The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-05-11

place he built on the wing, and he cut
another window in James room.
"You'll be able 10 see To prink bet
ter, Jennie, /" said he; "or maybe" on
second thought maybe you'd rather
have room in the new wing? Take
your choice !" for James parents were
dead, and she had now been living year
in and year out Of The Numbers.
"I shan't want either one or the
other, thank you, she answered.
"Why not, / should like TO know ?
Are you going to swing in o hammock
among thetrees :"
"I'm going to seek my fortune"
she laughed, because she felt more like
crying.
"Going away from here, Jennie p he
cried, dropping the hammer with which
he had been driving nails. "Where are
you goingp" iiay .4l,s
7"f don't lnow-somewhere.n BE
paused moment, as Il he was trying to
understand her, and perhaps his eyes
were opened q crack then he picked
up the hammer and resumed his work.
Isl never thought Of such thing,
Jane between the blows, There's
no need Of Il. Az least you'll stay I'LL
-till-spring p
"Yes, I viii stay till Agnes comes"
she answered. ~-9.,--il----.
The winter set in early that season,
aud Cyrus went, as usual, into the
woods logging, leaving his mother with
Jane for company, and small boy to
clear the paths and look after the stock.
Few but those who live there know
what winter in The Numbers Is like,
when the snow hedges you about, week
out and week in, and passing team Is
so rare as to bring the household from
Kitchen or attic to watch II ont Of sight,
and tho wind whistles over miles Of un-
inhabited country with notiiug 70 Inn
pede IL when there ia nothing to break
the monotony Of the long frosty days,
which the almanac says are short, but
homely duties, and the promise Of seed
time and harvest.
II seems then as II no sun were potent
enough to iuelt the mountainous drifts,
built as miraculously as the coral reefs;
and at midnight you wake up suddenly,
and hear the wolves bowling in the
woods close at hand, and find their
tracks about tho sheep-pen next morn
ing, and remember with o shudder that
there isn't IN able.bodied man on the
premises. In such circumstances one
needs to have vast resources in ones
self TO be in harmony with ono's house
hold and ones destiny. 9Iastl.4,
When Seth Price joined Cyrus'a
camp he carried him line from Agnes,
saying that she should expect him down
to watch the new year in and the old
year out Of the matchmaking, II he
loved her. Esther Smiley had offered
to lay 0 wager that he wouldn't put
himself out so much, and even Mrs.
Deacon Crocket had said IL wasn't like.
ly, seeing he was sure Of her; but she
had set her heart upon showing them
how much he cared for her.
II iBn't every lover who could resist
such an nppeal, and though Cyrus didn't
think itof the least consequence wheth.
or other people believed in his love OF
not, 80 long as 1t was o reality to him
self and Agnes, yet he was doubtless
fatterel by her earnest desire for his
\ presence, and II II would please her,
why not gsa II did not occur to him
that IL was as much q vulgar wish to
make o parade Of his regard for her as
| o desireIto see him. Ithappened very
luckily, however, Cyrus thought-and
perhaps most people would agree with
him-that the camp had run short oi
molasses, and one Of the men was de-
tailed to take o team and go to Wheat
field for q suppiy-for what was coffee
without molasses2 BE started on the
last day OF December, and Cyrus with
him, and he dropped Cyrus where the
| roads diverged, one leading into Wheat
field, and the other 10, The Numbers.
| There was o matter Of ten or twelve
miles between Cyrus and the Price
farm when he left the team, but he had
often walked further with load Of pro.
duce for market. The distance didn't
strike him as being Of any consequence;
he had all his life been used TO mile.
stones. II had begun 10 snow some
time before, gently, as II 1t meant no
harm, and Cyrus was used TO snow, too.
But presently the wind changed and
blew roughly, and tossed the fakes into
his eyes, and the fakes themselves
grew bigger and thicker, till they clog.
ged his steps and blinded his sight end
obliterated every landmark. ~
Still he trudged forward, cheering
himself with the warm Welcome before
him, assuring himself that the why was
as familiar as his own potato.feld, till
by and by he began to wonder II he
were not watching the old year out by
himself, II he had not been longer on
the road than the distance warranted, II
he had not missed the way, II IL were
not growing colder and darker every
moment He knew nbout Us well where
he was as II he had travelled into Nova
Zembla, or had been cast away on m
iceberg. He paused, and rested against
the bole Of o treeto collect his wite.
There was no use in proceeding further
on the wrong road. In coming TO this
decision he naturally sat down by the
way to reflect (which was the right one.
He did not reflect long. Lovely images
and colors hoated before his minds
eye. He had reached the farm, and
there was great backlog blazing on
the hearth for him, and brown eyes
looking into his, and tender tones in
his ears. Then he came to himself
with . start, and sat upright, peering
into the black night, upon which the
storm seemed an inscription in an un-
known tongue, walked by the rending Of
some great limb from the tree above
him, which had fallen and pinned him
a rNHN = .