Wichita eagle., 1890-03-12

s'Crying round the camp soons it's dark
"Reallyr' with his eyes opening wider.
sway they hev Cry like child ter toll
the men out"
do they ever go!'
''Whos"
"Why, the men, wishing this one were
more communicative.
What d they so fors Ter be torn ter
piecesr'
I.addy looked at him moment trying to
extract what might be kernel of truth from
the chat. ''Can / have doughnutsa he
asked then.
'sAn You want" And, helping himself to
that very solid reality, be went out to inves.i-
gate the oxen, the logging roads, the great
frozen lake upon which the logs were hauled
TO be all afloat and ready with the breaking
UP OF the ice in the spring. And then, in less
than no time, he had his skates on and was
out careering over that crystal glare Of ice,
making ''fggery eights," cutting his name
with his heel, doing the outside roll and
speeding away over the long reaches among
the islands with which the great lake was
sprinkled.
1t was light much longer out on the open
ice than in the dim aisles of the woody
places; and delighted and exhilarated with
the glow OF his swift motion, Laddy did not
think anything about time till he saw large
snow flakes dancing all about him, when he
turned and found that the light was only that
of a gray cleaning and chill, damp wind
was blowing in his face with snow storm on
its wings. However, there would be no trouble
eIya ,ol- nd hn r-a,sr fT-f,
against the wind, when all at once the screw
of one of his skates snapped and sent him
tumbling headlong, rolling over and over.
When he had picked himself up and adjusted
the skate again he could not tell in what
direction he had been going, UP or down,
along or across the lake. The shores all looked
alike There were no lights of the camp,
whether hidden by the islands or the project
ing shores, and try as he might to find the
track of his skates he could not, either for
the dim light or the snow that had covered
and was covering it. The gloom was deepen
ing too. When he had skated mile and
still saw no lights of the camp, he was sure
he had been turned about, and he reversed
his motion and went in the other direction.
But still there were no lights-not twinkle
anywhere, and when he hallooed no answer
came but far Off echo.
Well, this would never do, he said; some
one of all these logging paths would lead tc
camp, of course. And he took off his skates
and climbed the shore and went trudging and
whistling along, But still no lights. Well,
hadn't the camp been on the edge of the lakei
He would wind along the edge, then, and
sooner or later he must come to it. Alas! it
began to seem as if it would be later, much
later, rather than soon. And now it was
more than dusky among the trees; he had lost
the broad gleam Of the lake; he had lost the
main logging path along the shore; he did
not know which one Of all the dim openings
was the right one; the snow was bewildering;
it was already Oakland he was lost himself.
He sat down on a fallen log; the snow was
whirlng and floating and falling round him.
Now and again soft bough swept low and
touched his cheek i'll a sort of cold caress. lie
thought he would lie down under the lee OF
the log and stay all night, he was SO tired.
He sat down there and leaned against the
tree. Nothing was of any use In spite OF
himself the tears spurted ferth. He was lost
in the woods. He was going to freeze and
die here. He was going to be buried in the
snow He should never see his darling
mother again. Oh, if he had only taken the
baby up when she reached her hands to him
the other morning!
No; he should never see them again. 1t
was all up with him. He had been a wicked
boy; he must take what came But how
they all must feel; oh, how badly they would
feel Annie would cry fit to break her
heart. His father would forgive him, but
he would declare he never could forgive him
self, and he would be pursued by the sorrow
of it all his life. And his dear, dear, dear
nother-the image Of her pale, sweet face
was too much for him, and he was crying
himself with all his might. And then,
wearied out, and wondering if he should go
to heaven, or where, and if it was very hard
to de-and sending up now prayer for his
safety, and now prayer that they might not
feel too badly at home, all at once, he was
sound asleep, and the great hemlock tree was
bending down its branches heavy with snow
about him, and sheltsring in its kind embrace
the poor, lost, lonely little fellow. When at
last, reused by the commotion about him, the
cry of voices, the blast of horns, the fash of
lanterns, Laddy sleepily opened his eyes again,
he might, indeed, have thought it was heaven,
with some great light glowing on an angels
face, only he knew he deserved nothing of
that Sort In another moment he saw that
il was his mother, and without asking how
she came there he had thrown himself into
her arms.
The facts in the case were that when Laddy
had not returned to the camp, there had been
an alarm given and the whole body of men
had gone out in search parties after him and
Old Peachblow. 1t was one of these parties,
passing in the distance, that had brought him
back from his instant's dream of the wild
ladies an hour or SO before. And his mother
driving down from The upper camp, with
jingle of bells and flashing of sleigh lamps,
just as group of the men had paused, won-
dering at This place not far from the way
side, where for a circle of some dozen yards
in diameter the snow was pretty well trodden
down round the old postofhce tree, the very
circle where poor Laddy had done his
father had stopped aud come
to see what was the cause of the excite
and his mother had presently fol-
lowed and had seen him IN beneath the
great hemlock boughs first of all On, how
sweet and dear his mother was! How warm
her arms were-her face like some lovely,
bright, cold fower Could it be possible
was he found-wgs he going TO see his dear
home once more, and Anne and the baby
His heart beat in his throat with joy He
felt like kneeling down in the snow and
thanking the great Power that had spared
him. And he never noticed the big pea
jacket that had been spread over him, and
from which Old Peachblow was shaking the
snow
''I1l-Tn go to Bowdoin, father" STAN
mered Laddy. you may punish me-
ought to be punished. ''Ill-Il learn tn.
lines Of tie Greek ships by heart, too. I'll
III 20 TO Bowdoir-oaly Just let nee go home
with you first"
~ gueSs he's cured - muftered Old Peach