Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-01-17
A COLD RIDE.

I had Just finished hearty supper and
had ordered my horses whcn the landlord
Of the country inn entered and said;
"There Is a lady here tonight who Il
deperately anxious to get TO Brenton BY
tomorrow morning."
"Why doesn't she goi"
"She can't. All my horses are storm
staid, and you can't hire . team hsrea-
bouts, as you may know"
l am not naturally disobliging, but 70
be asked to take lady In your sioigh
when the snow is deep and likely 70 be
drtftsd is not pleasant.
Moreover, since Kate Mcdonald and
had quarreled over the attentions paid h0
. by her handsome, rich cousin, which abe
either could mot or would not explain, ]
never cared for woman's society. Whore
was Kate nowf often wondered.
"She really seems to be In great trouble.
sir, because she can't 60 on" said ths
landlord as paused to consider.
"Well, tell her to get ready. I suppose
I must say yes"
"By the way, sir, you want when you
get near the burned land, 10 miles from
here, to keep q sharp lookout TO the right
for a road that turns of there. Take that.
The straight road leads to Brenton, but
nobody lives ON it."
"All right"
When had donned my overcoat, fur
cap and comforter, laughed ut the thought
that my passenger would not be able 70
tell whether she had young man or an
old one for companion.
As I reached the sleigh an animated
bundle Of clothes, with a suggestion OF
femininity about 1t, came out.
The lady took her place in the sleigh. !
sprang in beside her. The landlord and
the hostler tucked In the robes, bade US
good night, and we were of.
II was "a miles to Brenton. The going
was heavy. The horses could not trot, but
settled down to walk.
How cold II wasl The bright disk OF
Venus shone with wonderful splendor, and
the pitiless wind seemed to come straight
from the star
"Are you coldf" shouted. for the wind
rendered 1t useless to speak In an ordinary
tone. She answered that she was, where
upon / told her to get down in the sleigh.
She did, and / pulled the robes over her
head, she Nesting very close to me. Some
how this was not altogether disagreeable.
The wind swept stretch Of road was six
miles long, and when we had gone about
third Of the distance the horses stopped.
urged them little. but soon saw that
II was Of no use.
Telling my companion to crouch low In
the sleigh, l covered her we'll with the
robes, and going in front of the horses DO
gan to trample down the snow.
worked with all my speed, yet IL was
more than an hour, judge, before had
track made for them.
a. "a
thoroughly heated and as wet from perspi-
ration as II had been plunged into water.
Protecting myself as well as possible from
the blast, which seemed to grow In
strength, urged the horses along.
As they proceeded slowly my companion
threw the covering from her head and
said:
"You must have got heated, working a.
hard as you did. II you sit there till the
cold strikes you, you will die"
~ do not think there IL any danger"
said.
"But I know there is" answered she
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"
At this moment shudder passed Over
me, and realized what truth there might
be in her words.
A second shudder, worse than the first,
reused me thoroughly to my danger, and
protesting that 1t was only for q minute
or two crouched down and allowed her
to cover me.
was soon shaking like one in an ague
fit, hot and cold by turns. How slow We
seemed to be goingl Two or three times ]
tried to rise and take the reins, but was
quite unable, and my companion assured
me each time that she was not cold and
was doing famously-the excitement kept
her warm, she said.
did not believe her. She suffered ter
ribly, but did not know until they told
me, weeks afterward at the hotel In Bren-
ton, that she took of her own wraps to
make my covering heavier, for was in
sensible when they lifted me out Of the
sleigh.
When, three weeks later, weak from fe-
yer, I employed my first conscious moment
in asking after my companion, the nurse
told me that she had driven the horses In
to Brenton at gallop.
Not knowing about the roads, she had
naturally enough followed the straight
one and for IA miles had driven through
the forest, with me lying Unconscious at
her feet.
As they carried me In the lady fell be-
fore the fire In faint.
Strange to say, she was really not very
much the worse for her terrible expert
ence, but had walked up In fever and
for three weeks had been delirious.
"Where is the lady nowi" asked.
The nurse stepped aside without reply
ing. looked up, when my eyes rested
upon Kate Mcdonald.
"Katiep' was all could say.
"Aleckp she replied and took my out
stretched hand In hers.
"Katie," said, after q moment OF hap
piness too deep for words, "is 1t possible
that you were my companion and my 80
Wort"
81 do not know about my being the last,
but I certainly was the first"
"And / did not know It,"
"But did," she said, with her merry
laugh. "And, what Is more. knew you
after you first spoke to me-"
looked at her hands. There was no
ding on the slim, white fingers.
"Katie, said, "they tell me you saved
my life, but you had better have let me
lose 1t unless you will promise to share II
with me-"
She did not speak, but the look In her
eyes was enough. h.-Waverly Magazine
Bfs Sense Of Touch.