The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-13

ly Oa SuoAAy oA eshA A$AA.A-es
went to sleep at this time in the
day. A dull red coal winked among
the ashes. Charly saw it and
Strengthened Emma up with a little
3 iake.
We'll have funny fire." said
she, with catch in her voice. Bring
the-the box, joey"
"Oh, Charly. no !"
YES" said Charly. II can make
plenty more. Wake up Emma"
And in a minute Emma was wide
awake enough to see tiny bright
blaze upon the hearth. They burn
ed the box first, and then the pretty
carvings one by one. All too soon
they were gone. and there only re-
mained few ashes.
"I'n Just as cold," whispered
Dean. "I'm sleepy. too, Charly."
swell, you shall go to sleep" said
Charly, "and when you wake up l
know they'll be here. But we'll have
some nice fun first. Who wants a
doughnut? ?"
"Oh, Charly Grace, you haven't
got one.'
"Yes, / have," returned Charly,
with a triumphant little laugh. II
saved these out of mine"
She stood Emma on the hearth,
and hobbled as briskly as she could
across the floor, placing two chairs,
one at each end of the room.
"Now, you run a race around these
till say it's enough, and III give
you one apiece. Run just as fast as
you can"
At first the children demurred,
they were SO cramped and tired and
drowsy but the sight of three brown
delicious looking cakes which Char
ly produced from her pocket nerved
them to action. Around and around
the chairs they ran, Joe ahead, En-
ma in the rear, breathing out little
clouds of steam. And Charly laugh
ed and clapped her hands and cheer
ed them on, until at last they stopped
from sheer fatigue, putting like three
little locomotives, and with their
pulses beating in lively way.
Charly hobbled over to the bed.
Get in all of you," she said; then
I'll give you your cakes. | know
they will be here when you wake
up"
She tucked them in warmly and
then she wens back to her chair.
She put the end of her crutches up
on two or three live Goals and blew
them into tiny blaze. Pretty soon,
when she had warmed herself a little,
she would creep in beside Emma.
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 l could"
The words echoed from the walls
of the cold little room, and rang
themselves 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 Emma and Dean and
Joe. But she did not stir.
She sat there still; a little white
figure, with a pair of half burned
crutches at her feet, when less than
an hour later a man with frosty
beard and hair, forced himself thro'
the snow bank at the door. 1t was
Mr.. Grace. alone, for the storm had
rendered the road impossible, and
he had tramped the whole distance
from Dunbar Corners upon snow
shoes. 1t was long walk,no doubt,
and he had been about it two days,
but when he opened the door of his
home he forgot all. In less than a
minute he had made kindling wood
of one of the chairs, and IN another
one or two brisk fire was roaring
on the hearth. and Mr.. Grace in ter
rible fear, was rubbing Charly's
hands and forcing some brandy,
from flask he carried, down her
throat. She opened her eyes pres
emily, and looked up into the kind
face above her in bewildered way.
"Emma-Dean-Joe-are"
"All right" yelled Mr.. Grace
nearly beside himself with delight ;
and then he went down upon his
knees before Charly and cried, 1--WE
are all right, my dear"
And so, indeed they were. have
not space to tell you all that happen
ed-What Mrs. Grace said and did
when she came, a few days later,
with the welcome news that grandma
was better, and heard what Mr..
Grace had already heard from Joe
and Emma and Dean, how the story
was told throughout the settlement
over and over and how Chsrly was
praised on all sides nor of how the
people of Grand Ford, the little viii
lage five miles below, got up a fair
for Charly's benefit. which gave her
enough to take her to DR.. Lester the
very next spring. And though Dr.
Lester could not entirely cure, the
weak little limbs grew so much
stronger and better that she was able
to 60 without crutches, by limping a
very little.
When DR.. Letter, TOO, came to
know who Charly 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 baDk-for Charly.
"She will want to go to school in
little WHILE" said he. Il think she
must study art"
why, what makes every one SO
good to me?" asked Charly with
happy tears ~ didn't do anything"
"Didn't you?" asked Mrs. Grace,
in return, kissing the glad little face
Didn't your"
Tied the Engineer and Burned the
Works.