The Press., 1914-08-05
Weathered A Narrow Escape
By ERH1INIE HOLLAND Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Go.

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 He would never have done it." saiC the girl. strengthening herself a mo ment from her task-"he would never have done it if they hadn't forced hin to it. They were always teasing and taunting, nagging and grumbling. unti he got sick of 1t all"
 She resumed her work-the kneading of a fioury mass of dough-with the energy of an unnatural force within "They thought because they had saved some money from the fruit of theiI hard IabOrs they would make a gentle man of him, being the only one they had. And when they had done that they gave him no peace until he mar ried her. 1t didn't matter about me 1t was nothing to them that had grown to think of him all day long and dream of him at nights. It was nOth ing to them that went to school long CT than we could afford and read books and studied nights that might not be too ignorant. And l would have gone away to be nurse and left them alone, old and feeble as they are, for his sake"
 She spoke in a voice that was indis- tinctly audible, for there was none to hear. The deep breathing from the in ner chamber told her that its occupants could be awakened by no such sounds, and she was tired of her silent thoughts
 Il scarcely get time to think in the daytime" she continued, with the | haHf at nights 1t Is different. And on nights like this, when 1t Is blowing hard and the wind moans and the snow drifts and drifts, then 1t comes into my head, and it won't leave me, and cant send 1t away with sleep, for sleep is hard to bring these nights"
 She finished in silence. placing the spOngy material in a dish and covering it with a white cloth for the night.
 Then she went to the door and open ed it cautiously. 1t was wild and stormy without 4 snow laden blast swept into the room, making the lamp fame flicker almost to extinction. She closed 1t hurriedly ere the drift at its base should fall inward.
 ''It gets worse and worse" she mur- mured The Lord lend his aid to any one abroad in the hills tonight. The storm would blind and freeze and the road would sure be lost. It reminds me of the blizzard of six years back. when was teaching in Cedar Valley. The storm lasted three days, and'-
 She stopped suddenly to listen An unwonted sound in the wind had caught her ear, like a voice. hail Again it caEae. assuredly a can and close at hand.
 ln an Instant she had opened the door once more and stood peering out into the night
 She did not wait long. \ form emerged from out the darkness and the clouds of swirl1ng snow, and man paused at the StoOp to unlooSe his snOwshoes and stamp the white clods from his moccasined feet. Then. with muft1ed greeting. he stepped past her into the room
 Its you. doctorr' she exclaimed
 Yes" he said, ''I am forced to give in at last tried 1t on foot from Browns, but lost the road just be yond here and all idea of direction"
 Its the worst for many and many a long year." she replied. And you're new at the Glen. You're not weath cred.
 q hope and pray there is no one in sad distress this night. doctor?" she asked anxiously.
 Tt is Mrs. Graham of the Ridge She has pneumonia and a weak heart. They think she cannot get through the night" He walked restlessly to the end of the room and back. ''T fear they are in sore need of assistance"
 The girls heart beat with great force at his words, but her face showed no sign. She placed a chair for him, filled his cup with tea, pressed him to par take of the cold venison, then sat down on the settee and looked steadily at the fire as it rOared and sparkled up the chimney.
 Tt is a bad trouble" she said at length. Then, as if sudden thought had come: You're Dr. Graham. Might you be kin of theirsT'
 No. But 1 used to know Dr. Jack. We were at college together"
 Has he been sent forW
 "I believe so. But it will take some days to get here if this state of weath. CT continues"
 He went on: 'I understand he has opened up a practice near my old home in Port Arthur. It is rather strange that should have done the same thing down here-near his."
 Have you ever seen-hs wife?'' The girls voice faltered on the last words.
 ''I have not" he answered. We are entirely out of touch lately. I did not know he had married"
 ''The paper said she was talented and his mother told me that she was beautiful-and rich"
 A long silence fell between them. The doctor leaned back in the old arm chair and soon dozed. The girl sat straight up. with her hands clasped to- gether in her lap and her gaze still on the fire. She was thinking, thinking.
 Every throb of her heart seemed to repeat two words. His motherw Had her time really come, then? She had made one life scarcely worth the liv- ing. For that she deserved to die. aye. & miserable death, without a doctors aid. Perhaps that was why God sent the storm, to work out this small DOT ton of his great plan of justice.
 His mother" How she had cher ished him through all the years of his life! How she had worked and sIaved for his welfare! And he was grateful for it. He loved her as a good son should love a good mother. If she had never come between them all would have been well.
 Then came the proud thought: Why should they have wished to set her aside for another? She came of a great old line. away back. No one in the wide space of the old Laurentians