Year: 1874

Kimball was for moment stunned
by this brutal speech, but only for a
moment.
-" Then I leave it too, madam" he
cried, leave it forever. As for your
insinnations with regard to this young
lady. they are false, and unworthy OF
even q soul as mean as yours. Beware
madam, how you insult lady whom |
intend to make my wife. - 5hA 81 ~


No one saw the white figure fitting
from the room. No one heard the
agonized sob that burst on the thresh-
hold of the drawing room. No one
heard the hall door close softly, or saw
the delicace feet sinking in the cold
snow. -dt 9fg -loG1 iiesgssH8e -a =


No one will prevent your depart
ure, Mr.. Halbert Kimball; but one
thing l must beg of you to remember
that when you grow tired of that girl,
there is no admission for you ever
again" ,.T f.....,ss...s


:" Come, Doral cried Halbert, not
caring to trust himself to a reply.
Come with me. No father ever
watched over you more sacredly than1
will until you give me the holiest of
titles, that of husband. Come"


He turned to where she had been
standing, butthere was an empty space.
He ran into the hall, opened the heavy
oaken door and peered anxiously out
into the icy night. There were small
footprints in the white snow that COW
cred the stoop Without another word
he seized his hat and rushed into the
street like mad-man. III


Oh? how cold it was that night.
The snow had frozen on the top into a
treacherous crust that broke at every
step, and let the foot sink into stra-
tum of damp clinging fakes. A bitter
wind swept through the streets until
the wooden blinds of the houses SEEM
ed to shiver in the blast There was
moon, but so obscured with dull stormy
clouds that she only shone as it were
by winks, looking out seemingly now
and then upon the world, when, find
ing everything so cheerless, she wraps
herself up instantly again in
her Aeecy vapors. The policemen
were all under cover in secret places,
and nothing stirred in the white, mel
ancholy streets. The very gas lamps
seemed to feel the drowsiness.


A figure crossed Washington park,
after painful and laborious struggle,
and entered Fifth avenue, and there
in lane lined with stables, it sank
apparently exhausted sank in dark
corner, huddled and senseless. where
even the moon could not see it. Ten
thousand fakes of pitiless snow came
down upon the wind, and as each drift
flew by it flung a frozen aims to the
dark mass that lay huddled in the lane.


Why, the city seemed alive that
night. There was another out, not
faint and weak with trailing limbs, but
stout, and swift,and hot with eager
hope. Down the street he came tumb-
ling now and then in the deep snow in
his haste, but rising careless of his
fall and rushing ON as madly as ever.
1.-The snow will cover her tracks"
he painted to himself, as with head
down like hound on the trail, he ran
along. 1t is covering them fast.
God grant that | may find her soon
She has passed here. These small
prints are hers-butthe snow falls fast,
and will lose the trail foolish girl.
0, Dora! Dora!


And so calling, stopping to examine
the path, tumbling in the snow and
rising but to rush on again, went Hal
bert Kimball. He paused at the june
tion of Fifth avenue and Washington
park.


"She paused here" he muttered;
the track is faint, but | can detect
it-and-and | lose it here. 1t is COW
cred with the snow. Oh God l have
lost her-she will perish-what shall
| do?"


He was standing opposite the lane
where the dark mass lay motionless,
with the patches of offreshly-fallen snow
mottling its outlines. The moon was
hid, and Halbert looked savagely up
for the thought crossed his mind at the
moment that, by the aid of her hight
he might yet continue his search. |
do believe that moment he said in the
depths of his heart something exceed
ingly bad about the moon.


Lost!' he murmured, and all
through my fault. She will die-die
horribly this bitter night! Mad girl
that she is! Oh what can [ do to find
her !" -


A moan-a very faint moan in the
lane. Halbert listened, listened so
eagerly that he made the silence seem
painful. Again the morn came, but
fainter; still it was enough. He ran
like a deer into the lane calling Dora,
and in another moment he was warm
ing the cold cheeks and wet curls of
the lost one on his bosom.


How tenderly he lifted her up, and
how proudly he walked through the
snow while she lay in his arms, with
hers clasped around his neck and her
head was nestled in his breast And
in spite Of his haste to take her to his
own warm home, how often he stop
ped to kiss her pale cheeks


Dora" he murmured to her, press
ing her close, as if he feared that she
would escape him, how could you be
so mad, so reckless, so cruel, as to rush
out into this wild night2"


/ was mad" she said family. Did
you not hear what she called me? 1t
seemed to me as if all the world had
turned against me, and / wanted to
die" $40


But you will not die. You will
live for me, Dora, will you not?"


Her head nestled in closer to his
bosom and she said nothing; but her
heart was so near his in that moment
that have no doubt it told him all he
wished for.


Need | tell how wonderfully Hal,
bert illuminated his bachelor home
that night? what splendid wax can
dies he lit, what roaring fire he made,
and how he produced his most tempt
ing stores in order to tempt little Dora
Dee to eat? How he made wander
full coffee for her in magical self-act-
ing coffee pot, and how, when she grew
wearied out, he retired discreetly to a
neighboring hotel, which he left at six
o'clock the next morning in order to
have an interview with clergyman? ?
know need not describe all this.
Your kindly imagination will supply
all those thousand details which crowd
around every such domestic romance
as that which | relate.


There is one fact, however, which
it is important that you should know.
Important, because such events are
generally supposed to be the end of
romance and the beginning of reality /;
! and as / never wish to trespass much
on the domains of the latter, | like to
finish off the first with a flourish.


In the morning they were married