The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-12-25

she = -Margaret-COU!d understand. some
two or three Of Us went Ia see our strange
visitor.
We soon found that Sue WAS no more
mad than We were, only well nigh III de-
SPAR, and exhausted. She could not
speak one word of English, and we found
our little stock OF French, SO neg .ected
as il was, very inadequate for converslng
with her in her own tongue. X was
enough for her, however, that at last She
had actually some one who had heard OF
France, and who Knew there was such a
language as the French.
! The poor womans tale was this Her
! husband was dead. Her two httlc girls
were iust Old enough - work at the
| straw, plating. hut not Old enough To
walk al day with her in this terrible
| weather Her money Lad been lust
! enough to pay their fare tgom Birmlng-
! ham 10 Dunstab.e, ard She had sent
them of 10y rall that morning. At Dan
stable they would find good French
woman WHO would take care 0t them.
| Bat she herself nad not money enough 10
hide. So had set out to walk from BIZ
| mlngham 10 Duustable, 81 distance ot
some hundred miles, for wLicl Walk she
| had allowed herself three lays. And now
this morning. 10 begin with, Size found
] she had 90, tour miles out ot Ter way.
She could find no one 10 put her night,
the snow was preventing her from Walk
ing al halt the pace she Aac hopea 20
walk, and she could not in any Way get
TO her work At the time she had promised
to be there. She was strong, coarse
featured woman evidently very poor,
and not az all sentimental. But She dld
not beg. either GirectlyoI indirectly She
was ev identity careful 10 avoid - she
warmed herself hy the tire, but when
pressed also 10 sit down and cat, she SAID
| ne, with many thanks and begged Us 70
| direct her On her way as well rs we could,
which we did.
Before she went she took out her ilttle
~ell-worn aurse and counted her small
capital. She asked rs what we thought
might he the railway fare from Banbury
10 Leighton, and We told her as near as
we could guess Then she shut Ier
nurse raf shoot ner he WAY
said she must walh il all. But being
pressed 10 take some little help 70 make
up the fare tor this part OF the journey,
she took it-not without reluctance.
Only once her courage seemed To fall
her, When my sisters little boy. rosy
httle fellow, eighteen months %, sud.
aedlv began crying TO 20 70 her, she
.ook BIN into her arms, kissed hlm, and
c,ied over him, thinking, no doubt OF
b,r own little ones and tselr Loneliness
at this happy Christmas time.
CHAPTER II.
POOR EERTIE.
II Kitty had not been the very best
little mare that ever drew Il wagon be-
hind her. she never would have got &c
Thornly station. 1t had gwen up snow
ING and the sun was shining little. SO
as we thought there would he room
enough, coming back, | was tempted 70
brave the weather and 90 down With
, sam to meet the train.
For thirty years there had been nc
such snow storm known IN this part o1
the country. AS we drove along-N
! should not rather call il ploWlng-tht
corn r.cks showed like SO many tnmuh
Even the highest hedgerows could only
; be traced as long, sharp rldges, for sh'
! snow had drfted against them TIL al
was buried save here and there tree
!. There was mile OF common land, new
enclosed, which we had 70 cross, an
here where all was Level, and the fence
! we're low, it was SIMPLY one grea
stretch Of white, where to keep the roa
= was no easy matter.
: Thanks mainly to the necessity OF rur
ming extra trains at Christmas time, ot
branch line had with great difficult
been kept open. The trains were rnI
ming. and the train for which We had
wait was not more than quarter of
hour late.
I.ong before we saw them we coul
hear our Young folks. Tn"y were cha
,e hnc the station master, advising him
ID go to !erlcho.' 10 .siump up, and to,
n other things which certainly form no pa
8, az Il station master ordinary duties.
at Driving home was hardly any easl
le a task than driving out had been. r
le though we certainly had our own tIat
ic to drive back upon there was the ada'
Il weight ct i've new passengers, WINK
ld even to Kitty was no Joke OF such 81
III as this. The boys. however, declared
~ splendid, and the more likelihood. me
be was of our sticking fast, the more sple
II did they declared II, tho more glad TIL
1ll were 10 Jump out behind, AMI. una
st prctencc ot pushing the wagon, lali @
rs other IN the snow, an3 put sne" ia
~ down each other backs. On cur !"
home we met two or three other Neilci
in and u, at! cross roads could see Il
II heavy as had been the snow. II haa !
IS been heavy enough 70 keen people
fn ~ ..1nu.S ~. K.s III