The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-13


window frames. Only the clstter of
milk-paiIs piled outside the door.
Slam? Bang!
Bessie sprang from the rocker.
Erect she stood, dazed, bewildered
still half asleep. 4 shutter had
been blown Violently aEsinst the win
dow. Had storm begun while she
slepti She rushed to the casemert,
looked out-rsther, she strove to
look out. Ten feet beyond the pane
she could sec absolutely nothing
TIE whole world was white, Wild,
whirIng.
"a snow-storm :" gasped Bessie.
But it was no ordinary snow-storm
that had blown up, 1t was the ter>
rife, the memorable blizzard Of
March y, 1888.
Suddenly she cried out. such q
frightened, qulsering cry:
"WiiLia! Baby Willis /"
Quick as 1'sh she flung q heavy
old shawl Of Ler mothers oyer her
head, and unlatched the kitchen
door. The furious wind tore it from
her hold, and dashed it fercely back
against the wall, Vainly she strove
to close it behind her. The snow
was driving in, 9wirling over the
floor. She lO0sened the stOrm.doOr.
That, the wini dashed luto place
just after she hal made a frantic
plu0ge into the storm. On, such a
storm Bessie had lived on the
prairie since she was a baby, and
seen the elements in their many
moods and caprices. Bat she had
never seen or imagined anything like
this. From the four quarters Of the
earth the wind seemed blowing. The
snow had rot the sOrtness one as
sOciates with snow. 1t was a dense,
enveloping. impenetrabIe cload, fills
ed with PARTICLES, ICY, singing, sharp
as needle points. The cold was in
tense. Objects ten feet away were
absolutely indistingLishable. Ten?
Nay, they were mere shapes at five
at three,
From the rear Of the house 4 mar,
TOW wooden sidewalk ran down, past
the harm, past the paddock. towards
the "draw.'
In that direction fed Bessie. The
shawl was torn from her head. She
held it in her fingers as she ran.
She would need it when she found
Willie. But soon she was Off the
walk, and foanderi1g along through
riffs and drifts Of binding snow.
Where was the barn? She strain
ed her eyes to make out the familiar
structure. it was blotted out. All
the world was blOtted out. She could
feel nothing see nothing but snow
nothing. Where was the paddock?
She was answered by running into a
barrier. She flung ont her hands as
the shock sent her reeliDg. Her
palms were cruelty laCerated by con.
tact with the barbwire which formed
the pasture fence. She knew now
where she stood. About two yards
to the left began the descent of the
bluf, 10 the ravine Of which she had
last seen the child she sought. Her
shawl wound itself around her body
in a manner which impeGed her pro-
ggess, as she stumbled oD. She
could feel she was going down the
''draw;" feel, for sight was useless
in such a storm.
The dear little lad! if she could
only find him! She imagined him
crouching down, trembling, sobbing,
frightened and growing stark aud
helpless with cold.
She tried to accelerate her speed
to rush down the incline. She
trippei, fell; but she was up again
in q second and battliag on,
Down at last Here, in the hollow
between the prairie slopes, the biz,
z2rd rsgcd less fercely than above.
Wiliier' she called.
She could hardly hear her own
voice
"Wihe - she shrieked.
But the wind swept the word from
her lips, and its sound was soft as 9
sigh.
If she could only set. She ru: up
her hand and rubbed Ter eyes The
lashcs were wet with freezing sIeet.
Her hair was ore stiff, matted mass.
Her feet ached with the sharp. bit
ing cold. She tried to pray. Dear
God Baby Willie! Oh. dear God,
Baby WrlIre!" That was all she
uttered.
All at once she stumbled over