The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-02-07


way cut as far as the barn.
Tracks, of course, here and there, but
big boots are too nearly alike to tell tales
to the eyes of any one less acute of Wis.,
ion than an Indian trailer.
Still, Norma wondered and wondered
how all that wood could ever have got
there.
Getting into the house was easy
enough in region where wooden latches
take the place of combination locks, but,
whoever the unknown benefnctor had
been, he must have possessed wonderful
faculties for silence.
There was magic in it, and Norma
called to mind the old Morse tales she
had heard of good-natured demons of the
forest but, then, all that belonged to
Norway, and not to Minnesota.
Later in the day, as Norma paced here
and there among the drifts, she got one
hint, at least, for those broad though
deep dents in the surface of the snow
drifts could only have been made by
snow.shoes.
When she finally found her way to the
stables, Norma saw that her work there
had all been done for her, and a got d
deal more, and that even an old wood
sleigh had been dug out of the snow, as
if in anticipation of future use.
Inside the house the "food question
was fast becoming an important one, so
closely had the narrow and stinting
policy of old Jan permitted the current
supply to run down but, for all that,
Norma Ericsson sang all day the quaint
and musical rhymes of her northern an
cestry, which her mother had taught her
years before.
Bitter, bitter cold it was without, but
the bountiful provision of the unknown
friend left little to ask for within, and
the very dancing blaze itself seemed to
laugh in mockery of Norna's curiosity.
The long night came again, of course,
and Norma tried hard not to go to sleep,
SO that she might listen.
Youth and health forbade any such
doings, however, and Norma woke in the
morning, not to find her fire alight, but
all preparation made outside, in the
shape of heaps of fuel.
1t was evident, moreover, that Jan
Ericson's remaining ox-team Lad been
having night of it. Well they might
be jaded and used up, for, not only had
some pitiless driver forced them to help
him break road to the timber through
a mile of drifts, but to haul home again
n very respectable load.
All that was later discovery of
Norna's, but the first thing to greet her
eyes, as she swung the door open, was
the carcass of goodly deer that hung
against it, and she knew very well how
much better venison- steaks are than ut
ter starvation. They are good deal
better
The next day and the next went by,
and the terrible cold seemed to have
griped everything with hand of frozen
steel.
Again and again did Norma Ericsson
shiver and turn pale, as she thought of
what would surely have been her fate,
but for her unknown helper.
Old Jan was able to sit up now, and
grumble at the sad necessity of burning
SO much good wood, just to keep warm
In reply to Norna's speculations as to
who had sent it, however, he testify re-
piled:
81 knowed Judge Pinner would keep
an eye on us. That coffee you say was
left this morning came from Jones's
store at the village. / knowed it soon
as tasted it. It's what the Judge al
ways buys, and it's two cents O pound
more than L want to give"
True enough, Judge Pinner had by
no means forgotten his client, and at
last he succeeded in stirring up Johns
chivalry and his own, now the roads
were becoming a trife better broken,
and the mercury ventured few points
higher up in the glass.
It was with more than little misgiv-
ing that they started, and they decided
to take some of their neighbors with
them, sin case they found anything bad
had happened at old JAMS"
Bitter cold yet, but when the double
team of Judge Pinner pulled his COM
Portable, closely packed sleigh in sight
of Jan Ericson's homestead, the curling
smoke from the chimney promptly dis
PEELED all their fears.
"Hurrah for old Jan |" exclaimed the
judge. "Jack Frost didn't catch him
mapping"
Great was the surprise of both and
son, however, when the old man hobbled
ont to meet them, to be greeted with
such a torrent of what seemed to be
genuine gratitude for the kind attention
they had shown during his illness, and
all they had saved him and Norma from
during the cold snap.
Just at that moment a man on snow
shoes came plodding down the road, but
nobody thought much about him, and
John Pinner mustered self-possession
enough to answer:
"Well, of course, we were anxious
about you and Norma, and we've come
now to see if there's anything else we
can do. How's Norna?"
"I'm pretty well, thank you," said
that young lady herself, from the door
way. Father, you should thank Mr..
Pinner for the venison and the coffee"
The man on snow-shoes had half
halted within hearing distance, and
could not Lave lost a word of Jan Eric
sons thanks, or the dubious protesting
and yet acknowledging acceptance
thereof by the Primers.
sis that you, Mr.. Jones3" again in
terrupted Norma, addressing the "store-
keeper" who still sat muffled up in the
sleigh. "I'm glad you've come. l
want ysu to read something for me-"
"All rightl" exclaimed the gallant
merchant, springing out into the snow
to take large slip of brown paper from
Norna's extended hand. "Where did
that come from ?"
"Read tread it |" said Norma.
Paul Wood That's plain enough |;
and it's in my own handwriting. Oh, L
remember, did up whole lot of things
that 1a,, g.. a,o o,5 opotbar oud I mt