The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-04-08
KrrrIs FoEr,

verbally hsli-hear sort Of people. From
tenmsu soften down when women and
children e0me-bul forget myself it &,
the story Won want.
Burton aud Jones lived In shau,y BY
themselycs Jones was q married man,
bul finding il bard to support bis wife Ia
d down-east village, be bad emigraled 10
northern Minnesota, leaving his wife
uuder her falber's roof until be should be
able to make 8 start. He aud Barton had
gone into partnership and had pre- empt'
ed town Of three hundred aud ffly
acres
There Was perhaps twenty families
scattered sparsely over this town site al
the time this story begins and ends, for
II ends 10 the same week in which 1t be-
gins.
The partners disagreed, quarreIed, and
divided their interests. The laud was
all shared between them except one vau.
able forty acre piece. Each Of them had
claimed that piece OF and, aud the quar-
rel had grown so high that the neighbors
expected them to shoot at sight. In fact,
il was understood that Burton was on
/ tue torty-acre place, determined to shoot
Jones IL he came, and Jones had sworn
to 60 out there and shoot Burton, when
the fight was postponed b. the unexpeet-
ed arrival of Jones wife aud child.
Jones sbanty was not finished, aud he
was forced TO forego the luxury OF fight
ing his Old partner, in his exertions TO
make wife aud baby comfortable for the
night For the winter sun was surround.
ed by sun dogs. Instead Of one sun
there were -four, sn occurrence not un.
common in this latitude, but Que which
/ always bodies a terrible storm.
Ia his endeayor to care for wife and
child, Jones was Modified little, and
half regretted that he had been so violent
about the piece of land But he was de-
termned not to be backed down, aud
would certainly have to shoot Burton or
be shot himself
When he thought of the chance of be-
/ Ing killed by his old partner the prospect
was not pleasant. He looked wistfuly
at Kitty, bis two year old child and
dreaded that she should be left fatheress
but he would not be backed down lie
would shoot or be shot.
While the father was busy cutting
wood, and the mother was busy other
wise, little Kitty managed to get the
sbanty door open. There was no latch
as yet, and the prying little fingers easily
swung il back. A gust of cold wind al
most took her breath away, but she
caught sight of the brown grass without,
and the new world seemed SO big that
the little feet were fsin to try and ex-
plore.
She pushed out through the door,
caught her breath again, and started
away down a path bordered by sere
grass and the dead stalks of the wild
| flowers.
How often had she longed to escape
! from the restraint, and paddle out in 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 fnd out where 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 10 turn
/ her head away from the rude blast, a
forerunner of the storm; but, having
gasped moment, she quickly 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 chid's society, had taken the pet out
with him.
Jones, poor fellow, sure that the child
was safe within, chopped away until that
awful storm broke upon him, and at last
drove him half smolhered by snow and
1 frozen with cold, into The house. When
there was nothing left but retreat, be bad
seized an arnfuI OF wood aud carried il
into the house with him, to make sure OF
having enough 10 keep bis wife and Kitty
from freezing in the coming swiltness Of
the night, which now settled down upon
the storm. beaten aud snow-blinded
world.
II was the beginning Of that horrible
storm 10 which so many people were
frozen to death, and Jones had fled none
too soon,
When once the wood was packed by
the stove, Jones looked around for Kitty.
lie hsd no more than inquired for her
when father aud mother each read 10 the
Others face the fact that she vas lost IN
the Wild dsshing storm Of snow
SO fast did the snow fall, aud 20 dark
was the night ,hst Jones could not see
three feet ahead Of him lie eBdeavored
to follow ibe path which be thought Kit
ty might have taken, but il was buried
10 snow drifts, aud be soon lost himself.
he stumbled through the drifls. calling
out 20 Kitty iu bic distress, but not
! knowing whilber he went. Amer an
hour Of despairiug, wandering aud shout.
ing, be came upon house, sad having
raped upon the door be found himself
face 20 face with bis wife.
lie bad returned TO hts own bouse in
hIs bew.lderneut.
When we remember that Joue, had
not slept for Two nights preceding thi.
enc, on account ot bis mortal quarrel
wilh Barton, and had now been beating