Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-02-06

Il
was forced to forego the luxury Of fighting
his old partner in his exertions to make
wife and baby comfortable for the night.
For the winter sun was surrounded by
q sun dogs F." Inste. d of one sun there were
four an occurrence not uncommon in this
latitude, but one which always BODIED a
terrible storm.
In his endeavors to care for his wife and
child, Jones was Modified little, and half
he had been SO violent about the
piece of land. But he WAS determined not
TO be backed down, and he certainly had
TO shoot Burton or be shot himself.
When he thought Of the chance OF being
killed by his old partner, the prospect was
not pleasant. He looked wistfully at Kitty,
his two year,old child, and dreaded that
she would be left fatherle:s. evertheless,
he wouldn't be backed down. He would
shoe. or be shot.
While the father WAS busy cutting wood
and the mother was busy otherwise, little
Kitty managed to get the shanty door open.
There was no latch as yet, and her Drylng
little hands easily ssunglt back. a gust
of cold air almost took away her breath.
but she caught sight of the brown grass
without, and the new world seemed so big
that the little feet were fain to try and ex-
plore it.
She push ed out through the door, caught
her breath again, a started away down
the path bordered by sere grass and the
dead sta. ks of the wild sunhowtr.
How often she had longed to escape from
restraint and paddle out into the world
alone. So out into the word she went, re-
joicing in her liberty, in the tlue sky alb we
and the rusty prairie beLeath. She would
find out where the path went to, and what
there was at the end of the world. What
did she care if her nose was blue with cold
and her chubby hands as red IS beets
Now ar d then she paused oturn Der head
away from the rlde blast, torerunner q
the storm; but, having gasped moment
she quickly renewed her brave march IN
search of the great TN known.
The mother missed her. and supposed
that Jones, who could not get ell ough of the
child's society, had taken the little one out
with him.
Jones, poor fellow, sure that the darling
was sac within, chopped away until that
awful storm broke upon him, and at last
drove him, half smOthsred by snow aid
half frozen by cold, into the house. When
there was nothing left but retreat he had
seized an armful of wood and carried ii
into the house with him, to make sure Ct
b aving enough to Beep his wife ard Kitty
from freezing in the C ming awfulness oil
the night which now settled down upon
the storm>beaten and snow blinded world
1t Was the beginning of that horrible
storm In which SO many people were frozen
to death, and Jones had fed none too soon
When once the wood was stacked By
the stove, Jones looked around for Kitty
He had not more than inquired for her
when her father and mother each read in
the others face the fact that she was los
in this wild, dsshing storm of snow.
So fast did the snow fall, and so darl
was the night, that Jones could not see
three feet ahead of him. He en- ieavoreC
to follow the 18th which he thought Kitty
might have taken, but it was buried il
snow drifts and he soon lost himself,
He stumbled through the drifts, calling
out to Kitty in his distress, but not know
ing whittier he went. After an hour O.
despairing, wandering and shouting hi
came upon house. and having raped OF
the door ne found himself face to face with
his wife.
He had returned to his own house in hi
be wilderment.
When we remember that Jones had no
slept for the two nights preceding this one
| GU account of his mortal Guarrels with
| Burton, and he now had been beaten
against an Arctic hurricane and trampin
| through trescherous pillows of sn W for al
hour, we cannot wonder that he fell owe
his own threshold in state of extreme ex
haustion.
Happy for him that he did not fall be
wiidered on the prairie, as many anothe
poor way farer did on that fatal night
AS it WAS, his wife must needs give ur
the vain little searches she bad been max
ing in the neigh borhood of the shanty. Sh,
had now a sick husband, with f; ozen hand
and feet and face to care for. Every mia
ute the thermometer fell lower and lower
and all the heat the little cook stove il
Jones shanty could give would hardI,
| keep them from freezing.
| Burton had stayed upon that forty acr
| lot all day; waiting for chance to shoe
his old partner, Jones. He had not hear
| of the arrival Of Jones wife, and so he con
cluded bat his enemy had proved a CO"
ard and had left him in possession; or els
that he meant to play him some PREACHER
Gus trick on his way home.
So Burton resolved to keep a sharp look
out But he soon found that impossible
for the storm was upon his in al its fury
| He tried to follow the path. but he coul
not find it
Had he been less of a frontersman b
| must have persisted there, within fur
long of his own house But in endeavor
ing to keep the direction of the path h
heard q smothered cry, and then saw seine
| hing rise up covered with snow and fl
down again He raj ed his gun to shoot i
cry so human that he put down his GU
and went cautiously forward.
It was a child.
He did not remember that there was sue
a child among all the settlers in Newton
But he did not stop to ask questions. II
must, without delay, get himself and ii
child too, 10 a pla 9 Of safety, or bot
would be frozen.
SO he took he little thing in his arm
opH stprteH throuvh the driftS And ii
child put little icy fingers on Burton
rough neck and muttered "papsl' A.
Burton held her closer, and fought IL
snow more courageously than ever.
| He found the shsnty at last, and role
the child in buff 4lO lobe while be aC
fire. Then, when he got the room Ii
tie warm he took the little thing upon h
knee, dipped her aching fingers in co
wa err aud asked her what her name was.
Kitty she said
Kitty" he said, land what else?'
kitty" she answered, nor could
find out any more.
Whose Kitty are you?'
Your Kitty" she said. For she b,
known her father but that one day, 81
noa she be levedthat Burton was be.
Burton sat up all night, and stuffed WOO
into his impotent little stove to keep &
baby from freezing to death. Never ha
ing had to do with children, he firmly
lieved that Kitty. sleeping snugly und
he should let the fire subside in the lea t.
AS the storm prevailed W tn unabat
fury the Iext day, and as he dared Meth
to take Kitty out dor to leave her alon
he stayed by her al day aud stuffed t
stove with wood and laughed at her dr.
b .bv talk, and fed her on dried bread a.
coffee.