Mr.
Drever alone of those present seemed unmoved; he alone seemed to
have expected it. Tom Kinlay's face grew pale and haggard, and he
almost tottered as he stood there with all eyes directed upon him.
When the excitement had subsided, Mr. Duke looked towards Thora and
asked her to tell all she knew, in her own way, and to omit no
detail. She accordingly stepped a little nearer to the table,
resting her hand upon it, and gave her evidence in a clear,
unfaltering voice. Her narrative was to the following effect:
On the day of the commencement of the snowstorm Thora, who had not
been to school since her illness, went over to Clouston to visit
her young friend Hilda Paterson. When the storm came on she issued
out of the cottage and took the road as far as Stenness, and over
the undulating land of Sandwick, where the snow wreaths were
already so deep that often on her way she failed to recognize the
landmarks. She travelled in uncertainty as to the direction she was
taking, and felt utterly tired out--for she was not yet
strong--when she came unexpectedly to a little cottage, and, to her
dismay, found she had walked nearly three miles out of the direct
road home.
The cottage was a tiny building of rough stones, and the snow found
its way inside through the wide crevices in the walls.
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