Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-03-28
SHE SAVED HIS LIFE.

q had ORD cred my horses brought
up 10 me door when the landlord Of
the country inn entered the room, rub
bing his hands In an awkward 4
ner. as IL he did not know just what
60 say.
SIN continuing his rubbing. q thing
which always exaspeatei me. he re
Piled to my exclamation by saying:
III is an odd request i have to make.
cdr. considering the state of the roads,
but
.sSay on What Is ity'
there Is n lsdy here tonight who IN
desperately anxious to get TO Brenton
by tomorrow morning"
Why doesn't she goy'
That's the point, sir: she can't All
uny horses are storm-statd somewhere
In the country. and you cannot hire a
team hereabouts, n $ yor may know"
How did me lady get here, In heav-
ems nauey
she came Just before you did. Sir.
with one horse"
Driving. herselfy
Ne: a young fellow drove for her-a
silly looking chap"
As be brought her here Il Gems 10
me he might drive her therein
"well. so he might, sir. but he's a.
most killed the horse. and IL wo1ld fin
Ssh II for certain 20 send Il out again
on these roads II wouldn't be human.
would it7-
am not naturally disobiig ng; but 10
De asked 70 take a lady in your sleigh
when the snow Is deep and likely TO
be 6rsfted Is not pleasant, and q woman
Is Apt 10 be 8 burden in case Of any
dfscalty on the WY.
Moreover. since Kate McDonaid and
4 had qrarreied over the attentions
paid her By her handsome. rich cousin.
which she either could LRs or would
mot explain. 1 new cared for woman's
sorsFJ.
Where was Kate now. I Often won
dered- At her home In Kentucky. per-
kaps and married 10 the rich cousin
A let Of things may happen In two
years
The drive I was now taking was on
special business for my head contrac-
cor. who said that certain papers just
received from England must reach his
partner. a confirmed invalid living
ear the little town Of Brenton, by a
certain day.
hShe really seems 10 be In great
trouble. sir, because she can't get on
said the landlord. as | paused TO con-
slider.
well. tel her to get ready. I sup
POSE l must sag yes"
by the way, sir. If you have not
been over the road before, you want.
when yoc get near the burned land,
49, rnffna Trnrn -~a 80 Eaa- n pha~ ~
lookout TO the right for q road that
road leads % Brenton, but nobody
lives on it,
aAM right. But tell the lady to
huryy: the horses are coming"
When I had donned my oyercoat, fur
cap and comforter / caught a glimpse
OF myself In the glass and laughed at
che thought that my intending passen-
ger would be able 10 tell whether she
had a young man or an old one for a
companicn-Scarcely, indeed, whether
4 was q black or q white man.
Going out TO the sleigh. I arranged
the robes to my liking and was just
beginning 10 get impatient to 60 when
an animated bundle of Clothes with a
suggestion Of femininity about IL, came
out followed by the landlord
The lady tool her place In the sleiga;
I sprang In beside her. the landlord
and hostier tucked In the robes, babe
MS goodnight and we were OF under
the shining stars with much tinkling
of bells, the sleigh runners singing
the frosty o IL was twenty
four miles TO BreDton, and the lone
Lest road In the state.
TIE going was heavy. but not es-
peciaiiy 50, for the way lay through
the forest and was not dried.
Ii soon appeared that the road here
was a succession OF drifts. not deep.
bull solid and that IL any teams had
been over il during the day their tracks
had long since been filled in
The horses could no longer trot. but
settled down 10 q walk. the wind
whistling through their harness and
allowing their names and tails till they
projected almost horizontally.
How cold il was. The bright disk
OF Venus shone with wonderful spien-
dor and the pitiless wind seemed 10
come straight from that star. There
seemed d be a merciless glare in the
splendid planet, and / longed for a
cloud TO cover Ii from sight
sAre you eoldT' / shouted, for the
wind rendered IL useless 10 speak IN
IN ordinary tone. mufied as we were
and not facing each other.
She answered that she was, where
upsn 1 told her TO get as low down in
the sleigh as possible. which she did.
and | pulled the robes over her heed,
she nesting very close 10 me
Somehow this was not altogether
dis2g-eeabIe. and In my Imagination I
began TO picture what my companion
was Ike.
The wind-swept stretch OF road was
six miles LONG. and when ne had gone
shout q third OF the distance the horses
stopped.
Looking ahead I found that the drift
kad deepenei and that they were
Standing in il up % rheir bodies. I
urged them a little, bur saw that IL
was OF no use. They only plunged in
a manner TO endanger themselves and
ZIG sleigh.
There was but one thing 10 do-to
az. out and break a road. Telling my
companion 10 crouch low in the sleigh.
1 covered her we'll with the robes anu.
going in front Of the horses, began 10