The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-07-06
"yes 7 saw T. " wa, the mee,, response.

you suppose nave 10 10 WlUn uninBS uhuo
so into the paperl"
80. YOU don't care. You're like that
worthless brother of yours; If you were a
boy, you'd desert 1ne like him-thats all
you care about your father"
He was in grumbling mood to-day and
did not spare the patient slave who served
him. She would not allow, however, the
allusion to the boy who, four years ago had
gone forth with mothers blessing, to seek
an honorable livelihood.
What has Will donen she asked, hotly.
"To be sure, he has never come back, but
he has sent you money and will some day
come to us. But never mind, dinner is
ready
She saw that he was waited on, and then
went to the window. Far down in the town
she could see the people thronging church
ward, for the special Easter services had
been widely advertised and the churches
would be crowded. The sky was covered
with gray, misty cloud that was drifting
swiftly to the southwark She listened to
the gusts of wind that shook the building,
and she thought of the blizzard that the dis
patch had said was coming
"rm goin' down town, Madge," said her
father as he rises from the table.
'Stay with me-" she pleads, but slam OF
the door is all the answer she receives
1t was a long and dreary Easter The
biting north wind grew tiercer and wilder.
At three o'clock the snow commenced fall
ing Notin large feathery flakes as in we'll
regulated Eastern skies, but in tiny, icy PAR
ticles that pierced the skin of the Traveller
exposed to them. The storm howled on, and
by five, when Madge saw her father come
unsteadily around the corner of the house,
on his way home from favorite lounging
,,-l,nr n hnI a
was binding and the cold had almost con-
auered the feeble efforts of the kitchen
stove.
We'll, air We goin to the officel" asked
Haven, in somewhat liquor-weakened
voice.
No; there is no paper on Monday morn
ing. you know replied She compositor.
That's so, forgot about it. It's mighty
cold here; what's the matterH'
The coal is nearly gone Didn't you get
some Yesterday"
Didn't have no money, an now Pm out
of a job, can't get none. Whatn we do,
Madgcn'
IN have my months wages soon, and
then it'll be all right"
II heard somethin' ter-day."
"What was it, fatherf'
"That Horris told on me, so as to get my
job. Said to the compny that was good
for-nothin' an got me discharged. I'll get
even with him, doggon his doggoncd picter,"
and the man clcnched his hands angrily.
Suddenly his face lighted up with strange
expression. ''He comes back tonight from
the Gllch, doesn't he!n he blurted out, and
then went to the door The wind was still
fiercer. and the air was fairly black with
snow The thermometer had been register
ing below zero for two hours, and now was
drawing near to the twenty degree mark.
No church bells could be heard; indeed that
Easter Sunday is to this day remembered
as one upon which no evening services were
held, on account of the terrible storm. Up
from the stream to which the steep banks,
separated from the house by the narrow
wagon road led, came the roar of the waters
as they dashed eastward, as if getting
good Roadway for their long, sluggish jour
ney across the plains to the sea.
''Ill fix him, the girl hoard him mutter
in his half-drunlien frenzy, and then taking
a lantern from the closet he went with it
out into the night
What can he be doing.n she thought and
waited with brcathless anxiety for his re-
turn. 1t was a long time, but when he came
it was without the light ana with buster
ing and blowing that told he had been facing
the storm.
"Where is the lantern, fatheri" she in
quired.
lit went out and had to drop it, to hang
on to myself" he replied with leer.
She not satisfied, ,butcan get no other an
swer: and, as the fire is dying and the bitter
cold is creeping overher flesh, she goes to the
single p-stairs room of the swaying cabin,
where she prepares to sleep, Before doing
so, she peers through the curtainless win
dows. She can see nothing, but she can
feel inc dust.lilSe snow sift against her face
as il is driven through some crcvice in the
wall All is black outside. Just as she is
turning away, however, she thinks she secs
twinkle of light toward the river She
looks again. Yes, surely it is there. Can
traveller be abroad in such n tempest:
Surely not for the light remains still She
puzzles over it moment and then Il thought
comes to her that makes her tremblc.
It is the lantern which her father has
hung out-why. There can be but one an
swcr-to misguide his rival, who must force
his way through the storm tonight and
bring through the mail and stage from the
Gulch Tho light will cause him to turn TO
the right and throw stage driver and horses
over the bank, and send them rolling to u
death plunge in the ice filled river below.
"In his drunken fury Ire is not himself"
mines to undo the crimo which was about
to be committed.
Hastily wrapping a cloak around her
shivcring form, shecreeps back to the lower
room. Her father is sitting before the
stove, apparently broodlng over his coming
revenge AS noiSelessly as possible she
opens the outer door; and though the man
turns and sees her slipping through, she has
vanished i.lto the blackness of the storm be-
fore he can call to her.
In an instant he recognizes her crrand !;
the thought of the slight girlish form bat
tling with the fearful tempest, sends the
blood back from his heart and makes a
sober man of him in "a flash.
He rushes to the door and calls, 'Madgen n'
with all his strength. 1t is of no use. Moth
ing but the wind and the roaring Smoky re-
ply. Putting on his overcoat, which, ragged
as it was, would afford some protection, he
| starts to the rescue He turns the corner of
| the house, and as the blast strikes him, he
is almost driven back But he struggles
on and reaches the spot where he thinks he
left the lantern-nonc is there, nor can he
find trace of the daughter whose body is
somewhere being drifted under the snowy
! covering. Back to the house, reached with
difficulty, he takes his course, and in agony
alternately upbraided himself and mourns
the absent child.
"Bless me, driver but this is hairy sort
of night and the only passenger of the
Red Gulch stage drew his ulster closer
about him and even then shivered little
with the cold.
'Yes, we'd orter hev stopped back yender