The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-07-30
no Assxg AZalzzSr

4They were s,rangers!' he calculated.
1.-THE bridge! They've tried to cross tt.
and have fallen through
1t took them ten minutes fully to ro-
traoe their steps, running around the
bluffy timber stretch. They reached
the bridge. Horror-eyed. appalled,, they
stared blankly at the trodden snow and
the gaping hole. through which the.
darkling waters showed twenty feet
below.
"He went down. saw him In the
water, muttered one Of the men.
But the otheri"
What othera"
The girl.
aAh, yes! / forgot. There was o
girl with him. Jem, they're gone!
Man and woman both, sure as fate!"
They glanced far down the river
banks. They even lined the stream for
somo distance, but found no trace OF
the supposed victims Of terrible mis-
take.
Thus 1t was that rumor, speculation
and horror were rife at the little rail-
road settlement that evening. when the
two men returned thither. and told their
tragic story.
This man remembered seeing the two
arrive on the late afternoon train-that
one described the gaunt, solemn-faced
stranger seeking q conveyance to take
them across country. party was
made up to mako search for some trace
of the bodies Of the unfortunates, but,
after lining the bleak shores Of the river
for hours, they returned bootless from
their task at midnight, the swirling
waters and increasing storm bidding
fair TO sweep away or cover up forever
more tho identity Of the man and the girl
who had seemingly met death at the
bridge.
AS the reader kHows, Edna Deano's
guide alone had sunk Thu ough the broken
planking. Edna herself, frozen with
horror, had remained for a moment
chilled to helplessness by the sudden
disaster. Then, frantic with terror,
vaguely hoping 10 reach some habita-
ton and summon Its denizens to at
tempt the rescue of her guide, she
dashed blindly from the scene.
Through the heavy snow she ran, the
darken;ng landscape showing distant
light. Towards 1t she bent her steps,
lost 1t as copse interviewed, struggled
on again, crossed q gully. reached a
rise in the ground. and then leaned
against tree, painting for breath. and
staring wild-eyed and alarmed all about
her.
Her bedraggled dress, soaked shoes,
chilled frame and aBguished heart drove
every sense to vivid suffering. With a
moan of distress she realized that her
companion was past earthly help. that
the river had swept him away. The in
stinct OF self-preservation, the fright OF
] the moment dulled her memory of that
| terrible scene at the bridge; for utter
| loneliness and desolation spread before
| her; not q habitation, human being OF
light showed. She might have been Q
| thousand miles from civilization for al
It's evidences that existed In her imme'
diate proximity.
"Oh! where shall go-which way
shall turn? ] am lost"
Her tones were hollow. the utterance
despairing, affrighted. Nurtured amid
delicate care, scarcely clothed to endure
1 the rigors of such exposure, she fell
that her strength and her will were fast
deserting her.
She tried to summon oil her fortitudt
and caImness. She decided that tn,
town they had left on hour previous
| must lie beyond level waste bounde,
on its farther edge with ridge Of tree;
and bushes. In that direction she
started.
| Knee-deep In drift, swaying like
reed in the wind, she wavered, fairi.
in the center Of tho vast meadow.
Snow was all about her-earth AM
air seemed full of 1t. It dazzled he
vision. it penetrated sleeve and hood
1t choked and blinded her.
A fearful night, truly! The noise o
the rising tempest rang out like TIL
waves of angry sea. The storm ha
Mapped out the baleful light OF moo
and stars. In the strength of a might,
glee. the wind raved and roared, sweep
ing the drifting snow about her like
shroud.
i
With q moan that was a prayer, tn
delicate girl sank down. Her strengt
had given out completely. The sno'
came thicker. the winds blew fastel
the CHASTITY white stretch before he
be gan to be fecked with fire, as he
overstrained nerves drove the fever
blood from heart to brain.
"Ohl tho rest-the quiet!' she muir
INJURED, as she closed her eyes In tina
fatal delight which cold and Q,
, haustion bring. TO luro tho delude
victim to the last long sleep. Ray
!, mond-Bea' rice-fatheri goodnight
good night"
A rare, ecstatic smile stole over h,
face. The suffering OF life was mer;
ing into the delirium OF dreamian'
She had lain down to desc young, {
fair. so little realizing how near deaf
!, grazed her bonny heart!
"Oh! let me rest; am SO weary!
!, A rough contact, blast OF war
breath sweeping her face reused u
q benumbcd girl to look up.
Then with frantic scream, 81
. struggled to her feet and stood tren
blingly staring at an intruder, the sho'
. happily dissipating the lethargy that D
" numbed her senses, and bringing her
!, realization anew Of the perlls tn
: menaced her.
The hideous form that her uncerta
vision had exaggerated into some te
rible Great on OF her fancy, BRUSH
close against her, its rough head swe
her hands and face, thrilling them to
8 sense Of feeling with the animal warm
d Of its rough caress.
O great homely faced horse, lost
d strayed from home, like puzzle
i. wanderer over the black expanse. see'
: ing shelter, the animal had saved b
n lie.
. I was going to sleep" painted Edl
r with an affrighted shudder, @Ohl
q must struggle on, for Raymond's sab
L 2 - /.