Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28

any event. for shall leave here the day post this letter
When that will be. don't know. 1 few days for
reflection over my immediate future
She hesiated the subscription, and at last wrote
simply Clara She then locked the missive in little
compartment of the desk and buryng her head in her
arms, wept as only the weep who has loved
and lost.
AT luncheon restored to semblance of tranquility
she said to Freda, Il going for long tramp
You may serve dinner at seven. Something very SIM
pie will be sufficient 4oud better go home and take care
of Chris and the children and let Olga look after me"
3Olga will stay home answered Freda in the decisive
manner of one who knows her duty And if was you
Mrs Brant wouldn't go too far. 1t looks like snow.
Clara assented; but afeld her mind began to
grind out the dismal grist it had worked on for
months, and she pushed mechanically on and on, OBJ
hvious of time, distance, or direction Presently
though she became conscious that her cheeks wet
from something besides tears and that the front of her
coat white with snow.
The storm predicted by Freda had set in The whir-
ing, eddying dancing fakes botted out every land
mark and Clara was no of her whereabouts
than if she had been led bndfolded to the spot,-an
open windswept space knee high with grasses into
which the fell with soft hiss She was startled
too discover by glance her wrist watch that it
quarter of four,less than an hour from sunset
There was ample ground for solicitude In this
broken tract of country known the Knobs farm
houses were few and far between. She could pass
within hundred yards of one the smother of snow,
and not know it; while north might well have been
SOUTH for aught she could tell without compass
Hence her only to walk until brought up
by fence road, either of which would ultimately
guide her to human habtaon. Failing in this it was
doubtful in view of the increasing cold, whether she
could survive the night.
Yet she was not frightened On the contrary her
peril seemed to strike responsive chord The desola
ton of her environment only matched the desoation
of her heart The threat of the elements
than what had already bealen her; for to quench the
flame of the body less cruel than to slay the spirit
Nevertheless, that she brought face to face
with the animal necessity of fighting for her life she
suddenly found herself tired and after poddng along
for the better part of hour she began to the
tight thckets that she occasionally passed. with their
thick floor of withered grasses and drted leaves On
approaching of these rufed grouse launched itself
upon thunderous wings and disappeared like
from the bow
aPoor brd' she murmured. Il did not to
steal your bed"
Finally she paused at the base of ow overhanging
cliff whose face tapestred with an intricate weave
of wild grape and Virginia creeper Parting the vines
she peered into the duSky interior To of her sylvan
habits, it uninvtng retreat, and she knew
that she not likely find another good especially
after nightfal Had she been more warmly clad, she
would have crept in at but her feet already
wet and cold and after an interval of ndecision she
slowly and YEARLY moved on The best chance for life
seemed as yet, to keep going.
She paused on top of a ridge and halooed number
of times with all her strength The great, feathery
clots of snow muf1ed her voice like padded walls and
threw it back into her mockngly At the
ridge, where stumps and sashings suggested the
possible proximity of man, she again called But there
response save the ceaseless murrnur of the
frost-sprites on desiccated leaf and blade.
Chris, back home was probably organizing search
ing party by this time but the thought gave her little
cheer and for the first time she seriously began