Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18

tions. Mrs. Little and her sons went about
making everything as fast as possible, while her
husband and his two men went to the barns to
give the cattle and horses food and water to last
them till the storm had passed; for when it had
reached its height, neither NAH nor beast could
stand against it. Thornton, George, and his
classmate prepared to go down to the barn and
help them, for the time seemed very short.
Every moment the tempest increased in vio-
lence. Quick as thought Maud wrapped herself
in her fur cloak, and said she would go with
them. Her mother was so distressed that she
would have desisted, but that she caught
Ihorton's look of disapproval and disgust, she
thought. and then nothing could have prevented
her. Selling her brothers hand, she rushed
out OF the house. The barns were west Of the
hotel some little distance down the hill. The
wind carried them on as II they were straws,
and drove them brethless against the building.
Maud had never dreamed of its force. When
they were inside the barn. and the door had
been closed with difficulty, Thornton said to
her. very sternly:
''This is perfect folly. Ifyou do not 60 back
to the house instantly, you will not be able to
go at ALL"
Mr.. Little said the same, the storm roared 80
they could scarcely hear each other even then.
Maud was bitterly ashamed of her folly, but not
one whit afraid. Even Thornton could not
help admiring even while he blamed her. He
the house. He himself, being strong and large,
would stay and help the men. 1t was the best
plan. The four had hard fight to return.
Holding each others hands, one keeping behind
the other as much as possible, they struggled
up the hill. Once they tell fat to the earth, but
regaining their feet after a moment, they toiled
on, and reached the protection of the house.
Little said he had never seen the elbow come
on so fast" There was no use in his trying to
go back to the barn: the men would do what
was necessary, and his strength was half used
up by his efforts already. After Maud had re-
gained went m vii nd
would not stir or speak. Her eyes were fixed
on the barns. The others gathered round the
fire in awed silence. The terror of the storm
was upon them. It seemed as if nothing could
was nearly fainting with fright. She was GER
tain that the house would 60 Once Maud
turned and said in strained, hard voice,
"Mr. Little how long does this sort Of thing
generally last?"
'.Waal, it begins abaout noon to be the worst,
and it keeps it up till next morning."
'Ought not the men to cOmeup pretty soon?"
she asked again, with ill-concealed anxiety.
ooh yes, they'll be up directly, guess"
But they did not come. Once Maud saw three
figures creep around the partially sheltered side
Of the building. but when they reached it's front
they were struck down, and she saw them crawl
on their hands and knees back into the Sheds
The full horror Of the circumstance struck her
Calling Mr.. Little she told him what she had
seen.
she said, in low, unnatural voice.
'Im afraid 80, he answered. anxiOusly.
"DOtry to help them, " she pleaded so earnestly
that the men all resolved to try, though it was
of 80 little use. Taking a rope, Little tied all
the volunteers firmly together; even the ''howl-
ing swell" Livingston, as George called him,
offered to help. When all was ready, they
crept along the western side of the house with
little difficulty. But when they reached the
corner, they went down like planks. They tried
again and again, and then came back into the
house tired and disheartened.
The short afternoon had passed; the early
darkness made the terror of the storm more
awful. Maud still strained her eyes through
the deepening gloom. The storm at that mo-
ment was at its height. Clutching the window
frame tightly with her fingers, she pressed her
diated eyes against the pane, and saw with
speeches. horror the roof of the large barn
swept off as if it had been paper. 1t was all the
more terrible because not sound of the falling
timbers could be heard above the ceaseless
roaring of the wind.
sleeping. They clustered together about the
fire in silent terror. From time to time Mr. Lit
tie spoke re-assuringly. There was no danger
for themselves, he said; the house was firmly
built; large beams passed diagOnally from floor
to ceiling through the partition walls; 1t was
not possible that they could give way But the
awed hearts were not easily assured. Maud
alone had no thoughts for herself or the safety
of the house. She had seen the roOfess barn
and she strOve to picture the fate of Thornton
and the two men with him, without food, with
out fire, with no roof to shelter them. and per-
haps crushed by falling timbers. for it had been
too dark to see the extent of the disaster. She
told no one Of the sight which she had wit
messed. Only she and Little knew what had
happened. All that was best in her came to the
surface that long. agonzing night. Never again
could she silence her better, nObler self. Very
base and contemplate seemed all her wiles, her
caprices, her cOquetries. 1t had been her wild
folly that had placed Thornton in this danger.
If she had not delayed the men they could have
returned to the house before it was too late. If
he were alive when morning dawned he should
know how bitterly she had repented.
She remembered how she had trifed with
him when once the summer before, he had told
her that he loved her more than he had ever
had not meant to drive him away from her; she
had only meant to tease him for little. But
he had taken it all in earnest, and now, of
course, he had ceased to think of her except to
despise her. If he had continued to love her.
would he have been 80 long silent? She little
knew that the man who was all sincerity could
not understand the insincere.
be would never care for her now, of course,
and she loved him with all the force Of her
strong. ungoverned heart. After that night of
agony she could never be the same.
The pale daylight dawned upon her white
face. The wind died slowly down, as the sun
came up the troubled sky. The ruin of the
night was revealed to the weary watchers.
Three men came slowly up the HILL tired,
hungry, half-frozen, but safe. They had made a
comparatively warm nest for themselves in the
hay, where they had passed the sleepless night.
The part of the barn which sheltered them and
the cattle and horses had been uninured, and
not man or beast had been hurt by the falling
beams.
Mrs. wellington could not be induced to re-
main an unnecessary moment In the terrible
place, and late in the afternoon the subdued
party were in the cars returning to Boston.
Thornton confessed that it was the most I'M
comfortable night he had ever passed, but that
he would cheerfully have undergone far greater
hardships for the reward that it brought him.
Before they reached the city he had learned of
the agony which the nights suspense had been
to Maud and she had acknowledged her love
for him in answer to the passionate reiteration
of his devotion to her. And this was the work
Of an East Blo,c!
THERE IS young editor wandering on the
face of the earth who formerly published a
paper at Storm Lake. Iowa. He left there the
day after the issue of his last paper and is sup
posed to be crossing the state on foot to get
away from an Infatuated female populace. 1t
seems there was concert given by Young ladies