Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-09-01

Not coming to breakfast at his usual
hour, Dorothy, after Il time, became
uneasy about him, and after knocking
in vain ut the door Of his room, had
mustered up courage to enter, even at
the risk Of being called an intruder.
In another moment her cries had
summoned Davie to the spot. and to-
gcther they had tried to rcsuscitate the
already ~lifclcss form. He had died rs
he had chosen to live-alone. But he
was mourned by the grateful orphans
whom he had befricndcd at the eleventh
hour. and SO he received. even at that
late period Of time, the same reward
that is generally bestowed upon
one who bears the burden and
the heat of the day-unscItish love.
For that divinest gift Of Heaven to
man is not measured by years: it
springs into the heart at a bound, and
glorilics it with its soul-satisfying
presence.
At last a crisis came. There was
barely cnovgh flour in the barrel for
the supper. The fcathcred p~urycyors
were huddlcd disconsolately in their
tumble-down shelter, trying to keep
themselves from freezing, and most
emphatically ON a strike for better
wages, or rather food, and the wood
pile was ON lis last legs L mean logs,
and crooked ones nj that.
1t was a dolctul enough prospect.
During the twclvcmouth which had
elapsed since Dorothy had come to
Uncle Jonas's door, n striking change
had taken place IN her. she had shot
up tall aud straight. with a lissomc
grace about every movement n would
hardly have looked for in the sa!low
stuntcd-looking child. The blush of
| health gloWcd in her checks, and her
wide brown eyes seemed 10 catch "A
CHEEKY sparkle from every passing
sunbeam.
Even as she looked at Davic ON this
most forlOrn Of all mornings, when
everything seemed nearing its end 4
speak, Of course, Of creature comforts
she could summon u smile to meet
his troubled look.
"Run along, Davic. and cut some
wood, and I'll soonhavc supper ready.
The biggest fire that | can make, too.
shall make the old stove do lis share
towards making us comfortable"
In spite of himself the boy grew sud-
denly iight-hcartcd, and ran of with
the merry whistle sounding shrilly
from his lips. SO magical is the charm
of "A cheerful happy spirit.
lie worked away at the tough old
knots for some time. Then. when
quite a pile of wood lay before him, lac
raised the axe for ~ master stroke to
celebrate the end of his labor, when
suddenly : piece of wood flew up
against his eye, and with n loud cry Of
pain, be threw him'ol down and rolled
upon the ground in his agony.
DOrothy's tender arms were soon
about him, and she helped him into
tho house. She was as white and
trembling as a girl could be, but She
did not faint.
Getting Davic upon the bed, She ran
to the door to see if some one was in
sight, and seeing a child, begged that
she would run for the village doctor
and ask him to come 20 the cottage as
qufckiy as possible.
Then she wet TO Davie and tried to
coax him to let her battle his eve; but
he was still u~nmanagcablc from pain,
III. Da' hci cNcn ''"'u II,
a ha'i-hour PasSco' lheh 'he uoctor
Dorothy looked up expecting to see
the venerable old practitioner who
had tended her uncle through a short
illness he had been attacked by short
y allcl cue ''iic " NV WIN NM out
W hcl sulPl'so anu conS,clha''oh q
SounS'r nan li"u come III ms place
surrey such an ,neAPer'ch'cu per
son co''l' 40 no Soo".
linus ran hcr 'hou@ht buC "heh
Nv "a" ne t"''t 'a''"'' WY WIN
DaVie' ana 'ii't 'ie ilu was wax IN ms
han"S' tho"gh II" lao pec'i lhilloNaoie
|" ncr ~chLFeatlcS' she lcit renewed
ana STARE" OH at ms request IN search
OF some ihcu cioths with when 10
anoa% me wounded eye.
NcFeraI old chests numbered thcdark
ual"Fh',hcu a'ilc' ana IN one 81 th'Ne
uhproMlslng-I"oking rcr'PiaclrS she
commenced her hNii' starting at every
rustic, least Il rat should sally out OF
some noe and lfl&htc" her, Tor Doro-
iiNhad alrnlhlhe weakness even about
those un"ilehdlng lour-iootcd blls OF
Tclyety iur commonly called nice,
u YOU'D never nave invaded the
M HtrIIes OF that D" luilper-f"olh nat