Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-10-16

slept for two nights preceding this one, Or
account of his mortal quarrel with burton
and had now been beating against an arc
tic hurricane and trampling through
treacherous pillows of snow for an hour
we cannot wonder that he fell over his
own threshold in q state Of extreme eX
haustion.
Happy for him that he did not fall be-
wildered on the prairie, as many other
poor wayfarers did on that fatal night.
AS it was, his wife must needs give up
the vain search she had been making III
the neighborhood of the shanty. She had
now a sick husband, with frozen hands
and feet and face to care for.
Every minute the thermometer fell lower
and lower, and all the heat the little cook
stove i'll Jones' shanty could give would
hardly keep them from freezing.
Burton had stayed upon that forty acre
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
concluded that his enemy was coward
I and had left him in possession, OF else he
meant to play him some treacherous trick
Oh his way home.
So Burton resolved to keep sharp look
out; but he soon found that impossible, for
che storm was upon him in all les binding
fury. He tried to follow the path, but he
could not find it.
Had he been less Of a frontiersman he
tod q
Of his own house. But in endeavoring to
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 sEoot
It. when the creature uttered another
waling cry so human that he put down
his gun and went cautiously forward.
t was q childl
He did not remember that there was
such child among all the settlers at New
ton But he did not stop to ask questions.
He must, without delay, get himself and
child, too, to a place Of safety, OF both
would be frozen.
So he took the little thing in his arms
and started through the drifts. And the
child put its little icy fingers on Burton's
rough cheek, nuttering ''Papa'' And
Burton held her closer, and fought the
snow more courageously than ever.
He found the shanty at last, and rolled
the child i'll a buffalo robe while he made a
fire. Then when he got thegroom 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.
s'Kitty,' he said, ''and what else?"
s'Kitty,'' she answered, nor could he
find out any more.
"Whose Kitty are you?"
"Your Kitty" she said. For she had
known her father but that one day, and
now she believed that Burton was he.
T,,,,4c1, e,o4 ~,
. burg9hl mSlp5ofent little stove to keep the
baby from freezing to death. Never hav- !
ING had anything to do with children, he
firmly believed that Kitty, sleeping snugly
under blankets and buffalo robes, would |
freeze if he should let the fire subside i'll !
the least.
AS the storm prevailed with nnabated |
fury the next day. aud rs he dared neither |
take Kitty out or leave her alone, he stayed |
by her all day long and stuffed the stove
with wood and laughed at her droll baby |
talk, and fed her OH biscuit, fried bacon
and coffee.
On the morning of the second day the !
storm had subsidized 1t was forty degrees |
cold, but knowing somebody must be
mourning Kitty for dead, he wrapped her
in skins. and with much difficulty reached |
the nearest neighbo1s house, suffering
only a frost bite on his nose by the way.
ssThat child,'' said the woman to whose
house he had gone, lis Jones'; | seed 'em
take her outen the wagon Gay before yes
terday."
Burton looked at Kitty a moment IN
perplexity. Then he rolled her up again,
and started out, s'traveling like mad, the
woman said, as she watched him.
When he reached jones' he found Jones
and his wife sitting in utter wretchedness
by the fire. They were both sick from
erief. and unable to moveout of the house.
Kitty they had given up for buried under
some snow mound They would find her
when spring should come and melt the
snow cover off.
When the exhausted Burton came IN
with his bundle Of buffalo skins, they
looked at him with anlazement. but Wleh
he opened it and let out little Kitty ana
said
s'Here Jones, is this your pet kltten!"
Mrs. Jones couldn't think of anything bet
ter to do than to scream.
And Jones got up and took his old part
ner's hand and said, Burton, ole felloW!"
and then choked up and sat down and
cried hopelessly.
And Burton said, 'Jones, old fellow,
yos,l may have that forty acre patch. 1t
came mighty nigh maxim me the murderer
of that little Kittys fathef."
'sNo! you shall take it yourself, " cried
Jones, IF I have to go to law to make
you"
And Jones actually decided his interest
III the forty acres to Burton, but Burton
transferred it all to Kitty.
This is why this part of Newton is called
''Kitty's Forty"
EXECUTED HIS OWN WARRANT.-The
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