The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-11-06

pice and struck crag after crag with
startling distinctness. Grace shivered.
"Oh, it's one of those awful noun
tain storms, and I'm so afraid"
Foster whipped up the horse. He
did not dare let her see how alarmed
he really was. r--
We've got few minutes grace, and
er's cabin just beyond the next curve"
Grace chung to Fosters arm, and even
as the cart swayed dangerously he was
happily conscious of her dependence
upon him.
They rounded the curve, and there in
the dim shadows of the lowering skies
stood the haven of refuge. Foster
broke his knife and the lock simulta-
neously and thrust Grace indoors, then
turned to tether his horse to the near
est tree. He found Grace covering on
an upturned soapbox. With shrek
Of maniacal rage the storm burst about
them. Forest giants quivered and bent;
the lightning swept down the noun
tain side in continuous volleys. The
room was one glare of yellowish blue
light, and Foster, who was standing
close to Grace's side, felt her hand
creep into his. 1t was cold as ice and
trembling. Instantly he was on the
box beside her, drawing her with pro-
tecting arms to his heart.
"Oh, Randolph, are we In great dan
ger?"
"I'm afraid we are, DEAR" he an
swered, with conviction, land we're not
going to let this miserable misunder-
standing come between us-at such a
time"
1t was his chance, and he took it.
"But you know, Ran, you were in the
wrong. If you'd just admit that, I'd
be-
Again that awful glare of blue light
Far above them sounded something
like the rending of the earth itself,
then an awful crunching, grinding
sound, the building shook, and above
the roar Of the storm rose the fright
ened neigh of their horse, followed by
a mighty rumble, and silence.
Randolph, what was it-what was
it?' she sobbed.
Foster, white now to his very lips,
simply held her closer. He had spoken
in jest, but surely some awful danger
seemed to have passed by them.
"Never mind, Ran, whose fault it
was. 1 love you, have always loved
you, and we're going to die together"
He kissed her gently and for mo-
ment felt as If it mattered little what
came next. But nothing did come
Gradually the storm abated, the black
ness lifted, and Randolph, disenga ging
himself from Grace's convulsive clasp,
threw open the door. The sunshine
came down gloriously upon the spar
king ground, rocks and trees. The birds
twittered cheerily, and the flowers
lifted their heads proudly. A few rods
beyond the cabin lay a huge bowlder
hearly as large as their place of refuge,
and in it's track lay the remains of the
cart. The horse had fed. Loosened
by the bolt of lightning, the bowlder
had plunged down the mountain side
within a few yards Of the tiny cabin.
Randolph showed Grace the wreck
age and said cheerfully:
Its long walk to the hotel, Grace,
but we ought to be thankful that we
are alive to make it,"
With trembling hand Grace
touched the great rock.
81 don't mind the walk-Randolph-
with you"
And Foster, looking back at the
cabin amid the sparkling branches
and the twittering birds. said gently:
81 think We'll buy that cabin, Grace,
and visit it as sort of shrine-Cupid's
shrine-every year"