Year: 1872

about. ana beyond the ecaaefe0 tkeeS-
At the top, low, red sunset was be-
ginning 10 burn like fire, lighting up
the snow with hectic CLEANS. The
sun, in those short days, appeared TO
GO down in the middle of the after
noon.


Content, feeling that she must es-
cape, and not stopping to reflect how
late it was, tied on her hood lined
with pale blue silk. which was beeem-
ing to her fair skin, and pinning an
/ old shawl around her shoulders, nois-
ilessly slipped down the back stairs,
ont of doors. She heard her mother
calling a Content, where are you z"
/ but the sound only made her feet fly
faster through the barnyard and up
the hill. They slipped on the dead
grass and leaves under the treacherOns
! snow, but she clung TO the bushes and
( rocks, and when she had pulled her,
self to the top her shoes were half full
of slush and her breath almost gone.
/ She looked back and saw the red sun
/ set had faded to concentrated glow
along the horizon. The door of the
J farm house was in plain sight from
where she stood; she witnessed the
departure of the parson and the arri-
val of Uncle Johns family with a
feeling OF exultatiou at her escape
The cold air, bracing and crisp With
| frost, seemed to allay the fever that
throbbed along her pulse. The sound
of the guns had kept coming to her
from greater and still greater distance.
The sportsmen, whoever they were,
she thought, were getting towards
home. a marvellous bright star
III -. a L. -&sH l.
over her head, as if that moment born
but suddenly there came footsteps
cracking the snow very near her, and
confused murmur of voices. Con-
tent, with her heart in her throat,
crept into little copse of hemlock
and young birches. The next moment
| there came the sharp crack of rifle ;
| the Whit of bullet, and uttering a
long low cry, she fell to the ground.
"Geod God!" [ have hurt some
body"


Content felt dimly that she ought to
dream, full of discordant images, she
heard the bushes cracking and snap
ping around her.


"For heavens sake, who is il p
what is it?'
AO 0uoh w SASnAhs LHLNh
and impanetrable there in the woods


Horrors! it's woman" The blue
hood was pushed aside; face peered
close into hers, and then an agonized
voice exclaimed: "Content Whitta-
ker!" a groan that concentrated all
love and despair echoed family in her
ears.


Is she dead? No. Where Is she
hr1p Tho riarhf 0rsF17 ho1v1Iooo
She is in fainting fit sprinkle some
snow in her face, Run for the doctor
quick, for Gods sake. | will. carry
her down to the house," Il
Content vaguely felt herself lifted
and born along as if by rush of
strong wings. She knew that her
mead was resting upon somebody's
breast that face full of anguish and
unutterable love was close to. hers.
Once she felt his lips touch her fore
head. 1t was a solemn, woefnl kiss
that seemed to plead forgiveness, and
thrilled her through and through, for
she was SO happy even when the sharp
pain shot across her consciousness,
and she felt herself slipping away into
something dark and profound dying
perhaps. Poor little Contentl she
was glad to die there, it was SO much
better than living anywhere else.


There must have been some sort of
alarm given down at the farm house,
for when Content came to again she
saw her mothers scared white face at
the door, holding a faring candle,
while all the back ground was filled
up with terrified relatives. Then q
voice shrilled out:


"Lord a massy what is the matter
George Baker what have you been
doing with my Content?" ?"


In the fright and confusion that en-
sued nobody could ever tell how tie
particulars of the accident was narra-
ted. Nothing was made plain except
that George and friend had been
out all day in the woods cunning, and
on their way home, just at dusk,
George had let off his rifle in the
bushes to clear it of its charge. and
hit Content and wounded her in the
arm. How she came there at that
hour in the day was a mystery. She
was not dead or dying, but the great
pain had made her faint. George
would not let her out of his arms, but
carried her himself into the sitting
room, and laid her on the great chintz
covered lounge. There was a grand
rush for campher, lint, and bandages.
Half q dozen people were sprinkling
water in Contents face at the same
time, and keeping away every breath
| of fresh air. Mrs. Whitaker sat
down in the kitchen looking little
wild.


"You must do what you can Keziah"
said she to her sister-in-law for
you know when anything happens to
one of the children you could knock
me oyer with a feather"


The wound in the arm was the only
injury Content had sustained. 1t was
an immense relief to have the doctors
verdict on that point, but the fracture
was q bad one, and the poor girl faint
ed away two or three times during
the setting and splintering. There
were many hands ready to help, but
George did really all that required do
| ing. He was alert, intelligent and
active, and had his wits about him. A
tall powerful fellow was George, with
a touch as gentle as a woman's, and q
reserve force that made sick eyes turn
toward him in confidence. Now he
bent over Content and let his fingers
rest a moment on her beautiful hair,
or lingering against her cheek, and it
helped her to bear the pain. so that
she looked. up into his face and smiled
more than once.


1t was all over at last. The faintness


had passed away, and Content was
qnite herself, though still very pale.
The Doctor had sent every one out OF
the little sitting-room but George, and
Content lay on the lounge among her
| pillows with chestnut hair uncoiled-


the frey light played upon tim ruddy
CLEANS. Mrs. Whitaker opened the


door. She had returned to her usual


bustling condition, but her head was


held pretty stiff; there was little


crustiness in her manner, as if a


white frost had nipped her customary


geniality.


Mr.. Baker, said she, Eve won't


trouble you any farthor. You will
want to be getting home. OF course


we shan,L hold no urudU ON Cnntent,I