A WEDDING GIFT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8476, 6 May 1893, Page 2

A WEDDING GIFT.

(A Wife's Story). By Leonard Ootuam.

Strand Magazine.

" I will have you ! I trill have you I I will! I will! I will!!" I can see his dark face now as he looked when he spoke those words. I remember noticing how pale his lips were as he hissed out through his clenched teeth: " Though I had to tight with a hundred men for you—though I had to do murder for your sake, you should be mine. In spite of your love for him. in spite of your hate for mc, in spite of all your struggles, your tour*, your prayers, you shall be mine, mine, only mine I # HI had known Kenneth Moore ever since I was a little child. He had made love to mc nearly as long. People spoke of us as sweethearts, and Kenneth was so confident and persevering that when my mother died, and I found myself without a relative, without a singlo frieud that l really cared for, I did promise him that I would one day be hia wife. But that had scarcely happened when Philip RutIcy camo to the villafce and—and everybody knows I fell in love with /ma. It seemed like Providence that brought Philip to mc j usb as I had given a half consent to marry a m_n I had no love for, and with whom I could never have been happy. 1 had parted from Kenneth at the front gate, and he had gone off to his home crazy with delight because I had at last given way. . It was Sunday evening late in November, very dark, very cold, and very foggy. Ho had brought mc home from church, and he kept mc there ac the gate pierced through and through by the fro.fc, and half choked by the stifling river mist, holding my hand in his own and refusing to leave mc till I promised to marry him. Home was very lovely since mother died. The farm had gone quite wrong since wu lost father. My near friends advised mc to wed with Kenneth Moore, aud all the village peoplu looked upon it as a settled thing. It was horribly cold, too, out there at the gate—and—and that was how it came about that I consented. I went into the houso as miserable aa Kenneth had gone away happy. I hated myself for. having been so weak, and I hated Kenneth because I could not love him. The door was on the latch ; I went iv and flung it to behind mo, with a petulaub violence that made old Uagar, who was; rheumatic and had stayed at home tha'r evening on account of tho fog, come out of tho kitchen to see what was the matter. " It's settled at last," I cried, tearing off my bonnet and shawl; "I'm to be Mrs Kenneth Moore. Now are you satisfied ? " " It's beat so—l'm sure it'a much best so," exclaimed the old woman; " but, deary-dear 1" she added as I burst into a fit of sobbing, "how can I be satisfied if you dou'c b<-1" I wouldn't talk to her about it. What was the good ? She'd forgotten long ago how the heart of a girl like mc hungers for ibs true mate, and how'frightful is the thought of giving oneself to a man one does not love I Hagar offered condolence and supper, but I .would partake of neither: and I went up to bed ac once, prepared to cry myself to sleep, as other girls would have done in such a plight as mine. As I entered my room with a lighted candle in my hand, there came an awful crash at the window—the glass and framework were shivered to atoms, and in the current of air that rushed through the room, my light went out. Then there came a crackling, breaking sound from the branches of the old apple tree beneath my window; then a scraping on the bricks and window-ledge; then more splintering of glass and window-frame; the blind broke away at the top, and my toilet table was overturned—the looking glass smashing to pieces on the floor, and I was conscious that someone had stepped into the room.

Ab the same moment the door behind mc was pushed open, and Hagar, frightened out of her wits, peered iv with a lamp in her hand.

By its light I first saw Philip Rutley. A well-built, manly, handsome young fellow, with bright eyes and light, closecropped curly hair, he seemed like a merry boy who had jusb popped over a wall in search of a cricket ball rather than an intruder who had broke into the house of two lone women in so alarming a manner.

My fear yielded to indignation when I realized' that it was a strange man who had made his way into my room with so little .ceremony, but his first words—or rather the way in which he spoke them— disarmed mc. ".1 beg ten thousand pardons. Pay for all the damage. It's only my balloon 1" " Good gracious I" ejaculated Hagar. My curiosity was arouxed. I went forward to the shattered window.

" Your balloon I Did you come down In a balloon? Where is it?"

"All safe outride,'' replied the aeronaut consolingly. "Not a bad descent, considering this confounded—l bog pardon— this confouud-inp- fog. Thought I was lialf a mile up in the air. Opened the valve a little to drop through the cloud and discover my location. Ran against your house anchored in your apple tree. Have you any men about the place to help mc get the gas out ? " We fetched one of our farm labourers, and managed things so well, in spite of the darkness, that about midnight we had the cluutsv thing lying upon tho lawn in a state.of "collapse. Instead of leaving it there with the car safely wedged Into tho apple tree, until tho morning light would let him work more easily. Rutley must needs " finish the job right off," as he said, and the result of this was that while he was standing iv the car a bough buddenly broke, and he was thrown to tbe ground, sustaining such Injuries that we found him senseless when we ran to help him.

Wo catried him into the drawing-room, by the window of which he had fallen, and when we got the doctor to him, lb was .considered besb that he should remain 'with us that night. How could we refuse *him a shelter? The nearest inn was a long way. off; and how could he be removed there among people who would uot care for him, when the doctor said it was Erobable that the poor fellow was seriously urb internally? , We kept him with o* that night; yes, and for weeks after. By Heaven** mercy be will be with mc all the rest of my life. It was this unexpected visit of Phillip's, and the feeling thab grew between us ss I nursed him well and strong again, that brought ib about that I, told Kenneth Moore, who had become so repugnant to mc that I could not bear to see him or hoar Mm speak, that I wanted to bo released frora ibe promise he had wrung from mc that night ab the garden gate. His rage was terrible to witness. He Saw at once that my heart was given to someone else, and guessed who it must bo ; for, of course, everybody knew about our visitor from the clouds. He refused to release mc from my pledge to him, and uttered such wild threats against poor PhiUip, whom he had nob seen, and who, indeed, had not spoken of love to mc at that time, that it precipitated my union With his rival. One insult that he was base enough to level ab Phillip and mc stung me'so deeply, that 1 went at once to Mr Rutley aud told him how lb was possible for evil minds to misconstrue his continuing to reside at the farm.

When I next met Kenneth Moore I was leaving the registrar's office upon the arm of ray husband. Kenneth did not know what had happened, but when he saw us walking openly tegether, his face assumed an expression of such intense malignity, that a great fear for Phillip came like a chill upon coy heart, and when we were

alone together under the roof Hi»r~Y ! henceforth harmlessly cover \xnCtt %t but one thought, one intense aI VmL quit it for ever in secr-t with th "NiP loved, and leave no foot-p r | nt k,? i i »i»| our enemy to track us by. " KCi >H J It was now that Phillip told m. it / possessed nn Inrlepondpnt for.,,, 11 *'! virtue of which the world 1av«,,, 1,1e -1 before ns for our choice of a horZ d el "Sweet as have been th„ „'*' I have pasted here—precious and! I,li'" 1 ! as this llitie spot on the wid« lo *l Murfaco must over be to mc," Wil «. eir t| band, "I want to take you .m« v ,' n i mid show you many goodly thi., 1 *! have as yet hardly dreamc! of {$* If not abandon your dear old hornp k *i will find someone to take .-aro of 'it i "f and see what other parailiso w op . 4--cover In which to upend our luVf honeymoon." ■• e U| I had never mentioned to Phim Jt name of Kenneth Moore, and «oh« r'< It a mere playful caprice that mi" 1 * say:— ua «n , "Let us go Phillip, no ohe v where—not even ourselves. L et J&H guldo us in tho choice of a resting Let us vanish from this villain »% bnd-never lived In It. Let usV? 1 * forgotten." KQ *6^ He looked at mc in astonishim** replied in a joking way:- m * fi{ . * r ' The only moans I know of to «._.«. your wishes to tho letter, would be turnal departure, n_ I arrived-thiu** say, in my balloon." ""'as * Yes, Phillip, yot I" I excused "in your balloon, to-night ballooul" * "* 1% That night, in a field by tho rei Clw . ;» the gas-works of Nettleclene, the ffi r j was Inflated, ana tho car load«fl_i I stores for our journey to unknown!, 1 The great fabric swayed and stntaffif the strong breeze that blew over Elf and It was with some difficult* .1 Phillip and I took our soats. All Jf readiness, when Phillip, "earc„ln__i?_ with a lantern, discovered thatw*Ci with us the bundlo of ru«B and *_l which I had got ready for eamlu»i l # N l " Keep her steady, boys!" he cHM J must run back to the house." ji_ J leapt from the car and disappears darkness. '*

It was weird to crouch there alone wj the great balloon swaying o ver „>/_{ each plunge threatening to'dWoOfrom the scat to which I clung thgvJaf and tho wicker-work straining W_2i ing, and the swish of the Bilk sobSI like tne hiss of a hundred snakes it _T alarming iv no small degree to bo» k! little prevented mc from «hoot_i_> I solitarily to take an indefinite dS"J* the stars. I confess that I wu iK„™f but louly callod to tho men -H 0 3 holding tho car to please takec«t„«fl!i let mc go without Mr Rutley. * m m The words were scarcely out _(J mouth when a man, whom we all t| Bß 3 was he, climbed into the car ami hml told them to let go. The order wmoSaS and the earth seemed to drop aw*t £S beneath us as the balloon rose and" drift i away before the wind. w f "You haven't tho rugs, after all n.J claimed to my companion. HeturMi3 flung his arms about mc, and the -oCI Kenneth Moore it was that replied to tig «•' I havo you. I swore I would hm tel and I've got you at laßt I" m | In an Instant, as I perceived thaUtJ being carried off from my husband brill very man I had been tryinjt to e?cs» IE Relzed tho grapnel that lay handy i''| flung It over tho side. It was RttwhsJiJl a long stout cord which wa» the body of tho car, and by the viakl jerks that eusued I knew that I mum too late to snatch at an anchorage and tkjl chance of a rescue. The balloon, hmim ballasted, was drifting along nm m ground with the grappling-iron (.whiff through hedges and fences and trees,violin tho direction of our farm. }hm I prayed that it might again strike m\m the house as It did with Phillip, j s || that he might be near to succour m&! 1 Aa we swept along tho fields tho grs'isM taking here and there a secure hold (or J moment or bo, would bring tho car %\m down to the earth, nearly jerking uswitj bub we both clung fast to the eordts?J and then the grapnel would tear Its wajl through and the balloon would rise Ilka t| great bird into the air, | It was in the moment that one ot fh«f checks occurred, when the balloon im heeled over in the wind until it lay Bltiwf horizontally upon the outface ot III 1 ground, that I saw Phillip Rutley stnudiusl in the meadow beneath mc. He cried is! mc as the car descended to him with i«§ clinging to the ropes and frameworJc km mv life :— » V " Courage, deareat! You've webora,/ Hold on tight. You won't bo hurt." I Down came the car sideways, ail

struck the ground violently, almost warn ing him. As It rebounded he clung to m edge and held it down, shouting for few I did not dare let go my hold, m M balloon was struggling furloualy, U 1 shrieked to Phillip that Kenneth Mrf had tried to carry mc off, and imptei him to save mc from that tntus. s»fi before I could make myself miaartoff Kenneth, who like myself had been fciJK Ing on for dear life, threw himself mimm upon Phillip, who, to waid off a stomal savage blows, let go of tho car. a There was a heavy gust of wind, 8 tesg Ing sound, tho car rose out of l J Wf| reach, and we dragged our anchor mm more. The ground flew bonuath us, m my husband was gone. i I screamed with all my mighb, ss«P| pared to fling myself out when wa tttwjjl the earth again, but my captor, seining**! article that lay on the floor of W»f hurled forth, with the frenzy of a*f man, ballast, stores, water keg, emM apparatus, everything, indloeritniniW® For a moment this unburdening «w| balloon did not have the effect; ona » W suppose—that of making us shoot *™fM up into the sky, and I trusted that r»v* and the men who hod helped us fpm gasworks had got hold of the grapsiM6 and would haul us down; but, Imm over the side, I perceived that w flying along unfettered, and fne««j each minute our dlstanco from theeaWf

Wo wero off, then, Heaven alona *_| tell whither ! I had lost the prot«cW|l my husbaud, and fallen utterly power of a lover who was terriffWTl hateful to mc. .. Jj§ Away we sped In the dsrknes*, mm and higher, faster and faster. mm crouched, half fainting, In the botM«»| the car, while Kenneth Moore, bdW fJf over mc, poured his horrible lo*eM»° w | ea "Mlnnle 1 My Minnie ! Why AUj4 try to play mo falsa ? Didn't yott &>Jt your old playmato better thau tOß«*#?i he would give you up? Thank yonf**s| girl, you are now quit of that •eoa«ffi! and that the very steps ho took la »H| you have put it In my power to wf? ?** from him and from your wilful oc* .Jl I forgot that he did nob know mm and I had been married thatmorolftftra Indignant that he should speaks ho «»1 husband, I accused him In turn oi'»f e Tj to destroy mc. How dared he h'™»yl with mc? How dared he speak Hi «;S man who was worth a thousand ot liW^J —who had not persecuted mc la f IM life, whb loved mc honestly and whom I loved with nil my soul? * S S Kenneth Moore a co ward, a cruelf Cfiwg villain, and commanded him to **$;1 balloon, to let mc go back to my ?°*!Sl back to Phillip R.tley, who was HwJSI man I could ever love in the world 1 _«„,__ " You are out of your senses, » lf *j3 he answered, and he clasped mc W l ™yl hi* arras, while the balloon nw'Jßi hlaher and higher. " You are •»K^ , JI mc now, but when you realize t\i&>> Lj are mine for ever and cannot eHC*p»»£| will forgive mc, and bo grateful to «S| yea, and love mc, for loving you so w !rJ "Never 1" I cried, "never! "xWgJ thief! You have stolen mc and Ig| you f I shall always hate you. £%3 than endure you I will make the fall right down, down, and we will w% be dashed to pieces." . jJjk I was so furious with him that I fm the valve-line that swung near me**, *Ji moment, und tugged at ib with might. He grasped my hand, but I *«jrj| the cord about my arms, held on■ * jf. with my teeth, ami he could " ot ' Jr s|.| from mc. In the struggle we near" »(.?; turned the car. I did not care. I gladly huvo falleu out. and lost mi » % now that I had lost Phillip. . *ul Then Kenneth took from his 'pM**L® lores knife and uncl&xp.d ft. 1 J»*BH. aloud, for I thought ho meant to »W"Lfc mc into submission. Out I hoo.ii *n* w y he meant to do. He climbed up l|| cordage and cut tbo volve ib'e r brought "Now yon are conquered I" ~8. Wg "and we will voyage together ** f world* end." ■ ~«.§ I'had ilseii to mv feet and Wjii?* him, listened to him with a " lt ™M despair : but even as hlw triumphant appalled mc thy c;«r Hwayi-d '*- J * v,, .._jp f the bide opposite to win-re I «* o<Kl ,_#§ side where «tlll hung the long Una *|j| tho grapnel—and I saw the «»"« man upon the lodge; tho at ins, t"« H and thn'shoolderVoC a man. of a '*'*»» f I the next ntiuntn wnrj Htitnrtluur <» ' n » w jl I fast in his embrace ; Phillip lwM>Js 1 true love, my hurtbaiul I saito* 3 Then. it seemed to mc thab the *♦ collapsed, and all things m.lied.,sna * whirling a\vay~dowu, down, down

Sow long T was unconscious I do nob j-now, but it was daylight when I opened Biy eyes. It was .piercingly coll—snow was falling, and .ilthough I _..y in Phillip's arms with hi* co-tt over m-, while he --.it in his shirt sloewx holding mo. On the other side stood Kenneth Moore. -He also was in his shirt sler-ves. His c:.at »lso had been devoted to covering in?. Both those men .were freezing there for my sake, aud I w_s uugruteful euou&h to shiver.

I need not tell yon that I gave them no peace until they hid put tiirir coats ou ag-in. Then we all crouched together in the bottom of the car to keep each other warm. I shrank from Kenneth a little, but not much, for it was kind of him—so kind and generous—to suffer th?t awful cold for mc. What surprised mc was that he made no oppo>i ion to my resting in Phillip's arms, aa-' Phillip did not seem to mind his drawing do>:e to mc. But Kenneth explained :— " Mr Rutl_y has told ma you are already his wife, Minnie, is that true?"

I confirmed it, and asked him to pardon my choosing where my heart inclined mc. " If that is so," he said, " I have little to forgive and much to be forgiven. Had I known how things stood, I ioved you too well to imperil your happiness and your life, and tbe life of the man you prefer to mc." " But the danger is all over now," said I; " let us be good friends for the future.' " We may at- least be friends," replied Kenneth; and I caught a glance of *ome mysterious import that passed between the men. The question it would have lea mc to ask was postponed by the account Phillip gave of his presence in the ball jou-car-how by springing into the air as lie grapnel swung pwt him. dragged: clear by the rising balloon, he bad caught the irons and then the rop-, climbing foot by foot, swinging to and fro in the aarkness, up, in unUl the whole length of the rope was accomplished and he reached my side. Bravo.-strone. dear Phillip ! Aud now, O «cc more he would have it that I must wear bis coar. "The sun's up, Minnie, and he'll soon put warmth into our boues. I'm going to have soniH exerche. My coat will be best over yen." Had it not been so excruciatingly cold we might have enjoyed the grandeur of our sail thorough the bright, clear heavens, the big brown balloon swelling bo.idly a'jove us. Phillip tried to ke»-p up our spirits by calling attentian to these things, but Kenneth uaid little or uothing, aud looked so de-pondent that, wishing to divert his thoughts from his disappointment concerning ruy *elf, which I supposed was hi» trouble, I he.dles.ly blurted out that I wa_ starving, aud asked him to give mc some breakfast. Then it transpired that he had thrown ont of the car all the provisions with which we had been supplied for our journey. The discovery took the smiles out of Phillip's luerry face. "You'll have to hold on a bit, little woman," said hs. . " When we get to a way-station W an hotel, we'll show the refreshment contractors what sort of appetites are to be found up above."

Then I asked them where we were going; Whereabouts we had got to; and way we did not descend.. Which elicited tbe fact that Kenneth had thrown away the instruments by which the aeronaut iufonns himself cf his location and the direction of bis course. For a loug time Phillip playfully put mc off in my petition _ to be restored to terra Anna, but at last it came out that the valve line being cut we could not descend, and that the balloon must speed on, mounting higher and higher, until it would probably burst in the extreme tension of the air. "Soon after tuat," said Phillip, wibh a grim, hard laugh, " we shall be back on earth."

We found ib difficalb to enjoy the trip after this prospect was made clear. Nor did conversation flow very freely. The hours dragged slowly on, and our sufferings increased. At last Phillip mode up his mind to attempt a desperate remedy. "What it was he wculd nob tell mc, but, kissing mc tenderly, he nii.de mc lie down and covered my head with his coat.

Then he took off his hoots, and then the car creaked and swayed, aud suddenly I telt he was gone out of it. He had told mc not to look out from uuder his coat; but how could I obey him ? I did look, aud I saw him climbing like a cat up Hie round, hard side of ihe b.tllocni, clinging wibh hands and feet 10 the netting that covered It.

A3 he mounted, the balloon swayed over with his weight until it was light abovehim and he couh.~B_.rdly hold ou to the cords with his toes and his fingers. SrthV he crept on, and s:lll the great silken fabric heeled over, as if it resented hi 3 boldness and would crush him.

Once his foothold gave way, and he dropped to his full length, retaining only his hand-grip of the thin cords, which nearly cut his fingers in two under the Strain of his whole weight. I thought he was gone; I thought I had lost him for ever. It seemed impossible he could keep hia hold, and even if he did the weak setting must give way. Ib sbretched down where he grasped it into a bug form, and increased his distance from the balloon. *o that he could not reach with his feet, although he drew his body up and made a desperate effort to do so.

Bat while I watched him in an agony of powerlessuess to help, the balloon slowly regained the perpendicular, and just as Phillip seemed at the point of exhaustion his fee. caught once more in the netting, and, with his arms thrust through the la&shesind twisted in aud out for security, while hia strong teeth .also gripped the cord. I saw my husband iv comparative safety once more. I turned to relieve my peat-up feelings to Keqneth, but he was pot in the car—only his boot-. He had seed Phillip's peril, and climbed up ou the other side of the balloon to restore the balance.

Bob now the wicked thing served them another trick; it slowly lay over on its side under the weight of tlie two men, who were now pplsed like panniers upon the extreme convexity of the silk. Ihis was very perilous for both, but the change _f position gave them a little rest, and Phillip shouted instructions round to Kenneth to slowly work his way back io the ear, while he (Pulllip) would mount to the top of the balloon, the surface of which would be brought uuder him by Kenneth's weight. It was my part to make them balance each other. This I did by wstc'.iing the tendency of the balloon, and telling Kenneth to move to rii_ht or left a* I saw it become necessary. It was very-difficult for us all. The greatfabric wobbled about most tiraes with a sudden turu that took us all by surprise, and would have jerked .every bue of us into space had wo nob all been Clinging fast to the cordage.

At last Phillip shouted :— "Get ready to slip down steadily into the car."

" I am ready," replied Kenneth. "Then go!" came from Phillip. " Easy does it! Steady! Dou'i hurry ! Get right down into the middle of the car, both of yoa. and keep quit? still." We did as he told us, and as Kenneth joined mc, we heard a faint cheer from above, aud the message :— *' Safe on the top of the balloon !" "Look, Minnie, look!" cried Kenneth; and on a cloud b ink we saw the image ot our balWxm with a figure sitting on the summit/ which could only be Phillip Rutley. . ** Take care, my dearest! take care !" I besought him. *' Fm all right as long as you two keep still," he declared; but itwas nob so.

After he had been up there about ten minutes trying to mend the escape-valve, so that we could control it from the car,, a puff of wind came and overturned the balloon completely. In a moment the aspect of the monster was transformed into a crude resemblance to the bailee of the Golden Fleece—the car with Kenneth aud rae in it at' one end, and Phillip Rutley hanging from the other, the huge gas-bag lixe the body of the sheep of Colchis in the —iddle.

And now the balloon twisted round and round as if resoUed to wrench itself from Phillip's grasp, but he held on as a brave m*n always does when the alternative is fight or die. The terrible difficulty he had in getting back I shudder to think oL It is needless to recount it now. Many times I thought that both men must lose their lives, and I must finish this awful voyajre alone. But iv the end I had my arms around Phillip's neck once more.and was thanking God for giving him back to mc.

I don't think I half expressed my gratitude to poor Keqneth. who had so bravely and generously helped to save him. I wish I hud said more when I look back at that time now. But my love for Phillip made mc blind to everything.

Phillip Was very much done up, and greatly dissatisfied with the result of his exertions, but he soou began to make the best of thingx. as he always did. "Trua selfish duffer, Minnie," said he. 'All the good I've done by frightening you like this is to get myself splendidly warm."

1 What, have you done nothing to the ▼alvaf"

Didn't have time. No, Moore and I mu»t try to get at it from below, though

from what I saw before I started to go go aloft, it seemed impossible." " But we are descending." "Eh?"

" Descending rapidly. Sao how fast we are diving Into 'hatcloud below !"

* : It's true 1 We're dropping I What can it mean ? *'

As lit.- spoke we were immersed in a douse white mist which wetted us through as'if w<- bad been plunged in water. Then suddenly the car was filled with whirling snow—thick masses of snow that covered us «o that we could not see each other; choked >i* so that we could hardly speak or breathe.

And the cold! the Cold ! It cut us like knives; it beat the life out of us as if with hammers.

This sudden overwhelmtnghorror struck us dumb. We could only cling together a-id piT.y. It was plain that there must b. a rent in the silk, a large one, caused probably by the climbing of the men—a i_tittu.it mlzht widen at any moment and reduce the balloon to ribbons.

We were beiug dashed along in a wild storm cf wind and snow, the headlong force of which alone delayed thy fa-., which seemed surely to await us. Where *!iould we fall? The vi'orld beneath us •was n-ar and palpable, yet we could not distinguish auy object upm it. But we fell lower and lower, v..til. our eyes informed us ail in au instant, and we cxclained tog"thcr :— "We are falling into the sea I" Yes, there it was o_iieai- us, raging and leaping like a boast of prey. We should be drowned ! V\ c must be drowned! There was no hope, none ! r '

Down we came slantwise to the water. Xh. foam from the top of a mountainwave scudded through the ropes of the car. Tnen the hurricane bore us up again on its fierce breast, aud—yes, it was bearing us to the shore!

Ue saw the coast-line, the high, red cliffs—saw the cruel rocks at their base I H-jrrible! Better far to fall into the water and drown, if oie we must. The balloon flew over the rugged boulders, the snow and tbe foam of. the sea indistinguishable around m, and ninde straight for the high, towering precipice. We should dash agaiust the jagaed front] The balloon was plunging down like a maddened bull, when suddenly, within 12ft of the rock, there was a thrilling cry from Kenneth Moore, and up we shot, almost clearing the projecting summit. Almost—not quite—sufficiently to escape death ; but the car. tripping against the very verge, hurled Phillip and myself, clasped iv each other's arms, far over the level snow. We rose unhurt, to find ourselves alone.

What had become of our comrade—my childhood's playfellow, the man who had loved mc so well, and whom I had cast awa) ?

He was found later by some fishermen— a shapeless corpse upon the beach. I stood awe-striken iv an oulbailding*bf a Utile inu that gave us shelter, whither they had borne the poor shattered body, and I wepb over ib as ib lay there covered with the fragment of a sail.

My husbaud was by my side, and his voice was hushed and broken, as he said to mc :— »

*' Minnie, I bftlieve that, under God, our lives were saved by Kenneth Moore. Did you not hear that cry of his when we were about to crash into the face of the cliff?"

" Yes,' Phillip," I answered, sobbing, " and I missed him suddenly as the balloon rose."

" You heard the words of that parting cry ? "

"Yes, oh, yes I He said: * A Wedding Gift! Minnie! A Wedding Gift I'" '•And then}" " He left us together."