Part 17 (2/2)

Dave continued his search in an agony of apprehension. The sun faintly struggled with the ma.s.s of gray cloud, revealing a world of white. He had wandered in the direction of a clump of cedars, and remembered pointing the place out to her in the autumn as the scene of some boyish adventure, which to commemorate he had cut his name on one of the trees. a.s.sociation, more than any hope of finding her, led him to the cedars--and she was there. She had fallen, apparently, from cold and exhaustion. He bent down close to the white, still face that gave no sign of life. He called her name, he kissed her, but there was no response--it was too late.

Dave looked at the little figure prostrate in the snow, and despair for a time deprived him of all thought. Then the lifelong habit of being practical a.s.serted itself. Unconsciousness from long exposure to cold, he knew, resembled death, but warmth and care would often revive the fluttering spark. If there was a chance in a thousand, Dave was prepared to fight the world for it.

He lifted Anna tenderly and started back for the shed where he had fought Sanderson. Frail as she was, it seemed to him, as he plunged through the drifts, that his strength would never hold out till they reached their destination. Inch by inch he struggled for every step of the way, and the sweat dripped from him as if it had been August. But he was more than rewarded, for once. She opened her eyes--she was not dead.

He found them all at the shed--the Squire, his mother, Kate, the professor and Marthy. There was no time for questions or speeches.

Every one bent with a will toward the common object of restoring Anna.

The professor ran for the doctor, the women chafed the icy hands and feet and the Squire built up a roaring fire. Their efforts were finally rewarded and the big brown eyes opened and turned inquiringly from one to another.

”What has happened? Why are you all here?” she asked faintly; then remembering, she wailed: ”Oh, why did you bring me back? I went to the lake, but it was so cold I could not throw myself in; then I walked about till almost sunrise, and I was so tired that I laid down by the cedars to sleep--why did you wake me?”

”Anna,” said the Squire, ”we want you to forgive us and come back as our daughter,” and he slipped her cold little hand in David's. ”This boy has been looking for you all night, Anna. I thought maybe he had been taken from us to punish me for my hardness. But, thank G.o.d, you are both safe.”

”You will, Anna, won't you? and father will give us his blessing.” She smiled her a.s.sent.

”I say, Squire, if you are giving out blessings, don't pa.s.s by Kate and me.”

In the general kissing and congratulation that followed, Hi Holler appeared. ”Here's the sleigh, I thought maybe you'd all be ready for breakfast. Hallo, Anna, so he found you! The station agent told me that Mr. Sanderson left on the first train for Boston this morning.

Says he ain't never coming back.”

”And a good thing he ain't,” snapped Marthy Perkins--”after all the trouble he's made.”

THE END.

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