Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-11-14
A Whisper From the Ice
Ry Anton TschechoW.

the mountain, covered with ice, seems
to her one bottomless abyss. She is
almost afraid to breathe when she
than do that.
"You need not be afraid, | whisper
ed; that would be cowardice."
AT last | succeeded in pefSuadlng
her. | wrap her up in the robe and
furs-and down it goes down into the
depths. | sit at her side while the
sleigh rushes down. The wind roars
past our ears and pinches our cheeks.
It is as if the devil has caught us IN
his clutches and thrown us down into
the deep.
Il love you. NADIA" I whispered,
softly.
The sleigh runs slower now, the
wind quiets down and moment later
we are at the bottom. Nadia IS hall
dead, her face is pale and she can
scarcely breathe. | assist her to get
out of the sleigh.
Nothing in the world could make
says, looking at me with big scared
eyes. When she had recovered her
composure somewhat a few moments
later she looks into my face with a
peculiar expression in her face, as Il
she would ask-Did you say those
four words or was it only the wind?
But I stand calmly in front of her,
looking at my gloves.
She takes my arm and once more
we climb to the top of the mountain.
The puzzle leaves her no peace. Did
she hear those four words or did she
not?
Il tell you something" she says to
me without daring to look at my face.
'Well?' | ask
"Come, let us ride down together
once more"
Once more I placed the trembling
girl in the sleigh; again we rush
down again the wind howls, and
again ] whisper into her ear: Il love
you, Nadia"
When the sleigh again stops Nadia
looks up the mountain, then she looks
at me and listens to my calm, passion
less voice. In her face I plainly read
the question, who spoke those
words? He-or am I dreaming?'
Shall we go homer | ask
ooh, no. love to ride in that
Sleigh" she says, and bushes; '1et
us ride once more"
She loves to ride, she says, and still
she trembled with fear, just like the
first time. We rush down the icy
slope the third time and as we are
half way down | Whisper again, 81
love you, Nadia -
And thePuzzle is still unsotved. Nadia
is silent and thinking of something.
l accompany her home. She tries
to walk as slowly as possible, to see if
/ am not going to say those words
again. I see how her soul is suffering
and yearning.
The next morning l receive a note
from her: please come and take me
for sleigh ride to-day. Nadia
From now on we go to the mountain
every day, rush down in the sleigh,
and every time repeat the words Il
love you, Nadia
Soon Nadia can not live without
these words. The sensation of rush
ing down is as terrifying as ever to
her, but she must hear the words of
love-these words that are still a rid
die to her.
In the meantime March has come.
The sunshine grows warmer. Our ice
mountain grows soft, and at last
melts away entirely. There are no
more sleighrides and poor Nadia hears
no longer the words. The wind has
died out, and / go to st. Petersburg
for long time, maybe forever.
Two days before my departure I am
sitting in my garden, which is separa-
ted from that of Nadja's by a tall
hedge. 1t is still quite cool, the trees
are still bare, and here and there you
still see spots of snow, but it is evil
dent that there is spring in the air.
I walk over to the hedge, and look
ing through an opening, see how
Nadia looks sad and thoughtful. The
wind is playing with her curls, and it
reminds me of the wind that blew on
the day when we first slid down the
icy slope. Her face is pale and tear
rolls down her cheek, which is thinner
and less firm than it used to be. Filled
with pity, | cry: Il love you, Nadia"
An instant change comes over Ma
dina, her face beams with happiness
and she stretches out her arms as if
to embrace somebody, but l go into
the house to finish packing my trunk.
That was long, long ago
Now, Nadia has been married many
years and has three beautiful children.
That we rode in the sleigh together,
and that the wind whispered words of
love into her ears is not forgotten. it
is the dearest, most cherished mem
DRY from a time long gone blythe
time of her youth.
But l do not understand why then