Gilpin observer., 1901-01-03

Well. l hope his travels have i'm
proved him, for his college days were
bad enough"
'Heigh ho! I wish he would stay
away and not tumble down on us to
spoil our delightful New Years. l new
err could stand him.
Glen recalled what n viliainous
tease Ned had been when on his visit
to them during vacation.
"He was tease. but he was hand
some boy" she concluded.
Then casting Ned out of her
thoughts, she stopped to gather great
arnful Of the glorious holly.
The distance was greater than Glen
had supposed. and the afternoon had
darkened considerably when her fam
ing branches of berries We're tied with
a wisp of gray moss and she turned to
go home.
Sklrtlng the edge OF the Branch"
as those streamlets which cut through
the pine forests are called, she came
to n 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
Glen wGs bewildered and had to con-
fess most reluctantly that she did not
know whether she came by the right
or by the left.
Tier heart gave n flutter IS the word
"lost" ran through her mind, but she
had lived all her short life more or less
in the woods, so beyond a slight tre-
NOR Glen was not frightened.
What added to Clem's bewildcrment
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-
tiected away, as she did toward a
stretch of heavily timbered swamp
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 Glen looked up. she could
see n few stars beginning to glimmer
Suddenly she remembered with ter
ror that she had left the house without
seeing dear old Nance or telling her
anything about her proposed quest
after holly berries.
The wind was rising. and-well.
night and darkness had come. Glen
was lost In the heart of the woods.
Glen went steadily forward, knowing
that If she stopped she would be a
thousand times more frightened.
At last Clem's steps faltered. Stag
gering, she sat down exhausted at the
foot of tall pine, in whose branches
the night breezes were playing as on
an Eolian harp. "Oh. Dieu de bonte"
exclaimed Glen. 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
little way off? Clem got up and be-
gan Il cautions approach.
Her heart gave a bound of pleasure
on recognizing an abandoned coal burn
er's hut.
The door. as she pushed 1t open.
though sagged, still held on its hinges,
and. feeling around. Glen found n
piece Of candle sticking to 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 a hut begrimed with
smoke. barr. but clean. in which were
a rude bench. table and n heap of
dried pine needles In the corner.
Glenn sank down with an exclamation
Of hysterical gladness. Placing her
bunch of berries on the table, Glen
closed the door and drew the bench
against 1t, while the wooden shutter
of the window was held fast by its
rude fastening.
Throwing herself on the soft mat of
pine needles. Glen 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 lcisurely smoking was
run at increased speed to make up for
lost time.
Suddenly there were crash. shouts,
cries and terrific commotIon. IN aw-
full humping. Kissing and roaring
noise, a shnttering of glass and dircful
shrieks. and the coach. toppling half
way over. stood still.
Tearing his way out, Ned realized
what the accident was.
Running over terrified COW, the en-
gine was derailed. 1t had torn Its way
through IN adjoining field, where 1t
finally stood. painting and kissing, while
two coaches were wrecked. and the one
In which Ned had been was overturned
and dltchcd.
or the crew and passengers no one
was killed. but 1t wns nscertaincd that
there were contusions innumerable.