The Green Forest tribune., 1909-11-19

 A QUESTION
  The Story of a Winter Nights Ride


"AI that skillful, intelligent physi- sian could do for his patient you have done fer me, Herr Professor, and yet after these many weeks my shat tered nerves are no stronger, my physical condition no better. There fore, although I touch upon the sub- jeet with extreme reluctance, I feel it nay duty to make confession which will help you better to understand my mysterious malady." With quiet mo- tfon of the hand the doctor invited fur ther confidence, and the pale, haggard, but still beautiful woman began:
 q am only "A years old, but strangers would take me for almost twice that age. Not so very long ago l was blooming. vigorous young erea- ture in perfect health, unconscious of the meaning of nerves. About three years ago married my husband owns large estates, partly near Vienna, Partly in Galicia on the Russian from tier, from which our ample income Is derived. We lived for time in Vienna with my husbands parents, and later at our country house in Lodnaja, where my little daughter was born-a frail, tiny creature whose hold on life seemed alarmingly slight"
 Here the young woman paused for a moment, overcome by painful memo ries.
 You can we'll imagine how we adored this child; how it's every breath, every motion, claimed our eager attention. We were as one in our love for our little baby, though 1t seemed as If my husband tried at times to outdo me in tender ness. He would even reproach me though with the soul of gentleness in his tone-for loving the child less than he did. This was an injustice, of course-you we'll know, doctor, that no man could love a child as it's moth- CT loves it-but later this reproach assumed an ominous meaning should add that my husband loved me as truly and faithfully as loved him; he was the soul of gentleness and goodness toward me, and was pos sessed of a tact and fineness of feel Ing rare among men.
 But to my story. It was winter, and we were staying at Lodnaja, near the boundary of Russia. One day a telegram came announcing the danger ous illness of my husbands mother, and begging that we, including the baby, start at once for Vienna. The probably dying woman yearned to see all her beloved ones once more be- fore the end came. It was no trif1ing ordeal for me, with a delicate child not yet year old, to make such a journey in the depth of winter, but who could refuse the last wish of a beloved mother on her death bed?
 We made the necessary prepara- tions with all possible haste, and a few hours later were seated in the sleigh which was to take us the long, desolate stretch, three hours across country to the nearest railway station My husband drove, seated alone on the front seat; I, behind him. held our child warmly wrapped in furs; we took no attendants.
 Tt grew dark very early; the im- measurable desert of snow lay before us in deathlike sleep under the star strewn heaven. The snow cracked an icy frost caught our breath Our horses were excellent; if they held their pace and no accident occurred we might hope to reach the station by Il o'clock that night.
 My baby slept calmly in my arms
 About ten o'clock the moon rose behind us-gigantic, red, wavering on the edge of the ocean of snow. I looked back, awed with the splendor of the scene-the widening circle of light which seemed to pour down upon us like glistening icy stream Sud- denly, quite at the edge of the white world, far, far distant as if evolved out of nothing, small dark mass ap- peared. with changing outline which seemed to follow in our wake. For a few moments felt no uneasiness, but as the dark blot drew nearer, o my God! I knew then the awful truth: it was the wolves-a great, furious, starving pack!
 Fleet, noiseless, ghostlike, they sped toward us, one stronger and swifter than the others leading. T gripped my husbands shoulder; ht the same instant a wolf howled a hoarse cry of menace which found echo in score of eager, famished threats. My husband raised his whip and struck the horses with full force; like a boat on high wave the sleigh lurched as the frightened beasts dashed forward. Behind us the bowling ceased. but on the frozen snow we could plainly hear the batter ing foot-beats of our pursuers
 Dumb with intense fear heard, as if in a dream, the strained, unnatural