Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-02-19

| "A'AA3 esAO W0 6bdlU long over 1t.
had felt that the air was erowi,
hotter and hotter, but nobody seemed
notice it until the moon went ont and
burning hot wind began lashinQ Il
orange trees with sound like the moi
OF the sea. Before we knew where '
were the dust storm was on us. az
everything was roaring, whirling dar
ness. The supper table was blown bod
~ into the tank. We were afraid
staying anywhere near the old tomb Z,
fear it might be blown down. So v
felt our way TO the orange trees whe,
the horses were picketed and waited fl
the storm to blow over Then the lit
light that was left vanished, and yo
could not SEQ your hand before yor
face. The air was heavy with dust an
sand from the bed of the river that file
boots and pockets and drifted dow
neoks and coated eyebrows and mus
taches. -ItewasSoae~o e the worst 1us
storms OF the year. We were all huddle
together close to the trembling horses
with the thunder chattering overhea
and the lightning squirting like waite
from sluice all ways at once. Their
was no danger, Of course, unless th
horses broke loose. was standing will
my head down wind and my hand
over my mouth, hearing the trees
thrashing each other. could not se
who was next me till the flashes came
Then found that was packed nea,
Saumarez and the elder Miss Copleieh
with my own horse just in front of me
recognized the elder Miss Copleigh be
cause she had pagri round her helmet,
and the younger had not All the cleo
tricity in the air had gone into nv
body, and was quivering and tinglina
from head to foot, exactly as a corn
shoots and tingles before rain. It was a
grand storm. The wind seemed to be
picking up the earth and pitching it to
leeward in great heaps, and the heat
beat up from the ground like the heat of
the day Of Judgment.
The storm lulled slightly after the
first half hour, and heard despairinp
little voice close to my ear saying to
itself, quietly and softly as if some lost
soul were flying about with the wind.
..Oh, my God!' Then the younger Miss
Copleigh stumbled into my arms, say
ing: "Where is my horse? Get my horse.
want to go home. I want to 20 home.
Take me home.'
l thought that the lightning and the
black darkness had frightened her, so I
said there was no danger. but she must
wait till the storm blew over. She an
swered: ut is not that. 1t is not that.
I want to go home. Oh, take me away
from here
l said that she could not go till the
Light came, but felt her brush past me
and go away. It was too dark to see
where. Then the whole sky was split
open with one tremendous flash, as if
the end Of the world were coming, and
all the women shrieked.
Almost directly after this 1 felt
man 8 hand on my shoulder and heard
Saumarez believing in my ear. Through
the rattling of the trees and howling of
bhe wind did not catch his words at
once, but at last heard him say: "I've
to the wrong one. What shall |
do!" Saumarez had no occasion to |
make this confidence to me. was never
friend Of his, nor am I now, but I |
ancy neither of us was oursef Just
hen. He was shaking as he stood with
excitement, and was feeling queer all
'ver with the electricity. I could not
hink Of anything to say except, "More
ool you for proposing in dust storm. :"
But did not see how that would i'm
rove the mistake.
Then he shouted, where's Edith,
Idith Copleigh?" Edith was the young
r sister. / answered out of my astonish-
1ent. "What do you want with herr"
You'd you believe it, for the next two
1lnutes he and l were shouting at each
ther like maniacs, he vowing that it
'as the younger sister he had meant to
ropose to all along, and I telling him
II my throat was hoarse that he must
ave made mistake. can't account
II this except, again, by the fact that
Q were neither Of us ourselves. Every
ling seemed to me like bad dream,
ON the stamping of the horses in the
arkness to Saulnarez telling me the
ory Of his loving Edith Copleigh since
10 first. He was still clawing my shoul-
,r and begging me to tell him where
dith Copleigh was when another lull
me and brought light with it. and we
W the dust cloud forming on the plain
front Of rs. So we knew the worst
as over. The moon was low down, and
ere was just like the glimmer of the
lse dawn that comes about an hour
fore the real one. But the light was
ry faint, apd tho dun cloud roared like
oull. I wondered where Edith Cop
gh had gone, and as I was wondering
aw three things together: First, Maud
pleigh's face came smiling out of the
rkness and moved toward Saumarez,
10 was standing by mel heard the
! whisper, George" and slide her
n through the arm that was not claw
, my shoulder, and I saw that look on
!. face which only comes once or twice
a lifetime, when a woman is perfect
happy and the air is full of trumpets
! gorgeous colored fire and the earth
q . - |
ms into cloud because she loves and
loved-at the same time saw Sau-
rez's face as he heard Maud Cop {
CHS voice, and 90 yards away from I
clump of orange trees Isaw brown t
land habit getting upon horse. Y
t must have been my state Of over t
itement that made me so quick to j
ddle with what did not concern me.
lmarez was moving off to the habit, I
I pushed him back and said: "Stop t
g and explain. I'll fetch her back. " 4
d ran out to get at my own horse. '
ad a perfectly unnecessary notion that e
rything must be done decently and a
,rder and that Saumarez's first care n
: to wipe the happy look out of Maud t
,leigh's face. ? All the time was o
King up the curb chain I wondered q
' he would do it.
cantered after Edith Copleigh, think a
to bring her back slowly on some a
5ense or another. But she galloped E
y as soon as she saw me, and I was RI
led to ride after her in earnest. She 81
ed back over her shoulder: go y
y. I'm going home. Oh, go awayp
or three times, but my business was 81