Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03

NtOpNIlgUlt lN''t DN p . MtCluIts)
The window was either higher than ha
calculated, or I fell upon slanting ground
for j struck so solldly that had the breatl
knocked out Of me and when my senses be
came clear again, found that Miss Bran
don had set me upright and was dabbing al
me With frozen snow and setting my cal
straight upon my head with freedom sht
would never have exercised had she no
learned to regard me as a harmless married
creature who could safely be tumbled about
Thrusting aside the snow with no gentle
hand, for her daughterly care was growing
perfectly intolerable l was instantly upon
my feet
run" | whispered, and we ran, she like
somo spirited young deer in its first en-
counter with the hounds, and really after
the way | spun along that night l cannot see
how she could suspect such a pair OF heels
as / showed to the old house behind us OF
having learned to potter about in carpet
slippers.
Quick as our flight had BEEN it was be-
gun mono too soon, for by the time the dark
ness swallowed us, the whole house seemed
suddenly to blaze UP with hurrying lights,
while a loud shout reached us and increased
our pace
"Do YOU know which way to go?" 1 NUT
tered.
al haven't the fantest idea" came the
cheerful whisper, and then we were off run
ming again, with more care of our strength,
this time, and l. possessed by lively eXpec-
tatIons that at any moment we might
puncturo some snowdrift and find that ii
was but the upper crust of a bottomless
abyss. The main road we must not take
even could we find it which seemed any
bttt ilyn1u nd W. p1nnppI lhOlt knee
deep in snow Blankless of fear settled on
me as l realized the dangers we were facing.
"Whoever saw anything so pitchy black
as this night" l exclaimed, peevish with
alarm for my companion; for myself the
gallows seemed so imminent that all lesser
terrors paled before 1t.
"Yes, but it's the only thing that saves
us, you know" TRANQUILITY observed Miss
Brandon, as l picked ner out of a small
ditch. But what's that snuffng about so?''
and she shrank toward me in a way that
shook my moral nature again to it's very
center
1t was dog! A chained dog, indeed,
with all its fury spent and nothing much
you could call dog left about it but a
draggled shape and tumbled fur; yet still
dangerous to us If it was disposed to haunt
our path for who could tell at what mo-
ment it might break out into the melancholy
baying which had before alarmed us.
Il must kill it, 1 muttered to myself,
but Miss Brandon heard me and family
screamed
"Run on a few steps, please! To that tree"
I said gently.
With little shudder she obeyed me, put
ting her fingers in her ears as she ran, while
I, pouncing like a huge bat upon my prey
soon put as merciful an end to him as possi-
BILE considering my only weapon was my
pocketknife.
Once dead, though he must be hidden
and in great haste l tumbled snow and
brush upon him. Then--for / either heard
voices. or all the excitement l had been
through was rendering me fanciful-rose and
ran toward the spot where | expected to
find Miss Brandon, only to spring back
barely restraining n shout of terror. She
was gone!
"They have taken her." gasped. sudden
blank regret which had no time to analyze
sweeping over me. Then setting my teeth,
I plunged forward and with two strides
found myself stepping off into space. The
fifteen or twenty minutes during which l
seemed to be steadily falling gave me the
Impression of being infinite. But I finally
struck, fortunately for my earthly career, in
a bed of snow, through which l rolled and
gasped, finally fetching up with a painful
thump against something so solid that my
airy, light-headed sensation of infinite space
was Immediately swallowed up in acute
physical pain.
Am eventful night
ooh, so you fell too!' exclaimed some one
close beside me- How queer we should
both do it? Really now we ought to be
thankful; it might have been quite unpleas-
ant"
might have been quite unpleasant" And
there l sat with every part of my clothing
filled with melting snow and my head ring
ing Really, If she had been a plain woman
but here! l belle myself. have quite a
reputation for courtesy, and l think that
partially deserve it, for, after coughing up
much melted snow, asked her, in a
strangled voice, If she was injured in any
way.
mot the least bit in the world" she
answered cheerfully, whipping at the back
Of my collar with her handkerchief. "My,
but you're full of snow though! Do you
know, it is SO funny; but I actually brought
your shawl the whole way down here with
me! You'd better put it on now and warm
up. You may have strained yourself some
how. but they say If you keep warm you
won't stiffen,"
That shawl again! 1t was too much!
Miss Brandon" l cried, exctedly spring
ing to my feet; then l stopped abruptly, and
taking her by the arm drew her as far back
as possible in the shelter of the rock against
which l had grazed in my fall. Hush,
hush!" ! whispered uselessly, for she had
made no attempt to speak, and / pointed
upwards as | crouched beside her, for lights
were beginning to dot the glocm above us
in many places; hurrying lights, held low