the only one abroad. By and by the horses stopped.
They could draw the wagon no further. They stood panting and exhausted
and soon lay down in the snow. I turned to speak to my wife, when I
found she had been dead for some minutes, the cold carrying her off as
quietly as if she were dropping asleep. Before she passed away, she
wrapped nearly all her clothing about Nellie, who was cuddling beside
her, so that really the mother, like the noble woman she was, gave her
life for the little one. It was because Nellie was alive, that I
jumped out of the wagon and began floundering through the snow. I
ploughed blindly forward until providence guided me to you."

While uttering the last words, Maurice Dawson was tenderly unwrapping
the bundle in his arms. There were many folds to draw away, but at
last he reached the treasure within, which was his Nellie, still sound
asleep.

If the miners were startled by the resounding thump on the roof, they
were now almost struck dumb with amazement. They sat with open mouths,
staring eyes and for a minute no one spoke or stirred.

"God bless you, my Nellie," murmured the father, bending his head and
touching his lips to the cool forehead; "I had no hope of this when I
left your dead mother and started on my tramp through the snow."

A general sigh went up from the group of awed miners. Wade Ruggles,
who had been leaning on the bar, with his gaze fixed on that of the
handsome stranger, was the first to recover from the spell which held
them all. Tiptoeing across the room, he paused in front of the father
and his child and stared, wondering and speechless. Then one by one
the others did the same, until the whole company were grouped around
the man and child, each afraid to whisper, as if doing so would
dissolve the heavenly vision.

When the wrappings had been laid aside, and the little one was placed
upright, she stared bewildered into the shaggy faces around her. Her
big blue eyes were open to their widest extent, the mass of golden
curls rippled about her shoulders and the fairy-like feet were
inclosed in thick, warm shoes and stockings. The dress of a dull brown
color and thick texture, fitted her tiny frame perfectly and she
formed a most winsome picture of infantile beauty.

For fully five minutes all stared in silence at the marvelous picture.
As before, Wade Ruggles was the first to come to himself, but when he
spoke, it was in an awed, hesitating whisper:

"Is she really ali