The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-04-17


old Dolly herself, standing with droop'
ing head and Topped ears-lazy Dolly:
I'D know her anywhere" laughed
Joe.
Charly laughed too, and fingered
her treasures lovingly. Ter cheeks
glowed and her eyes were starry.
"Do you think they're nice2' che ask
ed-''as nice as some they have at the
stores at Christmas time, Joey?"
"Nicer," returned Joe, in a tone ex-
pressive of great wisdom and expert
ence-a whole heap nicer"
well" pursued Charly, I'm going
to make all l can, and when I get
enough I'll send them to sell. Mrs. Ring
gold said they ought to be half a dollar
apiece"
"O-oh!" cried Joe, quite taken aback
by this prospect of unbounded wealth.
"What1l you do with so much?"
II know" put in Dean. you'll get
cured, won't you, Charly"
The quick tears sprang to Charly's
dark eyes. II will, if l cam" said she,
and she pulled Emmy to her, and hid her
facain the baby's yellow curls. maybe
l can't"
"Mr. Perks said you could if you could
go to see DR.. Lester. He can cure every
thing"
"But it'll cost a great lot of money
maybe $780," said Charly. I'D have to
to make 200 of these, Joey"
"Well, you amt gong to wait that
long" declared Joe stoutly. Father
says just as soon's this old farm pays
anything, he's going to take you to
Fredericton to see DR.. Lester. Maybe
twill pay next summer; we're going to
have a COW then. And we haven't been
here long enough yet, you know"
"Thatll be real NICE" said she.
"Now. after dinner I'll cut out some
thing more"
81 think it's real fun" said Joe. But
Charly only shook her head and smiled
again.
Wellthat day passed, and the next,
and all the time the sun dldnot show his
face. The clouds hung heavy and black
and dark came early, and weatherwise
Joe, with his nose against the window
pane, prophesied a storm.
II hope 'twon't come, though till IA
ther and mother are home" said he.
It did, however. When the children
awoke next morning the snow was fall
ling fast and steadily in large flakes. 1t
had grown very much colder, too, in
the night. Poor little Joe's teeth chat
tered sp%itefully Eel after he had raked
open the bed of Goals in the fireplace
and built a roaring fire. The wind
came up with the sun; it whistled and
raved along the bleak river shore in a
way that set the timbers of the old
house to creaking dolefully.
81 don't believe they'll come to-
night" said Joe, when dark began to
fall.
"Won't they. Charly?"
"Oh, Charly, won't emp"
"Doyou s'pose o wolf chased father
an motber?"asked Joe, with a dismal
quaver, breaking in upon the narrative
of the "Tiny Pig"
"a wolf eonldn't catch our Dolly"
said Dean, quickly. "She's too smart
and big"
Charly laughted. For the world she
would not have acknowledged that such
a possibility had occurred to her own
mind.
ITS the storm that keeps them" she
said, cheerily. ''It's a dreadful storm,
you know. They'll be here tomorrow
i knowthey will"
But tomorrow came and went-a
long, dreary, freezing day, and the
fifth morning dawned. How bitter
ly cold it wasr and how the wind
whistled' through and through the
house! The storm had ceased, but of this
the children could not be sure, since the
windows were banked with snow, and
when Joe tried to open the outer door
a white wall repealed him. Their store
of provisions, too, was nearly exhausted,
and that seemed worse than all the rest,
until Joe came in from the entry with
his arms full of wood and his eyes fall
of tears.
"That's every bit there is" ne qua
vered. ooh, Charly, why don't father
Gomez"
"He will, "said Charly, with a brave,
bright smile, though her heart was like
lead. Now. We'll be real saving of
this wood. and only Put on one stick at
q time"
Oh, how cold the room ~grew-colder
and colder, while time dragged Oh. and
those last sticks were burning slowly
away. They ate their last bits of
bread them. and because Charly
said she could not eat, there was
o very little more for Emmy and Dean
and Joe.
But Joe, though he looked wistfully
at the frozen morsels, was struck with a
sudden recollection. "You didn' eat
any breakfast, Charly, nor n last
night, because your head ached. Amt
you hungrv?"
"Nevermind," said Charly, cheerily.
"lll eat enough when they come home"
The bread disappeared then to tho
last crumb..
I'm awfnl hungry yet" said Joe.
$50 am L. echoed Dean with a pitt
full pucker,. ''and I'm awful cold"
CIarly Rugged Emmy tighter and
looked around.
There Were the chairs-stout oaken
ones.
"C>n't you break up q chair, Joey?'
she asked.
But he couldn't though he tried man
fully-poor little Joe-with tears stand
ing on his cheeks.
Never mind" said Charly again.
And then the forlorn little group, hnd-
died together over the dying fire.. How
cold it vast and how the wind rocked
the old house and blew it's freezing
breath in through every chink!.
I'm s'eepy," murmured Emmy.
drowsily. Charly looked at her in sud
den terror. She had been sobbing with
cold and hunger, and now her baby
face looked pinched and her hands
blue with cold. But the golden head
dropped heavy against Charly's arm
and Emmy never went to sleep at this
time in the day. A dull red coal wink
ed anonG tho ashes Eharly 50 W # ard