The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-03-26
Kitty's Forty.
BIT EDWARD EGCLRSI0E.

1t doesn I do men any good to live apart
from women and children. l never knew
boys school in which there was not ten
dency to rowdyism. And lumbermen, sal
Tors, fishermen, and all other men that 1--we
only with men are proyerbially half bear
sort Of people. Frontiermen soften down
when women and children come-but |
forget myself. it is the story you want.
Burton and Jones lived in a shanty by
themselves. Jones was married man,
but finding it hard to support his wife in a
down cast village he had emigrated to
Northern Minnesota, leaving his wife un-
der her fathers roof until he should be able
to make a start" He aad Burton had
gone into partnership and ''preempted a
town site of three hundred and twenty
acres.
There were perhaps twenty families scat
tered sparsely over this town site at the
time my story begins and ends, for it ends
in the same week in which it begins.
The partners had disagreed, quarrele1,
and divided their interests. The land was
all shared between them except one valu-
able forty acre piece. Each of them had
claimed that piece of land. and he quarrel
had grown SO high between them that the
rcighbors expected them 20 shoot at sight.
In fact it was understood that Burton was
on the forty acre piece determined to shoot
Jones if he came, and jones had sworn to
fight was postponed by the unexpected ar
rival of Jones wife aud child.
Jones shanty was not finished, and he
was forced to forego the luxury of fighting
his old partner in his e1ert:oas TO make
wife and baby comfortable for the night,
for the winters sun was surrounded bv
".un dogs" Instead of one sun there were
four, an occurrence not uncommon on this
latitude. but one which always bodies ter
Tibie storm.
In his en1eavor to care for wife and child
Jones was mollifeda little, and half regret
ted that he had been so violent about the
piece of land. But he was determined moi
to be backed down, and he would certainly
have to shoot Burton or be shot himself.
When .a thought of tho chance of being
killed by mis- old partner, the prospect wa,
net pleasant. He looked wi>tfully at Kit
ty, his two years old child, and dreaded
that she would be left latherless- Never
Iess. he woulddnt be backed down. lie
would shoot or be sho,.
While the father was busy cutting wo d
and the mother was busy otherwise, littl,
Kittle managed to GIT the shanty doo
open There vas no latch as yet, and he
pryng little fingers soon swung it back
A gus, Of cold air almost took away hel
breath, but she caught sigft of tie brow {
grass without, and the new world seemed
so big that the little feet were faiu TO try
end explore il.
She pushed out thror, h the door. caush
her breath again, and started away down !
path bordcred by serc grass and the deaf
Stalks oil the VIII sunu0Nef.
How often had she lougei to escape from
restraint and paddle out into the wOrlC
alone, SO out into the world she went
rejoicing in her liberty, with the blue SIX,
above and the rusty prairie beneath. Sh,
would find out where the Path went 20 an'
what there was at the end of the world
VIVA, did she care il her nose was blu
wi h cold and her chubby hands red q
beets Now and then she paused 70 tur'
her head away from rude blast, fore
runner of the storm, but having gasped
moment, she quickly renewed her br.y
march IN search of the great unknown.
The mother missed her and suppose
that Jones. Who could not get enough @
the chid's society had taken the little pc
on. with him.
Jones. poor fellow, sure that the darlin
was safe within. chopped away until tina
awful storm broke upon him and ct las
drove linn, half smothered BY snow, an
half frozen with cold, into the house
When there was nothing left but retrea
he had seized an armful Of wood and cal
ried il "a to the hou-. with him, to max
sure of having enough to keep his wife an
Kitty from ,-eeIing in the coming awsu
ness Of the night, which now settled dow
upon the storm beaten and snowblinc'
world.
It was the beginning of that borrib
storm 10 which 50 many pesSls ssss ffo1'
to death. Jonas had gcd none to soon,
When once the veod Was stacked BY &
sssve. Jones looked for Kitty. He had n
nors than inquired for her when tathsr Al
mother eash read 10 ,hs others face th
she was lost Ia tho Wild, dashiug ssorm
snow.
SO fast did the show fall and so da
wss the night thai Jones could not 8
th.es fs,. sh.sI Of hiu. Hs sndesvar
80 - - Il ,. =. i