The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-24
A SNOW-BOUND
 THANKSGIVING.
nv WILLIAM n HAMPTON.

tCopyrignS lsoi. py Daliy story rup. Sol X I that he must give vent to his feelings so. but he knew that the loudest shriek of | the strongest lungs would not carry a
 stones throw against the fierce blast | that was hurling itself against him. and | he kept his breath for use in greater | need. He let his horse try to find the
 way, but the poor beast was worn out by | the hard riding of the morning, anu
 after a few intellectual efforts in the
 deep snow, he lay down with groan ana | refused to stir further. Morton had fear ed this, and now he knew that his case
 was desperate, indeed. Once more he re- | sorted to his revolver, and fired away
 all his cartridges but two, Wmcn ne re-
 served with a grim smile. He need not ct least freeze to death, though possl- By that was easier though longer than | the shock of a shot. The firing sounded fdeep in the ground. and no response
 .Hsw far he had wandered or in what
 direction he had no idea, Night S nsd ,s1,nn c1mo many times in his weariness, put ne struggled to his feet again ana Kept l bravely on. But whitherf In one dlrec-
 tion he might wander hundred miles l through the beating snow, and he conla | not tell his direction. As his strength or
 body failed, his mind became more. acc
 tive and he thought Of dtSsr other
 days than this that was bringing an
 end of all things to him. He saw
 girls face and heard her voice, but now l her as the one he loved. not only when | he had told her so, but more now than
 ever. It was his first Thanksgiving out | of the town where she lived. and what l Thanksgiving. | As he sank again into the drifts. feel | ing that 1t must be for the last tune; 1 for he was growing very sleepy ano tired, he caught the glimmer of light | W.
 more quietly since the night had brought rest to the wind. and, gathering all hts
 he pushed on tI H reaen asspnr ha snS falling and trying to shout for help. lie could see as he came nearer that he had l reached the railroad, many miles froN bound, He had come within hundred years of the tugging and groaning en- zine held fast in the white arms Of the
 drift, byt his voice was gone, ana aaun ne bBarely conscious, he still had thought I of the two cartridges in his revolver, and with a supreme ana nnal eHort ne Il drew the weapon, and. firing both shots.
 he toppled back into the snow and lay
 still. ,---. -.., ,,.
 when he opened his eyes he was Tn the
 stateroom of a Pullman car. warm and
 bright and cheerful, and Kate Lester
 sat by his side holding his hand in hers;
 He looked at her questioningly as II
 
 "Oh, it's all real, Ere" she whispered
 delightfully."-, bending over him. This Is
 an actual Pullman car on an actual
 train, and we are caught in an actual
 .T think I was too.'' he said feebiy.
 @ Indeed, syou weress she went on,s for
 his strength was coming nn fast fast: shnn9,ng and IT
 found you yGS you'd sfse she
 and put her hands over her face
 Would you have cared?" he asked eagerly. ,,,..od
 him. ,. But But Morton was made of better stuff , than to be knocked out by a bnzzaro when the girl he loved had kissed him, , and by the assistance of long pull and
 a strong one at a big flask. passenger from Kentucky had with him, he gath. l cred strength enough to be on his Iee' l gry, and said so ,, I I've will have Thangskiying din : ner in the dining car, cried MISS Les. n something now to be thankful for, and t she touched Morton on the arm. anc e blushed rOsily i.C tsIs1r
 - with such impetuosity that he actually t caught her in his arms and kissed heI t before everybody.
 t This necessitated explanation to tn
 surprised passengers, and Morton tolt t their story very briefly. Miss Lester sup u plementing it with the information tha !. she and her father were going to tn II Pacific coast and happened to be on th' = one train of all she would rather hav' ;. been on. even though it was caught 1T t the snow.
 e They had Thanksgiving dinner tha
 was a dream, and when Morton left thu q train at the next station and made hi' t way back to the rancho to tell the boyi t that he was all right, and had con '' cluded to resign and return to the East '. he was in such high humor that com e mittee was appointed to wait on hin :. and ask him to tell the gang the storl V of his life Which he did, and there wal such a hot time in the old town that l e almost thawed the snow left over by thu d blizzard.