Wichita eagle., 1888-07-06

| cheering his mother with hopeful words
until the reluctant blood began to flow,
and faint color, such as heralds COM
ing dawn, flushed the pale face upon the
pillow. But Mrs. Finn knew that the
crisis was not yet passed.
Whisper, Mickey" said she, closing
the bedroom door softly behind her. Plac-
! ing her rough, red hands upon his shoul-
ders, she told him to look into her fsce.
And there they stood in that darkened
room, looking into each others eyes with
the freight throwing its fickering
shadows over them. Whisper: Dye
think could We get tn docthe12 He's
cowld around his heart yet, and he'll die
agin tn mornin' if tn docther's not here
wild his drugsp
''Yis, mother, yis. I'll git him." said
little Mike, simply, the color on his face
deepening and his heart beating wild
tattoo against his ribs.
''Now, quick! put On yer fathers boots,
wrap this shawl round yer shoulders, put
on yer fathers gloves, an'-an' Mrs
Firms voice trembled) ''God be wild ye.
me b'yr
Mrs. Finn stopped down and kissed her
son. She pressed him to her heasing
bosom in an embrace which was so close
that he gasped for breath. Then he went
out into the night and the door was shut.
Mickey stepped into a snowdrift up to
his neck when be left the stoop. as he
foundered out of this fieecy quicksand he
rounded the corner Of the shanty and was
banged against the fence, stunned and
breathless. How he got into the road he
never knew. Here the wind had car
romed down from the Catskills and swept
the road as clean as barn floor after
threshing. But that awful gale beat
upon him like hail of carpet tacks. It
stung his flesh even through his trousers
But Mickey set his teeth together hard
and zigzasged up the old point road like
a vessel beating in head wind until
he reached the shelter of a friendly hill.
Eere he encountered the snowdrifts
again. They rose before him like success.
sive escarpments. He scaled those packed
hard by the wind. He struggled through
others like Efeboat through the pillows
When he reached the doctors door he
was so nearly exhausted that he could
only reach the bell by crawling on his
hands and knees. He jerlzed the bell cord
so vigorously that the bell rang like fire
alarm through the silent halls. Then he
listened. For five minutes there were no
sounds of life in the house. Then lamp
twinkled at tho head of the stairway,
which he could see as he peered through
the keyhole. There was patter of slip
pered feet in the hallway. The big door
swung open and the vicious wind dashed
in and blew out the light.
who's thereY" said voice.
"Its me, was the reply.
"Who's mef''
mickey Finn"
"Why, my little fellow, what are you
doing out on such an awful night as this?'
said the doctor, as he closed the door be-
hind the snow boy who entered.
Mickey couldn't reply at first, he shivered
SO. Besides, his eyelids were fringed with
ice work, and mask of ice was over his
face. There was big lump in his throat, |
too, as he stammered out:
"M-m-m-e fader's d-d-dyin', sir. Az
would ye come?'
Mickey brushed the ice from his lashes
and looked at the doctor with his soul in /
his big brown eyes. The physicians eyes
grew moist as he gazed upon that eager |
face, but outside he heard the throbbing |
and the bowling of the tempest. He hesi-
tated
Couldn't you wait till morning,
Mickey"
''No, sir; me faderu be dead agin tn
mornin', av yez don't come, sir"
The doctor looked again at the patient,
figure before him, with its
frozen ears standing out whitley on either
side of the head, with its shoulders COW
cred with thin Paisley shawl and con-
trasted his big brawny figure with that
of the lad before him. Then he said;
"Yes, Mickey, I'll go"
The doctor drew on his rubber boots.
He muffied his neck with shawl His
hands were encased in sealskin gloves.
Before they went ont, however, the doc
tor made Mickey drink two cups of hot
coffee, which the boy swallowed at a gulp,
so anxious was he to return. How they
reached the shanty the doctor has never
been able to tell clearly. He only knows
now that the boy was always ahead and
ever shouting encouragement.
Day was breaking when they reached
the shanty and tumbled inside, accom-
panied by an avalanche of snow. The
doctor had arrived in the nick of time. BY
the aid of powerful stimulants Mr.. Finn
was brought up out of the shadows, and
at s o'clock was pronounced out Of imne-
diate danger. /
When Mrs Finn and her son heard
these glad tidings they had another hug 4
ying match in the kitchen, while the doc
tor looked smilingly on. As none of his
could be reached to whom he
could impart the joyful news, Mickey re-
paired to the cellar 70 inform the billy.
This grim, silent, bold fellow had been
standing at the cellar door all night long
ng for his liberty As Mickey advanced
.oward him with caressing hands the goat
reared on ms hlnd legs and
When Mickey re-entered the shanty q
lew minutes later his ears were full Of
snow and there was cash IN the knee of
ais trousers.
A look OF indignation came into Mrs. :
FGnns face. She said;
THAT black divvle's at his ould tricks
Fid his wicked horns. Mickey, where's
n ax?"
The sun kissed the King Pine, the south {
wind breathed gently upon him, and his {
-oice was as soft as the doves when il
,oos for its mate.-New York Evening I
sun. :
Of PlanYav