Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-27

And the stormy February afternoon
darkened. into snowy nightfall, and
Debby gazed wistfully down the road,
ESDSedtins ,,2,se Why her oyer had not re-
"He has had time to go to Marshall
Hills and back twice.. she said TO her
self. p H
"Itis strange said Mr., Frott. "Isa-
iah alu,t one to loiter, in general"
"Didn,t j tell you so ?n said Mrs.
Trott. You'll never see Isaiah nor the
money again." 80
And when 0 o'clock came Mr.. Trott
put the horse into the old-fashioned
red cutter, and climbed resolutely on
the seat. + " 81.
lame OF. not lame" said yhe. "old
Whltefoot has got to take me over to
Marshall Hills tonight" -
"It's no use,n said Mrs. Trott, dryly.
'You'll find the bird has flown. He
can pick. up a foolish girl anywhere,
but $50 bills amt so easy to get at"
Father, can't / go, to? ?" piteously
urged Deborah, stung to the quick by
every malicious word and accent of her
mother.
''No, daughter, no." said Mr.. Trott.
81 won't be long. And you're best off
at home.n no .Ifrsr
He drove away into the white veil of
flying snow, the bells ringing with a
muffied sound, and old Whitefoot's
breath rising in column Of steam
through the uncertain darkness.
isaiah ?" said stout old Marshall
HILL" "Of course he's been here. Paid
k.A sx.k -. I'D
1 gave him receipt four good hours
ago. Amt he got home yet?n.
And Thomas Trott scrambled once
more into the sleigh and drove rapidly
away. .. ........-......-,,5
Upon dreary side hill, where to the
left a steep precipice extended almost
perpendicularly downward, and fir
clothed slope seemed 70 reach upward
to the right, old Whitefoot stopped
suddenly. Thomas Trott caughtup his
whip with energy.
"That's the second time you've done
| IL, old fellow ~ cried he. "YOu SHE'D
| lust so when we came up BEFORE"
But all in vain the whip descended.
Whitefoot stood with bristling name
distended nostrils, and four feet firmly
implanted in the snow, obstinately re
fusing to proceed.
81 declare, ;" cried the farmer, scratch
ling his puzzled head, ''if were be
Hever in such things should amos
4 think Whitefoot saw ghost"
At that moment there came lull il
the storm and tempest, and as Farmel
Trott sat there he heard a groan.
"It amt the old pine tree creaking,
said he, "nor yet 1t amt the wind. IT.
something human"
4 And straining his eyes through tn
ow-illuminated darkness, he saw |
figure crouched In crevice of rocl
half way down the steep precipice
clinging to cluster of stunted savii
bushes.
"Helpw it cried, feebly. "Help
help ~ ...-. t.... /.
"Bless me !' said Farmer Trott, sit
our Isaiah ~
And so it was. Plodding homewar
from his errand, his foot had slipped i
the storm and darkness, and fallin
half way down the hill, he had broke
his leg and badly bruised himself, onl
escaping from q still more disastrou
fate by holding desperately to the savi
roots. .....-. .... ..,a
II don't know what I should hav
done if you had not heard my voice,
said he. "I could not have held o
much longer" '.'
"And you may thank old Whitefot
for that" said Mr.. Trott, as he helpe
, Isaiah into the sleigh. "He'd a-stol
ped on the way down III would hay
let him." .....
So Isaiah Blackburn reached the oil
farmhouse safely at last, where Debb
and her mother were anxiously sittin
up, and told his tale.
: Mrs. Trott burst into tears.
, "Isaiah," said she, ~ spoke evil (
you, and Pm sorry for it !"
And Deborah's blue, tear-wet ey
), spoke all that was needed on her par
! They were married In the early sprir
and Isaiah rented half of the Tro
:. farm, and lives in the wing of the o
house, a select tenement of threef room
with his blue-eyed wife. AE
u ,''I& do believe, Debby," Gays b
|, mother, "you've got the best husbar
u in the world ~ .
And Debby, playfully parodying h
!. mother. says
Didn't tell you so?''
.