The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-07-03

| Lowe was not Hlhn WHO kept early
hours, and George, who remembered in
what direction the house lay although
he had not been there since his boy
hood, decided that he would be able to
reach it in an hour, allowing for the
state of the weather.
1t was by this time twenty-five min
utes past ten o'clock, and the snow was
I falling less thickly. 1t did occur to
Llewellyn that the expedition had its
risks, considering the value of the
property he was carrying, but on the
other hand a night spent at hotel
was not without its dangers in the cir
cumstances. So George, who was
young, tall, muscular, and provided
with a revolver, started on his way
through the town.
He could hear the roar of the waves
as they broke upon the beach; he had
to fight against the wind when he
reached the corner of the street. But
on the whole the walk, for a strong
young man, had its pleasures, for the
snow had ceased to be binding, and
battle with the wind stirs young
blood into pleasurable excitement In
a very short time he had got clear of
the town, and was on the high road in
the open country.
Here the snow impeded his progress
more than he had expected; for there
was nothing in this high bleak spot to
check the caprices of the wind, which
swept almost bare great patches of the
open land, and swirled the snow into
heaps in unexpected places. 1t was a
lonely walk enough, and George began
to be puzzled as to whether he was
keeping the right way. There were
so few hedges or trees, and the feature
less character of the country made it
easy for the snow to blurr its outlines
until they were quite undistinguish-
able.
He felt rather relieved when he
caught the sound of human voices. He
waited, as they seemed to be behind
him. He heard them again in the roar of
the wind. He hailed the unseen persons,
but then the voices ceased. He pres
emily went on again until he was
startled to see in the darkness
between him and the sea the dim out
lines of two figures keeping pace with
him at a little distance. He hailed
them again, and the figures promptly
vanished.
Without giving way to any cowardly
fears George began to wish that he had
been more discreet and that he had
stayed at a hotel There was nothing
to do now, however, but to go forward
as quickly and carefully as he could,
for more than two-thirds of the dis
lance must have been traversed by this
time.
Unfortunately, however, soon after
this incident he lost his way, hopelessly,
undeniably. He found himself houn-
dering, knee-deep, in snow, over some
thing which might be a freshly-plowed
field or which might be the ruins of
house, but which was certainly not the
open road.
After a few fruitless struggles to
get On frmer ground George
again caught sight, a little way
to the left this time, of two figures,
which he perceived to be those
of man and woman. Just at the mo-
ment of his discerning them the figures
parted, that of the man disappearing
from view, while the woman held on
her way.
As she was evidently on firm ground,
George made towards her at once, not
calling out, lest he should brighten her.
Before he came up with her, he saw,
by her walk and by her figure, that she
was young; and when he addressed
her, saying that he had lost his way,
she turned her head quickly, and
showed him that she was adorably
pretty. So entirely was he thrown off
his balance by the unexpected sight of
such a lovely face, that he stopped
short in the middle of his speech, and
left her to answer question which he
had not finished asking.
You are on the high road-to st.
Placid's," she said, quickly. keep
straight on"
And then she glanced, with sudden
change of expression, at the bag he
was carrying. Before he could do
more than raise his hat and thank her,
she had hurried past him like hare,
with just one more look, penetrating,
| 1EOLl lis ldCC W IuC Ddk III
| his hand.
George remained for moment stupe-
fed; he stared at the retreating figure
before him, and fancied he saw her
turn, with a gesture of invitation to
him TO follow and catch her up. Act
ing on the impression, he started for
ward, and then there flashed into his
mind the words used by the detective
at the station: 1.-TWO well-known
thieves, a man and a tcOnldn," had trav-
eled down by the same train as him
self! He was at once ashamed of his
momentary suspicion that the beauti-
full girl he had just spoken to could be
anything but the angel she looked; but
her furtive and eager glances at his
bag required again and again to his
mind.
The wind was still blowing very
hard, and the snow, which had for
some time almost ceased, began to fall
again in great flakes, so that the land
scape was soon entirely blotted out
from view, and George found more diff