Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-05-20
VOL. LIV. NEW SERIES, VOL. NNVII.


the descent Then they got into the bug
gy and turned homeward, but not on the
road leading past brakes.
!, ''We want to see all that can be seen,
don't we 2" said Dick.
. ..By all means answered his wife, as
she tied her hat loosely and prepared to
enjoy the drive home. ''But didn't your
father tell You to go home by Drake $ Z
1.-The other is the best road.
> "Yon know best. Dick.
: Dicks mare went at slapping pace.
''She smells oats, said Dick.
, Look at Pringles Flat, Dick.
Pretty. isn't it q
, There is not a leaf stirring, one would
think. 1t looks so restful over there 1t
might be deserted village.
at docs look unusually quirt now
notice it. But then this sun is terrible.
! See if Won can find our house over there,
Mary.
There was long silence, then the
Young wife gleefully pointed out the
house, and there was another long silence,
, which was broken by Mrs. Hope saying
suddenly, ''What is that curious sound
hear?"
Il hear nothing"
There Do You hear it now?"
Dick inclined an ear. They were fairly
clear of the rough land at the base OF
!, Dana's Ruck now, and the mare was trot-
ting rapidly. Suddenly her drivers firm
; hand brought her upon her haunces
His wife was right her ears were keener
than his. There tCas something III the
air.
At that instant, Mary's hand clutched
his arm convulsively as she cried out,
''Oh, Dick. what is that back of us 2
She was looking back with horror stricken
eyes and palelips.
Dick turned. A cloud like ablack wall
was rushing down on them 1t seemed to
Dick Hopes eyes as black as ink. An
awful fear possessed him. There was
hush. n stiffness, in the air as chilling as
thc terrible cloud behind them. $50
long !" he exclaimed desperately, cutting
the mare fiercely with his whip.
The mare shot out like IN arrow. and
at that moment another sound smote
their ears-a sound that was like the
crash of worlds. The mare plunged,
reared, then resumed her onward course.
Her owner had lost all control over her.
But one thought animated Dick Hope
as he claspcd his wife with his right arm,
while he held fast to the reins with his
left hand, shutting his teeth to vice
That thought was. pray God we reach
the liver-bottom
The earth groaned under their feet.
sound like the rush and roar and scream
of Il million locomotives defeaned them.
Dick Hope instinctively turned and clasp
ed his Young wife i'll his arms. He did
mot see the mare /; he saw nothing but his
wife's face. and something i'll it struck
terror To his heart HIS own was ashy
gray at that moment as his young wife's
when she turned her last appealing look
upon him and moved her lips. His one
prayer was that they might die together.
1t seemed to them then that all the sound
in the air and earth was condensed, gath
cred into one awful shrek. Earth and
sky were obliterated Dick Hope felt
himself lifted up and flung like a flake
through the air.
When he recovered his senses he was
living where he had prayed to be,-in the
bottom, with his wife close beside
him. The awful storm did not divide
| them. The tornado, like a raging beast,
! had simply taken them up i'll its teeth, SO
to speak, tossed them aside, and pursued
its path. Where they were lying the
water was so shoal that it scarcely covered
/ them.
Dick sat up and spoke to his wife, she
did not answer. Then he put one hand
| up involuniarily, i'll n weak, helpless way.
/ There was blood on his face he could
/ not see his eyes were full Of sand. He
struck himself in despair. and, again
! grasping his wife, said i'll hoarse Voice,
..You are not dcdd, Mary 2"
Whether it was the water from the riv
or he dashed into his face or the gush "i
! tears that came into his eyes, Dick does
not know to this day, but suddenly his
ewes became clear, and he could see his
wife lying with her face next him and the
water washing her long hair over her
broast. He lifted her up. He felt her
hands, her cheek. Then suddenly he
summoned all his remaining strength for
one supreme effort, and dragged rather
| than carried her up to the dry shelving
bench under the bluff. Mary Hope slow
| ly opened her eyes and looked at her hus
band Then she put her hands slowly mp
to her face and covered it.
Dick saw the tears coursing down her
checks. .'Dont don't, Mary he
said.
II cant help it, / am not crying with
| pain or grief it's because you are living,
because We are both spared
Dicks strength returned to him. He
stood up and looked about him. Until
| that moment he did not know that he was
coatless and without vest or shirt he
was naked. He pressed his eyes with his
hands and looked down on himself like
one awakening out of dream. He look
ed at his wife, still sitting with her face
covered with her hands: MARY, we are
almost naked. There is nothing on me,
I l. l. l.. 1-.,I
up and down the river in helpless way.
still pressing hand TO his heart Il don't
see any sign of-the buggy or horse.
| Then he cast his glance at the bluff back
of them. Come, let me 50 up on the
bank.
He had TO carry her.
at is the horrible fright, dear Dick.
! I'll soon get over it, she said when he set
her down gently on the level ground
MARY, look over there. Do you see
anything?' My eyes are SO full of sand,
50 sore, that can't make it out quite.
Everything looks blurred
She did not answer him. 1t was not
because her eyes were not clear As she
looked wonderingly, her hand. that had
never rclinquished her husbands from the
moment he seated her on the prairie,
clasped his convulsively. Then she ut
tered Il loud cry.
"I-l expected as much," said Dick,
speaking more TO himself than to his
wife. Nothing nothing man ever made
could stand before that storm"
"Oh, Dick. she exclaimed sobbingly
''therc is nothing left of the town, not a
house. can only see n heap here and
there, something like fallen chimnoys,
| and smoke and fire" "
That's the end Of Pringle's Flat,
Mary
He looked back over the prairie, back
to the fringe of trees that skirted a por-
ton of the road near the base Of Dams
Rock but little while since. He could
not recognize the place he had looked on
Il hundred times. The trees had disap
prarcd they had been swept from the
face Of the earth. Then he shaded his
eyes with his hand and looked across to
where Pringlc's Flat had stood in all the
pride OF new Western town. Dick
Hope suddenly knclt by his wifo's side,
still holding her hand, saying, Let us
pray"
Among all those who witnessed the awe
inspiring tornado that swept Pringle's
Flat until not one stone stood upon an
other, killing, manning all living creatures
III ITS path, none have surh vivid recollec-
ti"ns as Dirk Hope and his wife. When
they refer to their experience on that ter
rble day. they speak in low tone, rev
ercntly, as though standing in the pres
cnce of the dead.-Ddrjd Lourg.
, THE LITTLE CENT EMAN.
t ny MRS. AN,Sph SHAW EIsEFfEg.
4 There's a gentle little boy,
| Aud his name IL Ernest Perry
Though hiS iirr VIII beam with jat,
lie VIII never am when merry.