The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-09-18

IIOm ICStluihb y"
world all alone! So out into the world
she went, rejoicing in her liberty, with
the blue sky above, and the russell pral-
RE beneath. She would find out where
the path went to. and what there vas at
the end of the world. What did she
care if her nose was blue with cold, and
her chubby hands red as beets? Now
and then she paused to turn her head
away from somerude blast, a ~forerunner
of the storm. But having gasPed a
moment she quickly renewed her brave
march in search of the great unknown.
The mother missed her and supposed
that Jones, who could not get enough OF
the child's society, had taken her out
with him.
Jones, poor fellow, chopped on until
the storm came upon him, half smoth-
cred by snow and half frozen by cold,ln
the house.
When there was nothing left but re-
treat he had seized an armful OF wood
and carried it into the house with him
to make sure that he had enough to keep
his wife and Kitty from freezing in the
soon coming awfulness of the night,
which now settled downupon the storm
beaten and snow-blinded world.
1t was in the beginning of that terri
BILE storm in which so many people were
frozen to death, and he chad iednone too
soon.
When once the wood was stacked by
the stove, Jones looked around for
Kitty. He had not more than inquired
for her when her father and mother both
read in the face of the other that she
was lost in the wild dashing storm OF
snow.
So fast did the snow fall, and so dark
was the night, that Jones could not see
three feet ahead of him. He endeav-
ored to find the path which he thought
Kitty might have taken, but it was
buried in snow drifts, and he soon lost
himself.
He stumbled through the drifts, call
ing out to Kitty in distress, not know
ing whittier he went.
After an hour of despairing wandering
and shouting, he came to "A house n
having raped at the door he found
himself face to face with his wife.
He had returned to his own house IN
bewilderment.
When we remember that Jones had
not slept for two nights preceding this
one on account of his mortal quarrel
with Button, and he had now been beat
ing against an arctic hurricane AM
tramping through t%reacherous blilews OF
snow for an hour, We cannot wonder
that he fell over his threshold III
state of extreme exhaustion.
Happy for him that he did not TAI
bewildered on the prairie, as many
poor wayfarer did on that fatal night.
As it was, his wife must needs CIV
: I'D the vain little searches she had beef
been making in the neighhorhood Of tn
: shanty.
, There was now a sick husband wit
frozen hands and feet and face to car
l for. Every minute the thermomete
fell lower, and all the heat that the III
a tie cook stove in Jones' shanty coul
1 give would hardly keep them fror
D freezing.
I Burton had stayed on the forty-acr
! lot all day, waiting for a chance to shoe
Il his old partner Jones. He had ne
hear! of the arrival of Jones' wife, an
so he concluded that his enemy ha
proven a coward and left him in POI
session, or else that he meant to pla
u upon him some treacherous trick on h
Q way home.
- So he resolved to keep a sharp lool
;. out. But he soon found that this W,
impossible. The storm vas upon hi
;. in all its binding fury, and he tried
"a follow the path, but he could not find i
Had he been less of a frontiersma
70 he must have persisted there, within
Ia furlong of his own house. Bnt endea
~ oring to keep the direction of The pal
10 he heard a smothering cry, and thu
ii saw something rise up covered wi
p snow, and fall down again. He rais'
his gun to fire, when the creature u
of tered another wailing cry so human tn
he he put down his gun and went caution