The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-11-05
A Winter niglt;
Or,
Found in a Snow Drift.
T.

snoW-t1akes, that fail softly. clothing all
things III a silent. shroud-like way, The
NeWpOrt-r0ad, III Hoa;h, u suburb of Cardiff.
was a sheer sheet OF uH;rrllen SHOW. for il
fell fast; and the time was two o'clock in
the morning. The rough stone fronts of the
pretty villas were frosted like fairy castles.
the trees reared their hare branches newly
begemmed by King Frost.
A deadly Chill was in the air. a deadly s-
lence on the earth; and walking a|0ny
weary, alone, was the tall slim figure of a
young girl wrapped in a long fur-Iined
cloak, the hood OF which wasdrawn over her
head.
Her fair childish face was white and set
with a look Of determination mingled with
despair. Hers was adesperate venture. and
she knew not where it would lead. She
seemed possessed by one idea. and that to
get over as much ground as possible before
day dawned.
Her little bare hands, blue with the cold.
gathered her furs close about her; the snow
almost blinded her. Her knees knocked to-
gether; she was half persisted with cold and
fatigue.
On, on, %footsore and heartsick, past the
pretty pleasant home-places to where the
road was edged on either side by snow-laden
hedges, and the everlasting hills showed
family afar off, crowned with the purity of
the unsullicd snow; the meadows stretched
away on either side smooth sheets of white,
Nothing stirred in this still night-season:
ell was silent and cold as the grave.
Still, with undaunted spirit, the girl press
ed on, a fire of indignant resentment burn
ing in her poor heart, her head hot with the
wild excitement that had taken her out from
warmth, ease, and luXuriant living to pass
the night tramping the snow to whatever
destiny awaited her, since she had taken
fate in her w hands, and flown from what
she felt to be worse than a thousand deaths.
Truly, she was mad from life's history"
ali, and nearer than she knew to deaths
mystery" How cold it was, how hard to
breathe the heavy air! The gi:l's chill lips
parted once to give vent to an exceeding
bitter cry:
"Oh, mother! you are near to God: pray
that He may give your child peace-merci-
full p~eace!'
Then the pretty dimpled chin dropped on
her chest, and she staggered on. After a
time she reeled unsteadily, and her head
felt dazad. She stood still a moment, with
her hand to her heart, then fell back in a
dead faint on a snow-drift.
The wind walled above her, the bare
branches of a bonnie oak dropping with
crystal-clear icicles hung above her like the
crown of cruel King Frost. .
"Confound the snowv said a horseman
at the Cardiff end of the Newport-road, as
his horse slipped dangerously. .
A fine Newfoundland stopped as he was
urging on his mad career to come back with
q bark of sympathy.
Go ahead. Drift, good dog! We sha'n't
be home by daybreak. On, Blanche, bon
ME one'-this to his beautiful mare, with a
white star on her forehead.
The rider was a noble-.ooking fellow of
about three-and-thirty, buttoned up to the
chin in a fur-lined ulster, with a yachting
cap Of blue cloth on his head. He had a
clear-cut face, tanned by the sun, black hair,
clCsa-cropped, a heavy moustache, and clear
steelblue eyes.
Ee was covered with snow, had tarried
too long at q club at Cardiff, and was max
ing great speed for home, with a big doll
under one arm and a bottle of cherry-brandy
under the other, given to him as 4 Christ
mas-box by a buxom landlady, who adored
his clear boyish blue eyes, ana felt for him
as a mother, or one who would wish to be o
mother under fit and proper auspices.
Blanche put her best loot forward; the
dog Drift ran On ahead; the horseman
whistled, He had ten thousand a year.
Tiddy-folfol;; = the snow fell faster; not a
window In all the genteel villas afforded a
light.
Pierce Pcnfold lighted a black pipe, wish
ed he had nothe glass of whisky hot, set
tied his square chin in his collar, and gave
his UnoI hionI- mara q A;ol, with his Whln
with orders to 'move on quick-sharp."
The road was heavy and long, and the sky
above was dark and dreary. Pierce forgot
his newly-acquired funny stories and sharp
jokes, feeling desolate and dull. A big
snowflake settled in his pipe, epluttered,
Kissed, and damped its flame. Then came
q hasty whisper:
"Oh, hang the snow! What a c%onfounded
long road this is! On, Blanche, my beauty,
or we shall be frozen to death!'
But the mare stood still; they had passed
the last public, and were or the dreary high.
road with nothing but snow about them.
Drift barked Justify, and flew from the
snow-drift back to his master, and seemed
to entreat him to pause.
Pierce reined in his horse, and looked
where his faithful dog stood beside a blot
on the whitencss of the snOw-bank, then eX.
claimed hoarsely:
"Merciful God, it is a womanw
Hastily dismounting, he bent ever the
PROSTATE form. The whiteness of the earth
seemed to diffuse a light about her.
He pulled aside her cloak TO see a beauti-
full white bosom bare above a square-cut
black velvet dress, with a cross of gems up
on it that "Jews might kiss and infidels
ADORE" so beautiful was the lustre of the