ow the old grave digger made his way as swi

ely grave, but the snow was drifting so hard with each furious gust of

eaven to guide him, old Adam sat down his lantern, and

oward the right of it the stump. The

e paced off the distance, and then stood quite still

was no sign of the little mound, with the leafless

his very feet fell upon his ear, ca

have found i

n though it was, and set to work as he had ne

did of his own existence that life was not yet extinct in the body of the young girl for whom he wa

nished satisfactorily, for had the man stepped from the coach to examine

igger's face, but he worked on with desperate zeal, realizing

rnity of time, he reached the body, and

wn humble cottage home, bearing the

or him. She could never sleep

to open the door for him, starting back with a cry of gr

st in the storm, Adam?" she cried, cl

inking down into the nearest chair, thoroughly exhausted. "I'll tell you all about it later, when I get my brea

hich had enveloped the fair young face and form, an e

sely obeyed her husband's injunctions, making no further

up under the eaves, wrapped in flannel blankets, with bottles of hot water at the feet, and a generous draug

ood beside the bedside anxiously watching her labors; "see that flush on her chee

young girl-this fair, hapless, beautiful young stranger whose wedding he had witnessed

tter be imagined than described. For once in her

es fastened upon old Adam with an expression of horror in them, heartrend

ere on their feet be

catching at the old man's hands and clutching them in a grasp from which he could not d

ve that brute of a husband you just married. He ought to swing for the crime as sure as there is a hea

l young stranger c

all you hold dear, that both you and your wife will keep my sec

e. That would be letting escape the man who should be punished, if there

rested, to utter no word that would cause the story to become blazoned all over

let eyes, drowned in the most agonized tears, and the whit

ut we cannot choose but to give you the promise-nay, the pledge-you plead for. I can answer for my Mary as w

You have lifted a terrible load from my heart. If the time ever c

the good wife held her back upon her p

about to do, m

attempting to arise from the couch, but fall

a day. What she had undergone had be

rl, but was warded off by the faithfu

ho persistently refused to divulge one word concerning herself. She would turn her face to the wall and wee

. It had not been slept in. T

d it ever be revealed? They could not discuss it with the old minister or any of t

prophetically. "When the girl comes face to face with the dast

in her own heart she felt that her husband had spoken t