The Red Cloud chief., 1889-07-05

Nv " lAS W ohS AASSGhCo W
the gusts Of wind that shook the building,
patch had said was coming.
I'm goin' down town, Madge," said her
father as he rises from the table.
Stay with me- she pleads. but . slam Of
the door 10 all the answer she receives.
It Was . long and dreary Easter. The
biting north wind grew fercer and wilder.
At three o'clock the snow commenced fall
ing. Moth large, feathery fakes - in we'll
regulated Eastern skies, bu. in tiny, icy par
ticleA, that pierced TIE skin Of the traveller
exposed to them The storm howled on. and
by i've. when Madge saw her father come
uns.eadily around the corner Of the house,
on his way home from . favorite lounging
place where be had spent the dag, the snow
was binding and the cold had almost con-
quered the feeble efforts Of the kitchen
stove.
well, air ye eoin' to the ofacer asked
Haven, in . somewhat liQuor-weakened
voice.
No: there is no paper on Monday morn
ing. you know replied the compositor.
That's 50. forgot about it. It's mighty
cold here: whats the matterf-
The coal is nearly gone. Didn't you get
some yesterday
Didn't have no money, an now I'm out
Of q job. I can't get none What'u We do,
Nadgef-
III have nv months wages soon, and
then it'll be al right"
Il heard somethin' terday."
What was it, fatherf'
That Horris told on me. 50 as 10 get nv
job. Said TO the comp'ny that I was q good
for-nothiu' an got me discharged. I'll get
wen with him, dozgon hisdoggoned peter
and the MAI clenched his hands angrily.
Suddenly his face lighted up with q strange
expression II comes back tonight from
the Gulch. doesn't her. he blurted out. and
then went 10 the door. The wind Was still
fercer. and the air was fairly black with
snow. The thermometer had been register
ing below zero for two hours, and now was
drawing near 70 the twenty degree mark.
No church bells could be heard; indeed that
Easter Sunday is to this day remembered
as one upon which nc evening services were
held, on account Of the terrible storm. Up
from the stream TO which the steep banks.
separated from the house by III narrow
wagon road LED. came the roar Of the waters
as they dashed eastward. a. if getting a
good Roadway tor their long. sluggish jour
e ACROSS the plains to the sea-
tn TX him. the girl heard him mutter
in his half-druuke1 frenzy, and then taking
a lantern from the closet he went with it
out into the night.
What can he be doingt- she thought. and
waited with b~reathIess anxiety for his re-
turn. 1t was a long time, but when he came
il was without the light and with a buster
ing and blowing that told he had been facing
the storm
..yN-6opo il cha iovSa- fo>hops"s aha in
CURED
1T went out, and I had 20 drop it to hang
on TO myself he replied with . leer.
She IS not satisfied but can get no other an
swer: and. asst fireis dying and the bitter
cold is creeping ovecher flesh. she goes TO the
single upstairs room Of the swaying cabin.
where she prepares 10 sleep Before doing
50. she peers through the curtainless win
dows. Sh can see nothing but she can
feel the dust-like snow sift against her face
as il is driven through some crevice in the
wall All is black outside. Just as she IS
turning away. however, she thinks she sees
a twinkle Of light toward the river She
looks again Yes. surely it is there. Car .
traveller be abroad in such . tempests
Surely not. for the light remains still She
puzzles over il q moment and then . thought
comes TO her that MAKES her tremble.
1t is the lantern which her father has
hung out-why. There can be but one an
swer-to misguide his rival. who must force
his way through the storm tonight and
bring through the mail and stage from the
Guich. The light Will cause him TO turn to
the right and throw stage driver anc horses
over the bank. and send them rolling 70 .
death plunge IN the ice filed river below
In his drunken fury be IS not himself"
she thinks, in excuse Of the deed and deter
mines to undo the crime which was about
to be committed.
Hastily wrapping . cloak around her
shivering form. b creeps back to the lower
room. Her father is sitting before the
stove. apparently broodlng over his coming
revenge. As noiselessly IS possible she
opens the outer door: and though the man
turns and sees her slipping through. she has
vanished into the plackness Of the storm be-
fore he can cal TO her.
In an instant he recognizes her erTand;
the thought Of the slight giriish form bat
Ting with the fearful tempest sends the
blood back from his heart and makes .
sober man Of him in . fash.
He PUSHES to tie door and calls. 'sNadger,
al his strength. II IS Of nc use. Moth
ing but the wind and the roaring Smoky re
ply. Putting on his overcoas, which, ragged
q it Was. would afford some protection he
starts 70 the rescue. He turns the c0rDer Of
the house, and As the blast strikes him. he
il almost driven hack. But hG saru9yles
and reaches the spot where be thinks he
the l~antern-none is there, nor can he
find . trace Of the daughter WHOSE body j.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
dificplsy- be takes his course. aRd in agony
sR'ss.,,sfSTf td,a0urn'
Bless me, driver, but this d q hairy sort
1TEi:E1:--LE taft .sI1