The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1886-12-22
You'd die before you found him such

ped out into the snjw-sO young anu
brave-facing "A storm that would make
the hardest miner finch. The mi
ners looked at each other In blank
amazement but no one could summon
courage sufficient to follow the little
one on her loving Grand. The wind
moaned and howled as before, rs If the
elements were engaged IN "A fierce com
bat, and the snow piled upon the floor
in little pyramids through the cracks
in the door The game was resumed
aud presently Nellie was entirely for
gotten.
Out into the fierce storm and cutting
wind the little form intruded, and the
door closed behind, leaving her To the
mercy of the nOrther. fearful gust
Of snow and wind enveloped her, and
almost blinded her ia its fierce EN-
! brace. She drew her garments close
around her and bravely faced the pierre
ing blast and started on her return
home from fruitless search after papa
and Santa Claus.
Nellie and her father lived alone in
an abode down in the gulch, which was
more cave than anything else. II
was "A rude room in the side of hill,
partly earth, with tolerably respecta-
BILE front entrance and very comforta-
BILE inside, Notwithstanding its income
~ appearance. There was fireplace
in the room, but IL wasn't quite 80 pref
" ard finely decorai ed as some fire
places are. II was simply large round
hole scooped out in the wall, with
rugged fiue cut through the earth to
the surface OF the ground above, to lead
the smoke out. But 1t was Jeb Pear
sons home and IL suited him, and that
was sufficient.
1t was this very afternoon that Jeb
had been amusing Nellie by holding
/ her on his knee and telling her stories
and explaining to her how the tabled
Santa Claus came down the chimney
on Christmas 4 We, with IA great load of
toys and trinkets numbering at his back
for presents to all good children. And
then Nellie asked her papa il he thought
| Santa Claus would come to visit her
this Christmas Eve. Now it happened
that Jeb had never made Nellie a
Christmas present in all his life, nor had
she ever heard the story of Santa Claus
before, and the thought instantly came
into his head that he would buy her n
nice present and mysteriously convey
| it into the house and thereby illustrate
his story, which Nellie believed in eve
ry particular.
"les, Nellie, Santa Claus will come
Tonight" said Jeb, "but / must go up
to the store first and see him and tell
him where we live, 40 he will know
where TO come"
Aud after Jeb had gone Nellie
thought she would just 20 up town and
meet her papa and Santa Claus and
show them the way to the front door
and save him the trouble of climbing,
down the chimney, which seemed to
her like very unnecessary entrance
when there was door SO handy.
Her faith IN her fathers words had
never relaxed particle, and she was
anxious to heat Santa Claus to her cave
home In the side of The hill. She plod-
ded along slowly, but the storm in
creased so In violence and the wind and
flying particles were so binding that
she finally sank to the ground over
come with the cold, aud her little heart
gave great throb rs she realized that
she was lost in this awful storm. She
called, but nobody answered, and pres
emily something came gallopine
through the snow to her side. IL was
her dog Sampson, and she knew she
? was not far from home. She rose tC
| her feet and with Sampson rs guide
| soon reached her home.
Then she went In and sat down by
the large fireplace and the glowing
D heat soon dispeled her cold and numb
5 ness. She sat with her face In her IT.
tie hands, unconsciously gazing at thu
glowing Goals and her mind buried In
thought. She was wondering wher
I papa would come, and what SAINTS
: Claus would bring her, and thinking II
8 bright anticipation Of all kinds OF mic,
: presents. She sat this way lonl
0 while, and she almost got impatient II
I dreaming without the reality appear
o ing. After awhile sleepy drOwsines
e came over the little body, and the eye
lids would languidly close now aud thel
;, in spite of her efforts to keep awake
n Everything was still AS death within
e but the storm outside had not abate
u any in violence and still continued il
" sullen roar and sweeping surge.
r. Presently small lump of snow cam
b tumbling down the chimney and fe
P, on the fire at Nellie's feet, and II
Y, steaming and kissing awoke her fror
Y. her dreaming to sense of her SUI
It roundings. Nellie jumped to her fee
1t but the snow had scarcely touched III
fire when rumbling noise was hear
'e up the chimney, followed by anoth'
/, discharge Of dirt and snow, which ev
he IDENTIFY preceded the coming of lars
% body Of something. Then there W,
er another cloud of snow, suppresse
ID grunt as of human being, an uneartl
a ly rattle of curious sound, and almo
~ before Nellie could realize what ha
happened a grotesque body resemblir
Id human, all covered with snow and ic
" tumbled down into the fireplace amoi
Up the Goals and ashes aud scrambled III
I'd into the room, scattering a lot of to.
he and trinkets on the floor. The gre
H. burly figure shook itself like gre
ne big bear, and u shower of sparklil
A