The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-03-03

WAS o'clock of Saturday
q mornirg in February when Mr..
d and Mrs. Stone drove out of
their farmyard and took tho
road northward. The crisp snow Of
the highway, packed and polished by
weeks Of good sIeighing, creaked
under the runners of their ''cutter,
and the sun was shining gloriously
over the wooded hills to the east
ward.
The Stones were going to spend
Sunday with "Cousin Maria, Stones
second cousin, and the object of Mrs.
Stones admiration and envy. She
declared that there was no house like
Cousin Maria's, aud no domestic con-
yenienees anu advantages like tAose
she enjoyed; that nobody wore such
Ri eautiful clothes, or had such good
things to est, or commanded such re-
sources to .sdo with''as Cousin Maria.
In short, Mrs. Amasa Stone, who had
not been a. great while married. and
who had one of the incest little farm
honses IN the country, as VIII as one
|kos the best and most devoted husbands
III The world; was somehow victim of
that most disagreeable. and distress
ing malaay enrious discomfort; and
the immediate occasion of it was
Cousin Maria If she could only ex-
change places perhaps not husbands,
hut everything elsel with Cousin
Maria, how; happy she would be!
GusiousI5 enough that strange
Il S;sony OF fate which we often see crop
$epss;ngout IN human. life Cousin Maria
assss esSE-t5s-r5I s5sosss
secretely, but sincersg envied
ees little woman with the big devoted,
brerlike husband and the modelfarn-
house oyerlo J.iing one OF. the most
S beautiful arA productive valley farms
in New Englana. ''If I could only
keep house like Cousin Ella!'' she
would sometimes say 70 her husband ;
and then she would add to herself,
s.Perhaps I might if I had as nice a
house and the. things to do with that
she has.
Sincere and cordial envy does net
make people dislike each other, by
any cans; and it was natural enough
that Mrs. Stone aud her cousin, Mrs.
Holmes, should enjoy visiting each
other and thereby adding fresh fuel
to their mutual admiration. They
travelled back and on these social
exchanges good deal, and their hus-
bands, who liked each other land each
others fare, by the way, were never
averse to driving over for a dcy's
outing. The two farms lay soma 20
miles apart, in different townships,
and about midwa-- between them was
village, where the Stones and the
Holmeses each had special friend,
with whom it was convenient and
pleasant to stop for dinner while
goirg a-visiting.
The sleigh bells rang eheerily and
the miles rapidly fell away behind the
Stones cutter this February morning,
as they drove along toward Hydeville,
the half way village. II hope nothing
will happen to the stock or the hens,
over Sunday said Mr. Stone.
''Oh, don't worry about that" ex-
claimed his wife. "You spoke to
Leonard, as usual, didn't you?"
''Yes, I asked him to fodder once a
day and attend to the milking. But
he lives-euite little piece away, and
if it should come on to Storm
storm. Look at the sky" ex-
claimed Mrs. Stone, with scornful
largh- Il declare, if you aren't the
greatest man to worry over nothing"
1t was still gloriously pleasant
when they reached Hydeville, at II
o'clock, and they stopped there two
full hours. AS they again took the
road, at o'clock, they noticed that the,
sky had become slightly flmy, but rs
it frequently does cloud over thus to-
ward the close o. fine winter day
they were neither surprised nor dis
turhed. At 3 o'clock, however the
wind began to rise, the sky grew more
overcast, and before long was splitting
sharply out OF the northeast.
''What do you think about storm
now?" asked Mr.. Stone.
Drive along and get there as quick
as you can, was his wife's only reply.
as she gathered the buffalo robe more
tightly about her.
When they reached the Holmes
farm, at about o'clock, the wind was
bowling and the snow driving across
the landscape in sheets. Mrs. Stone
got ont at the side entrance and
plunged shiveringly against the door,
but turned at once to her husband
with look of surprise and consterna-
ton. The door was locked, So were
! the front door and the kitchen door,
as they speedily discovered.
They're away from home an
ncurced Nj. Stone.
They've gone visithg," groaued !
his wife. sob dear! do you suppose !
it's possible they've gone to visit us?''
Shouldn't wonder bit," replied !
Mr. Stone. Come to think. of it, !
heard mau's laugh when went over
TO tie store in Hvdevile that SCUM led !
like Jnhn Holiness. But I eoul2r',