South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-04-03

threshold In a state of extreme exhaustion.
Happy for him tha, be did not fail be-
wildered on the prairie, as many another
poor wayfarer did on that fatal night
As 1t was, bis wifs must needs give up
the vain little searches she had been maxi
ing in tho neikhborhOod Of the shanty.-
There was now sick bus' Nnd, with frozen
hands aud feet and face, 10 care for. Ev-
, cry minute the thermometer fell lower aud
lower, and all the beat the little cook stove
/" JONES shanty could give would hardly
keep them from freezing.
burton had stayed upon that Forty -aore
| lot all day, waiting for u chance TO shoot
his old partner JONES. lie had not heard
OF the arrival of JONES wife, and so he
concluded THAI his enemy had proved
coward aud had left him in possession, or
else that he meant to play him some treacb.
erous trick on his way home.
! So BURTON resolved to keep n sharp
! lookout. Bat be soon found that impos-
| siblc, for the storm was upon him in all its
| binding fury. He tried TO follow the path,
/ but be could not fud it.
! Had he been less of frontierman he
must have persisted there, within furlong
Of his own house. But eudeavoriug to
keep the direction of the path lie heard
smotherod cry, ADD then saw some thiug
rise up covered with snow, and fall down
again. He raised his gun to shoot it when
the creature uttered another wailing cry so
human that be put down his gun and wen,
cautiously forward.
/, was child
He did not remember that there was
such a child among all the settlers in New
ton. But he did not stop to ask questions.
lie must, without delay, get himself and
child, too, to place Of safety, or both would
soon be frozen.
50 he took the little thing in his arms
aud started through the drifts. And the
child put its little icy fiogers on BURToN's
rough cheek and muttered "Papa -
And Burton held her closer, aud fought
the snow more courageously than ever.
lie found the sbanty at last, aud rolled
tue child in a buff4lo-robe while be made
fire. Then when be go. the room a little
warm, he took the little thing upon his
knee, dipped her aching fingers in cold wa
ter, aud asked her what her name was.
KITTY" she said.
"KIrTY," be said and what else %
"KITTY," che answered, nor could he
uuu OUT any more.
"Whose KITTY are your"
"Your KIT y" she said. For she had
known her father but that one day, aud
pow she believed that Burton was be.
BURTON sat up all night and stuffed
wood into bis potent little stove to keep
the baby from freezing to death. Never
having had to DO with children, he firmly
believed that KITTY, sleeping sDugly un-
der blankets and buffalo robes, would
freeze if be should let the fire subside 10
the least
As the storm prevailed With unabated
fury tho next day, and as he dared neither
to take KITTY nor to leave her alone, he
stayed by her all day and stuffed the siove
with wood, and laughed at her drol baby
talk, and fed her on biscuit and fried ba
con and coffee.
On the morning of tho second day the
storm had subsided. 1t was 40 deg. cold,
but knowing somebody must be mourning
KITTY Tor dead, no wrapped her in skins,
aud with much difficulty reached tho near
est neighbours house, suffering only FROST
bite on his nose by the way.
Chat child" said the woman to whose
house be- bad come, "Is JONES. l seed
EN- take her outeD the wagon day before
yesterday"
BURTON looked at KITTY moment in
I perplezi;y. Then ho rolled her up sgain
and started ont, "traveliDg like mad" the
woman said she watched him.
When he reached JONES, be found
JoNEs and bis wife sitting in utter wretch
eduess by the FIRE. They were both sick
from grief, and unable to move out Of the
house. KITTY they bad given up for bu
RED alive under some snOw.mound. Tbev
you'd fod her when Spriag should come
and melt the snow cover of
When the exhausted BuRroN oams in
with bis bundle Of buffalo skins, thew look-
90 no BIN With amazement. But whom
ue opened it and let out the little kitty,
aud said
"Here JoNEs, is this your kitten p
Mrs. JONES couldn't think OF anything
better 10 do than TO scream.
And JONES got up and took his old part
ner by the hand and said "BURToN, ole
fellow - aud then cboked up and sat doWn
and cried belplsssly.
Add BURTON said, "JoNEs ole fellow.
you may have that forty.acre patch. IL
come mighty nigh maxim me the murderer
Ct that lille KITTY's father"
ono you shall take il yourself" cried
JONES, 'lf have to 60 70 law to make
YOU
And JONES actually decided bis interest
10 the forty acres to BURTON. rn, pr,
TON tra,sfs,ro3 2. Dub DUR
iO ~ transferred ., al to KITTY.
Eat is Why this part Of Newton il call.
ed TO- day KITTY's FoRrY.- YoutRs Cam.
PaHtoH.
TT KTNq Korpp ~ $780, -,