Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-27

along the bleak river-shore in way that set
the timbers Of the old house TO creakine
dolefully.
II don't believe they'll come tonight, 4"
said Joe, when dark began TO fall.
won't they, Oharly ?"
"Ob, Oharly, won't 'em p
"Do you s'pose a wolf chased father an
mother p asked Joe, with a dismal quaver,
breaking in upon the narrative Of thu. Tiny
Pig"
"A wolf couldn't catch our Dolly" said
Dean, quickly "she's too smart-and big. Z"
Charly laughed For the world she would
not have acknowledged that such a possibili-
" had occurred to her own mind
ITS the storm that keeps them" she said,
cheerily. TITS dreadful storm, you know.
They'll be here to-morrow-I know they
will"
But 10 morrow came and went--a long,
dreary, freezing day, and the fifth morning
dawned. How bitterly cold it was, 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 wiH-
dows we're banked high with snow, and when
Joe tried to open the outer door, a white
wall repelled 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 full OF tears.
"Thsts every bit there is, he qusvered.
"Oh, Oharly, why can't father come 2"
He will" said Charly, with q 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 time"
Oh, how cold the room grew l-colder and
colder while time dragged on, and those last
sticks we're burning slowly away. They ate
their last bits of bread then, and because
Oharly said she could not eat, there was a
very little more for Emmy and Dean and
Joe.
Bot Joe, though he looked wistfuly at the
frozen morsels, was struck with q sudden rec
objection. "You didn't eat any breakfast,
Charly, nor any last night, because your head
ached. Amt you hungry? 2"
Never mind, said Chsrly, cheerily, "Tll
eat enough when they come home"
The bread disappeared then to the last
crumb.
I'm awful hungry yet, said Joe.
Som l." echoed Dean, with Q pitiful
pucker, "And I'm awful cold"
Charly hugged Emmy tighter and looked
around.
There were the chairs-stout oaken ones
Cant you break up q chair, joey 2" she
asked.
But he couldn't, though be tried manfully
poor little Joe-with tears standing on his
cheeks.
''Never mind" said Chsrly again And
then the forlorn little group huddled togeth-
er over the dying FIRE. How cold it was
and how the wind rocked the old house and
blew its freezing breath in through every
chink
I'm sleepy" murmured Emmy, drowsily.
Cbsrly looked at her in sudden terror. She
had been sobbing with cold and hunger, and
nov her baby face looked pinohed and her
hands blue with cold. But the golden head
dropped heavily against Charly's ARMAND
Emmy never went to sleep at this time in the
day. A dull red coal winked among the
ashes. ChRrly saw it, and Strengthened En-
my mp with little shake.
"We'll have q funny fire," said she, with
catch in her voice. Bring the-the box,
joey"
"0h, Charly, no 20
yes" said Charly, II can make plenty
more. Wake up, Emmy"
And in q minute Emmy was wide awake
enough to see q tiny bright blaze upon the
hearth. They burned the box first, and then
the pretty carvings'one by one. All too soon
they were gone, and there only remained
few ashes.
I'm just as cold," whimpered Dean.
I'm sleep, too, ChArly."
well, you shall go to Sleep" said Charly;
land when you wake up know they'll be
here. But we'll have some nice fun first.
Who wants doughnut?"
"Oh, Charly Grace, you haven't got one!"
'Yes, have" returned Chsrly, with tri.
umphAnt little laugh. saved these out of
mine" She stood Emmy on the hearth, and
hobbled as briskly as could be across the
floor, placing two chairs, one at each end of
the room. Nov you run q race around
those till 1 say it's enough" and I'll give you
one apiece. Run just as fast as you can"
At first the children dsmurred, they we're
so cramped and tired and drowsy but the
sight Of three brown, delicious-looking cakes
which Charly produced from her pockets
nerved them to action. Around and around
the chairs they ran, Joe ahead, Emmy in the
rear, breathing out little clouds of steam.
And Charly laughed and clapped her hands
aud cheered them on until at last they stop
ped from sheer fatigue, putting like three
small locomotives, and with their pulses beat.
ing in Q lively way.
ChArly hobbled over to the bed. SECT in,
all Of you" she said then / will give you
your cakes. know they'll be here when
you wake up"
She tucked them in warmly, and then she
went back to her chair. She put the end of
her crutches upon two or three live Goals and
blew them into q tiny blaze. Pretty soon,
when she bad warmed herself a little, she
would creep in beside Emmy. She listened
to the deep regular breathing from the bed.
They are going to sleep" she murmured.
i've done the best could-the best could"
The words echoed from the walls of the
cold little room, and rang themselves over
and over and over in her brain. How warm
the place was growing, and how dark She
thought she would crawl over to the bed and
get in with Emmy and Dean and Joe. But
she did not stir.
She sat there still, a white little figure,
with q pair Of half burned crutches at her
feet, when less than an hour later a man with
frosty beard and hair forced himself through
the snow-bank at the door. 1t was Mr..
Grace alone, for the storm had rendered the
roads impossible, and he had tramped the
whole distance from Dunbar Corner upon
snow-shoes 1t was long, wearying walk,
no doubt, and he had been about it two days.
But when he opened the door of his home he
forgot it all. 10 less than q minute he had
made kindling wood Of one of the chairs,
and in another one or two q brisk fire was
roaring on the hearth, and Mr.. Grace in ter
rible fear. was rubbing Charly's hands and
forcing some brandy from the little flask he
carried down her throat. She opened her
eyes presently, and looked up into the kind
"Emmy-Dean-Joe-a
can right-All right" yelled Mr.. Grace,
nearly beside himself with delight and then
he went down upon his knees before Charly
and cried, 'We're all right, my dear"
And SO, indeed, they were. l haven't
space to tell you all that happened-what
Mrs. Grace said and did when she came, a
few days later, with the welcome news that
grAndmRmma was better and heard what Mr..
Grace had already heard from Joe and EN-
my and Dean how the story was told
throughout the settlement over and over, and
how Charly was praised on all sides nor of
how the people Of Grand Fork, the little viii
lage five miles below, got up fair for Char
ly's benefit, which gave her enough to take
her to Dr. Lester that very next spring.
And though DR.. Lester could not entirely
cure her, the weak little limbs grew so much
stronger and better that she was able to walk
without crutches by hmping a very little
When DR.. Lester, too, came to know who
Oharly was, for the story OF that winters day
had already reached his ears, he refused to
take his fee, but, instead, added to the little
roll of bills and put the whole in the bank
for Oharly.
"She will want to go to school in little
WHILE" said he. II think she must study
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