The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-09-02

was constantly falling, intermingied
with hail, whirled and dashed over the
hills and through the valley. The drl1ss
We're piled deep and it was bitter colo.
A meeting had been called, but sucn
was the fury of the storm that 1t was
given up. Midnight drew on, but the |
stages had not come nor been heard
from.
The crowd at the post-ofice was
smaller than usual, and huddled closely
about the great stove. Nobody dared or
cared to 90 to bed, and lights CLEANED
fitfully from nearly every window IN the
village.
SO, Lord" said the taciturn Deacon,
with real awe in his voice, as blast a1ter
blast rocked the little post-oftice and the
sleet ratified against the windows, 81
hope there hain't no harm come to them
fellers a-ridin' up the river"
Grandpa Billin's rose as the pointer
on the old clock began to get around 10
one.
"Guess they haint a-comin' tonight"
he said, mildly. "Likely they stopped
to the Halfway House for all night"
But no one else stirred, and the old
man sat down to wait q moment longer:
The spell of q coming calamity seemed
to be over them all.
Suddenly they all started and turned
pale. There was hand outside tum-
bling at the latch. Then a hoarse voice
said, weakly, ''Let me in"
A dozen sprang to open the door,
when one of their neighbors, who had
ridden down that morning with Seth
Plunkett, stumbled in, more dead than
alive from the severity of the storm:
They brought hot drinks for him and
rubbed his nearly frozen limbs; and
soon he was able to say, brOkenly:
"Seth's comm, but Pelt's stage is all
broke up, down below the bend in the
straight cut Lost the road an run on.
Somebody 20 fetch two they had 10
leave, and the horses"
Several men started up to 60, and,
hastily gathering together such things
as they needed, they pushed on to lnd
the wreck, leaving team to follow:
They had hardly gone when the door
swung violently open and Seth fiunkett
entered, bearing in his arms, as II it had
been q baby, the apparently hfe!eSs
form of Pelt Cressy. The village folk
had learned the news in an incredibly
short time, and came focking in. in
spite of the storm which ragged outside,
till the store was full. Seth could mol
speak at once, but he managed to cal
for the things that he wanted, while
some one took his exhausted horses to
their stable. Three male passengers
had alighted from the coach. Between
them they bore the body of q woman
She was one of their neighbors, and was
taken to her home near by.
Pelt Cressy was stretched upon set
tee by the fire, with coat for q pillow
They brought snow and rubbed hi
frozen feet and hands. There was ar
uoly cash on his forehead and the Doc
tor announced that one OF his ribs was
broken.
Under the genial influence of heat anc
stimulants, however, the poor fellow De
gan to revive, and the white face, which
no one would ever have recognized a.
the handsome young face of Pelt Cressy
showed little color once more. Th'
watching crowd heaved sigh of relief
. "He's all right said the slow OLE
Doctor, counting his pulse. ''Better &c
. him home at once" Then he stopped
and looked around him in perplexity
Pelt Cressy's home was back on tn
hills. five miles away. He had boarde'
sometimes at the tavern. Should the
take him there?
Seth Plunkett, who had been sittin
: in semi-stupor by the fire, got up a
Y this point with a sort of wrench, an
: shook his shaggy coat like colossa
dog.
3 q firm voice. "Het'll take care of him:
I The men looked at each other i
, amazement; but silently fixed the youn
man according to the Doctors diret
( tons, and bore him through the storl
: to the warm cottage of the Plunkett'
q There he was laid in Seth's own whit
i bed, and for many days thereafter tt
g he was strong and well once NOR
9 sHet' joyfully ''took care of him"
The week after the storm the NEE
a inos. which had suffered tempOrar
. relapse under the overpOwering sensatio
q of the hour, took on new vigor. On
If of Pelt's horses had been killed, and
had declared that he never would carr
: the mail again. So it was finally a
q ranged that Seth Plunkett should tai
e his old place and pay, and harmon
e prevailed once more among the distrac
# ed inhabitants of Clearpond. Thu
d could even joke about the furious pa
70 sions which had divided them only
e few weeks before. They could nc
10 however, clearly understand the ment
:. processes in Seth and Pelt, throue
=. which these extraordinary changes hs
le been brought about. Nobody but ther
m selves, of course, knew anything abo
re it, and they had been mysteriously sile
as to the particulars of their reconcile
n. ton. Even the most adroit of the villass
d gossips interviewed them, only to be bs
- fed; but at last it all came out.
,e Seth Plunkett grew more and mo
,r interested in the revival as the Spril
r. wore on; but he was man of deep te!
ne ing and the work of conversion in hi
lie was not rapid. He rose for praye
Cd night after night at the meetings.. I
no brethren all Iabored with him; but
IL said he "couldn't seem to see
10 lipht,n