The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-11-24

Reuben Alcott, an elderly man, and eau
tious as to his chronic enemy, the rheu-
matism, began to worry over the con-
tinued storm. Finally he disappeared.
and held long consultation with Mr..
Wilcox; and as Tom Kellogg came by
for the second time on his road home
the two hailed him, and brought him
in, covered with snowfakes, his eyes
bright and his checks flushed with the
cold. Sue felt her cheeks flush, too,
with irrepressible joy; but she assumed
entire carelessness.
II was jest a-sayin' thet twas too
stormy fer men Abby to drive home to-
night, Sue; so we'll stay over till ter
morrer," announced Cousin Reuben.
tom Kellogg, here, II take you home.
| fer it's on his road, md guess you
won't mind swappin' us old folks fer a
young beau"
Cousin Reuben cackled at his own
Joke, and the rest. joined in. Sue and
Tom laughed, too. but hardly with
effusion. There is nothing more seri-
Gus than love affair to those concerned
| 1t seemed to both of them that the next
hour or so would never be over. The
games were all done by this time. but
singing was still in order, and the un-
limited consumption of nu's, apples
and cider, before the gathering finally
broke up. The storm gradually ceased
bowling and sank away to calm. so
that when the good-bys had all been
said, and the various teams were being
harnessed, the sky was almost clear,
and only few drifting clouds OBJ
scured the stars.
Tom was so afraid that Cousin Reu-
ben might reconsider that he brought
the colt and cutter up before the rest
of the teams were ready. The colt was
prancing and eager; Sue, well wrapped
in shawls and hood, was tucked in hur-
riedly; Tom jumped in, and they were
off. Sue gave little sigh of relief in
the depths of her hood, for she had
been afraid of Cousin Reuben, too. And
yet, now that she was safely beside her
lover, her old tormenting spirit rose
within her, and she resolved she would
not make sign, after all.
The colt forged ahead through the
feathery, piled-up snow. On each side
the world stretched glittering and colo
under the frosty stars. The keen all
brought the blood 20 the cheeks, ano
stirred every pulse of life to the
rhyth of the dancing bells on the har
ness. Tom sat upright as a statue
looking neither to the right nor thu
left. Sue waited two minutes for hin
to speak-fve-ten. They would be a
home IN half an hour. He expected he
to begin, ar<l she never could-and sh'
!. must-and it was very unkind of hin
and he was right-and oh. sh'
. couldn't! Having arrived at this point
two big tears rolled down her cheeks
and she said, in very trembling voice
Toni"
Tom, who had felt his resolution slip
ping away from him momently, ana
whose heart was one ache of tender
ness toward the willful little bundle o
shawls at his side, turned rapturously
with a jerk The colt felt the rel
! slacken, seized his opportunity, SHE
wildly at fallen branch whose twiste
blackness stood threateningly out upo
the fresh snow-and, in his swayin
rush, turned the cutter over, and threN
both of the occupants into the neares
I,.,f ha
down the road toward home.
To be shot headforemost into a snow
bank is confusing. Exactly what hal
pened, Sue never knew; but the fir.
thing she found herself doing. whe
she came to her clear senses. was holt
ing on very tight to Tom. and askin
him, tenderly and incoherently, if
was hurt. And Tom was laughin
"I'd be willing to have every bone in N
body broken, Sue, to know that yc
care so much!" he whispered, ar
caught her so close in his strong arm
that she was quite reassured as to b
safety.
Above them the last cloud had driftC
out of the sky. The broad. starlit azu
arched over their heads with friend
clearness and calm. Family, yet dra'
ing nearer, came the Ginning bells
another sleigh, far down the road. An
sitting in the snowdrift, the love
kissed each other, and never even kne
that it was cold.-Priscilla Leonard,
N. Y. Independent.