Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-04-09

but welcome, bringing abundance q
/ snow and good sleighing. which meant
+ revival of business and general pros.
perity all over the country, once th,
/ blizzard had blown past,
She staggered on. head bent down.
/ ward, wrestling with the whirling
hlindinE blast until almost exhausted
! she at last reached the village and
/ shook the SNOW from her. hut the
/ hope born Of love is strengths one word
such words as he had spoken that day
and she was ready 10 face lifetime OF
such storms as this, only one or two
under the crimson maple.
The door Of the Groccry postotlcC
was shut and rice bags werc stuffed
alonS the bottom to keep oat the snow
! that drttted in nj every GRANNY, nu;
Loo managed to open II aud shut II be.
hind her
There were no letters. No letters
for Miss uil.
She felt her strength suddenly col.
lapse; dull feeling OF sickness took
hold OF her as she turned and gropc,I
for The door latch
why Miss Loot You are tryiu' tc
open tn" door from tho hinge side
| laughed the grocer hurryiug round
the counter to let her out, and. me.
chanical)y thanking him, she stumbled
out again into the storm. Not SOU
was on the street; she drew the wooler
| cloud tight across her face and with
leadcn steps turned homcwarl by til,
side OF the wool; all the hope and JOY
gone out OF her life.
| II he had Intended to write az all
surely, surely 1t would be now. when
every one was sending letters apo
! Christmas gifts OF love and good will e
all Had It then been all n dream At
fond, foolish mistake OF hers ;his
belief In his goodness. his rustwortAt.
ness, his love for herself. Had he only
said those sweet words on the spur oi
the moment because he felt she had
been good TO him. because II was pleas.
ant TO make love and to tlirt with her
She had heard of such things; she had
read of them: how men fooled women
and women fooled men only for the
sport of II, Her checks burned and
her eyes flashed ut the possibility, but
when she tried to realize what life
would be now without this sweet hope
all her remaining strength left her
she stumbled forward into huge
snowdrift and sinking In its chill soft,
ness she gave way utterly. She was
cold, cold; her toes had ceased to ache
she could no longer feel them In hoi
boots her limbs were weary with tn,
| long tramp; II rested them to lie on the
! yielding snow Her whole frame
seemed to collapse with the sinking oi
| her spirits; she drew the cloud up from
! her face that she might breathe NOR,
! freely. feeling u certain subtle ,uXurs
in thus relieving her pain. sobbi u
I steadily, with her face In her handkor
chief until n delicious drowsness stole
over her She had dim conscious
asleep; that If she did she would freeZ,
! to death, ard It would be all over al
\ her happy lovo-dream, nll the sorrow
and all the hoart0Chc; all the toll. tht
| weary, weary never-cnding toll,
! She tried to feel that she must gel
mp and 70 home and continue to do hel
duty to the end. since God had 1enic(
| to her the only boon she coveted HUI,
man love; so freely given TO Other
women; TO women who held II bui
! lightly. She must 30 home and do hcl
! best to live without It. to wash nnt
bake and chun and milk and feed the
chickens and sweep and dust; day
after day day after day; week after
week, TIL she grew old and gray
world without end-amon, Oh THU
rest! This soft, delicious, dreamy
floating sense of rest, rest, r est!
The feeling that she must get up ant
30 home became weaker and weaker
her pagaly2ed will yielded TO th'
strange tranquility and peace tina,
oyorpowered her senses; her hands
fell slowly from her face, her heat
sank back on the pillow the feathery
flakes had blown together; they
whirled and eddied and danced arount
her unconscious head. they lay light nj
elder down on her closed eyeIids; they
yelled her face, now calm and smiling
/ they swathed In white her still re
cumbent form; the swirling wind blew
great sheets of powdery snow into the
| dent whore she lay and In n few min.
utes the drift grew round and smooth
and innocent looking ms though ne
human being with a bursting. breaking
/ heart lay intombcd therein.
CHAPTER XVII.