The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-08-14

recesses of the wholesome imper
sOnation of Thor, whose touch was
blow and all the while the snow bull
up It's Aladdin palaces, crystal by crys
/ tall wreatEed about the living green
tapestried every boulder, hid the deaG
I leaves and hollOws under theScreen, 20
it was by no means deep; the weathel
was too bitter cold for more than I
/ light fall, just enough to drape natur,
gracefully in its folds.
Before the sky had cleared the last
mouthful of food had vanished, anC
except for q partridge thas Ben haC
made shift TO kill with a club-fOl
there We're no fire arms yet in camp
and rabbit taken in a rude trap o
their own constructing, they had mol
eaten anything for two days Bui
they were robust men, who would
have tough fight with starvation be
fore succumbing and then there was
no lack Of water. -H
In the mean time they were almost
as much concerned for Mr.. Bruce as
for themselves. He might have lost
his way, they feared, or been overtsk-
en- by the storm or the wolves he
might come into camp any moment
too far reduced to help himself, and
need their, weak assistance. Since
their stomachs were idle, their brains
became correspOndingly active with
neutrality-suspicious.. Every day they
proposed setting out 10 walk home
but perhaps he would come to-mor-
row, and then they hated to desert
their post beside, the weather was
stinging cold, and, redueed by hun
ger, they might faint by the way,
frost-bitten, or, unarmed, encounter
Indian devils or wolves : Whatever
he might be able to. endure himself,
Ben felt that uncle Simon,s strength
was utterly inadequate to that strug-
gle. They were beset with a thous-
and peradventures; there was not on
Iy lion in the way, but all manner oi
perils real and imaginary. SO they
waited, perforce, watching the. days
vanish in tender dream of color, aud
the stars make their silent journey
across the deeps of heaven, and the
mornings dawn as the rose blooms,
unfolding petal after petal of exquisite
bloom. They busted themselves still
about the camp and hove', giving a
thousand last touches, sucn as they
never would have thought of givinga at
another time, gathering fire. wood and
setting the rabbit trap in vain. And
one day the ak felffrOm Ben's resoIute
hand, and he just dragged himself in
side the camp, and stretched himself
before the fire. Uncle Simon had
already given out. 49,.
"Walking home could hardly have
been worse" Ben said simply. Per
haps he was thinking of somebody
who might have met him, kindly, at
the journeys end, Ia view OF the dan
ger he had passed.
"Perhaps Bruce II come yet" re-
turned Uncle Simon.
Through a chink in the camp door
Ben watched the sunset fade like q
fire among the woods, and one by one
the stars shine out, each in its ap.
pointed solitude, and the northern
lights palpitate rOsily along the sky
The bowling of wolves echoed dis
malIy, while now and then branch
cracked in the forest, and the wind
trembled among the pines. Insi.ie
the fire made comfortable glow, uni
der the influences of which he was
soon nOdding off to sleep, when
through the fog of his semi-conscious-
ness he seemed to hear sort of ring
ing in his ears, at first a mere thread
of sound, then louder aud nearer, as
if every tree in the forest was church
steeple with all the bells swinging.
Then he heard no more till smoth.
cred groan from Uncle Simon caused
him to raise himself upon his elbow.
The fire was still snapping and blaZ-
ing brightly, and the form and pro-
file of q woman was shadowed forth
upon the wall of the camp-a. very
familiar face and figure it was, too,
that appeared to be bending over
something that was cooking on the fire.
Was it the excited action of his brain
that photographed Louisa Bruce on
the wall? If so, be prayed that it
his head languidiy toward the fire,
and met pair of eyes that had shoDe
for him all his life with the fascination
of q will-o'-the-wisp. Were they still
to haunt him across the confines OF
this world?
"If you are awake, Ben, you had
kiadr ia saste this cruel that L have
'sFYou must be nearly famished."
"How came you here" was all the
answer Ben vouchsafed. 'e .
"You are mighty polite if you are
most starved. Who else could come,
and father not able to lift his head? j
brought Tim; he is putting up the
horses. It's no such pleasant journey
either, can tell you, between the
wolves and the frost, not to mention
a cold welcome. Come, amt you GO
ing to take something? Here's broth
and brandy and gruel-take your
choice.p
"Nay, you shall chose for me,n said
Ben. 'fListen, unless you take back
the words you spoke when We last
met, unless you give me back love fol
for love, swear 1 will not taste q
morsel of anything you haYe to offer.
I'll stay here and starve rather than
take crumb OF comfort from your
hand"
"What did 1 say?" asked Louisa,
meekly.
"Yo1 said that you could live with
out me-"
"Oh yes, L suppose 1 could, but
shouldn't want to- s-.-
"But you refused to marry me-"
Certainly, because you didn't want
to marry girl with no more heart
than an adder, Ben. E
81 want to marry you heart or no
heart"
"Very we'll /; have some broth first,
won't you ?"
And then Tim came in, aud Uncle
Simon awOke, and there was an end
to starvation in camp.