The Republican., 1900-12-27

bad ,........."
II Il AU! ! VIII lie would stay
! ava a'i not te.n'Ir down ON us 10
spoH NJ; 'cligl'fl:l y " Years Incy-
Cr c,':ii and hin"
Ci"rI recalled vim. vlllainous
tease Ned had bera v.i!on on his visit
to thr!l dT;'iIg vaca. o..
'tle f3S a tease, h;.t he was hand
some boy" She concluded
Then casting Ned out of her
thoughts, she stopped to gather great
arinful of the glorious holly.
The distance was greater than Clem
had supposed. and the afternoon had
darkened considerably when her fam
ing branches of berries were tied with
a wisp of gray moss and she turned to
go home.
Skirting the edge of the Branch"
as those Streamlets which cut through
the pine forests are called. she came
to Il sudden halt
From which side had she come? And
how rapidly twilight drops into night
these short December days!
OF course she passed that big elm
and those pines, and
Glenn was bewildered and had to con-
fess most reluctantly that she did not
know whether she came by the right
or by the left
Her heart gave Il tutter as the word
lost ran through her mind, but she
had lived all her short life more or less
in the woods 50 beyond slight ire
NOR Glen was not frightened
What added to Clem'S bewilderment
was the light snowfall, which covered
up all paths and made everything un-
familiar.
But for that Glen might have real
lied where she was going and not de
flected away. as she did toward
land totally unfamiliar. Night was
drawing on with cruel rapidity, and
the forest shades were deepening into
black patches and somber vistas, while
above, as Glenn looked up she could
see few stars beginning to gllmmer.
Suddenly she remembered with ter
ror that she had left the house without
Seeing dear eld Nance or telling her
anything about her proposed quest
after holly berries.
The wind was rising, and-well.
night and darkness had come. Clem
was lost in the heart of the woods.
| Clem went steadily forward, knowing
that if she stopped she would be u
thousand times more frightened
AT last Clem's steps faltered. Stag
gering, she sat down exhausted at the
foot of a tall pine, in whose branches
the night breezes were playing as on
an EOlian harp. "Oh, Dieu de bontew
exclaimed Clem, lapsing into French,
her mothers tongue. as she often did
under excitement or when in distress
But her French blood soon asserted
| itself, and, rousing, she peered around
in the darkness which enveloped all
things. What was that dark object
a little way off? Glenn got up and be-
gan cautions approach.
Her heart gave bound of pleasure
on recognizing an abandoned coal burn
er's hut.
The door. as she pushed it open.
| though sagged, still held on its hinges,
and, feeling around, Glenn found a
| piece of candle sticking to a board and
some scattered matches.
Clem's heart was beating furiously.
Suppose they were too old to light?
But the one she scratched sputtered
and lit. as did her candle, and Glen
found herself in hut begrimed with
smoke, bare, but clean, in which were
u rude bench, Il table and heap of
dried pine needles in the corner.
Glen sank down with an exclamation
of hysterical gladness. Placing her
bunch of berries on the table Clem
closed the door and drew the bench
against it, while the wooden shutter
of the window was held fast by its
rude fastening.
Throwing herself ON the soft mat of
pine needles, Clem sent prayer heav-
onward whose anguished intensity she.
being II years, had never imagined.
There were various VeXatious delays.
The evening train on which Edward
Singleton was leisurely smoking was
run at increased speed to make up for
lost time.
Suddenly there were Il crash, shouts,
cries and terrific commotion, an aw-
full humping. a kissing and roaring
noise. a shattering of glass and direful
shrekS, and the coach. toppling half
way over, stood still.
Tearing his way out. Ned realized
what the accident was.
Running over a terrified COW, the en-
| gine was derailed 1t had torn its way
through an adjoining field, where it
finally stood, painting and kissing, while
two coaches We're wrecked, and the one
in which Ned had been was overturned
and ditched.
OF the crew and passengers no one
was killed, but it was ascertained that
there We're contusions innumerable,
while night had already come.
Ned was good walker, and the pros
pect did not appall him specially.
He would get to DR.. Randolph'S late;
but, it being New Years eve, no one
would be in bed before Il. an excellent
| hour for supper