Ellsworth American., 1874-10-01
to try and explore it.

pa'u ourueteu by seTe grass anu the
dead stalks of the wild flowers.
How often she had longed to escape
from restraint, and paddle out into the
world alone! So out into the world she
went, rejoicing in her liberty, in the blue
sky above, and the rusty prairie beneath.
She would find out whore the path went,
and what was 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 rude blast, fore
runner of the storm, but having gasped a
moment, she quickiyl renewed her brave
march in search of the great unknown
The mother missed her but supposed
that Jones, who could not get enough OF
the child's society. had taken the little
pet out with him.
Jones, poor fellow, sure that the dar-
ling was safe within, chopped away until
that awful storm broke upon him, and at
last drove him half smothered by snow,
and half frozen with cold into the house
When there was nothing LEFT but retreat.
he had seized an armful of wood and car
ried II into the house with him. to make
sure of having enough to keep Kitty and
| his wife from freezing in the coming aw-
fulness of the night, which now settled
down upon the storm beaten and snow
blinded world.
Ii was the beginning of that horrible
storm In which SO many people We're fro
zen to death, and Jones fed none too soon.
When once the wood was stacked by
the stove Jones looked around for Kitty.
lie had no more inquired for her when
father and mother each read In the others
face the fact that she was lost in this wild
dashing storm or snow.
So fast did the snow fall, and so dark
was the night, that Jones could not see
three feet ahead of him. lie endeayorcd
to follow the path which he thought Kitty
might have taken, but IL was buried in
snow drifts, and he soon lost himself.
He stumbled through the drifls. calling
out to Kitty in his distress, but not know
ing whittier he went. After an hour Of
desPairing wandering aud shouting. he
came upon a house, and having raped
upon the door he found himself face to
face with his wife.
He had returned 10 his own house in
his bewlderment.
When we remember that Jones had not
slept for two nights preceding this one, on
account of his mortal quarrel with Burton,
and had now been beating against an arc
tic hurricane and tramping through
treachcTous pillows of snow for an hour,
we cannot wonder that he fell over his
own threshold Ia a state of extreme ex-
haustion.
Happy for him that he did not fall -
wilder"d on the prairie, rs many anotheF
poor wayfarer did on tnat iataI night.
As il was, his wife must need, give up
the vain searches she had been making in
the neighborhood OF the shanty. She had
sick husband, wit h frozen hands and fee
and face, TO care for.
Every minute the thermometer fell low
er and lower, and all the heat the littlet
cook stove in Jones shanty could give
would hardly keep them from freezing.
Burton had stayed upon that forty-acre
lot all day, waiting for a chance TO shoot
his old partner, Jones. He had not heard
of the arrival of Jones wife, and he con
cluded that his enemy was coward and
had left him in possession. or else meant
TO play him some treacherous trick on his
way home.
RurfnD IN hn
lookout. But he soon found that impos-
sible, for the storm was upon him in all
its binding fury. He tried to follow the
path, but he could not find it.
Had he been less OF frontiersman he
must have perished there, within a fur
long of his own house. Bat in endeavor-
ing 10 keep the direction of the path he
heard smothered cry. and then saw
something rise up covered with snow and
then fall down again. He raised his gun
TO shoot it when the creature uttered an
other wailing cry, SO human that he put
down his gun and went cautiously for
ward.
1t was a child.
He did not remember that there was
such child among all the settlers at
Newton. But he did not stop to ask
questions. He must. without delay, get
himself and child, too, to place of safety.
or both would be frozen.
So he etook the little thing in his arms
and started through the drifts. And the
child put its little icy fingers on Burton's
rough cheek. muttered papa" And Bur-
ton held her closer and fought the snow
more courageously than ever.
lie found the shanty at last, and rolled
the child in buffalo robe while he made
fire. Then when he got the room
little warm he took the little thing upon
his knees, dipped her aching fingers in
cold water, and asked her what her name
was.
kitty" she said.
kitty" he said, ''and what else?"
"Kilty,' she answered, nor could he find
out any more.
''Whose Kitty are your"
"Your Kitty" she said. For she had
known her father but that one day, and
now she believed that Burton was he.
Burton sat up all night and stuffed wood
into his impotent little stove to keep the
baby from freezing to death. Never hav-
ing had anything to do with children, he
firmly b ged that Kitty, sleeping snug
ly under blankets and buffalo robes
would freeze if he should let the fire SUBJ
side in the least.
As the storm prevailed with undated
fury the next day, and as he dared ne
ther take Kitty out or leave her alone, he
stayed by her all day and stuffed the stove
with wood. and laughed at her droll baby
talk, and fed her on buscuit, fried bacon