exaggerated into some tt
i, rible creation of her fancy, brush
IF close against her, it's rough head swe
her hands and face, thrilling them
- i sense Of feeling with the aim
4 warmth Of it's rough earess.
10 A great homely-faced horse, lost
10 | st1.oved from home like q puzzled Wa