West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-04-10

begun while she Slcptl She rushed 10
the easement, looked out-rather. she
! strovc 20 look out. Ten feet beyond the
pane She could see absolutely nothing
The whole world was white, wild, whirl-
ing.
"A suow-storm" gaspcd Bessie.
But II was no ordinary snow storm that
had blown up. II was the terrific. the
memorable blizzard OF March 12, 1883.
! suddenly she cried out, such fright
cucd, quivcring cry:
"Willie! Baby Wilhcl"
i Quick rs flash she flung heavy old
shawl of her mothers over her head. and
Unattached the kitchen door. The furious
wind tore it from her hold, and dashed
It tercely back against the wall. Vainly
/ she strovc 20 close il behind her. The
snow was driving in, swirling over the
floor. She looscncd the storm door
That, the wind dashed into place lust
after she had made frantic plunge into
the storm. oh, such storm Bessie
had lived on the prairie since she was
! a baby, aud had seen the elements in
their many moods and capriccs. But she
had never seen or imagined anything
like this. From the four quarters of the
earth the wind seemed blowing. The
! snow had not the softncss ono associates
with snow. II was a dense. envelopinp.
[ lmpenetrablo cloud. filed with particles.
| ICY, singing, sharp rs needle points.
The cold was intense. Objects ten feet
away were absolutely indistinguisable.
/ Tent Nay, they were mere shapes AT
! five at three.
From the rear Of the house narrow
wooden sidewalk mu down, past the
barn, past the paddock, toward the
draw"
In that direction fled Bessie. The
shawl was torn from her head. She
held II in her fingers as she ran. She
would need II when she found Willie.
But soon she was of the walk and
laundering along through riffs aud drifts
of binding snow.
Where was the barn} She strained
her eyes TO make out the familiar struc.
ture. II was blotted out An the
world was blottcd ont. She could feel
nothing. see nothing but srow-nothing
Where was the paddock? She was an
swcred by running INTO barrier She
flung out her hands as the shock sent her
recling. Her palms were cruelty la
ccratcd 10y contact wish the barbwirc
which formed the pasture fence. She
knew now where she stood. About two
yards 90 the left began the descent 60
the bluff, in the ravine of which she had
last seen the child she sought Her shawl
wound itself around her body IN IA man
ner which impedcd her progress rs she
stumbled on. She could feel sec was
going down the draw feel, for sight
was useless in such q storm.
The dear little lad il she could only
find himl She imagined him crouchin0
down, trembling, sobbing, frightened
and growing stark aud helpless with
cold.
She tried 10 accelerate her speed-to
rush down the incline. She trippcd.
fel but she was up again in second
and battling on.
Down at last Here, in the hollow
between the prairie slopes, the blizzard
ragged less ficrccly than above.
"Willic!" she called
She could hardly hear her own voice
"Williew she shriekcd
But the wind swept tho word from
her lips, and its sound was soft rs a
sigh.
If she could only sec She put up her
hand aud rubbed her eyes The lashcs
were wet with freezing slcet Her hair
was one stiff, matted mass Her feet
I ached with the sharp, biting cold She
tried TO pray. "Dcar God, Baby Willie!
Oh, dear God, Baby Willicw That was
all she uttered
All at once she stumbled over some
thing something scarlet in the snow.
Eagerly she graspcd il. She dragged il
up 90 her breast. She wrapped, rs best
her cold hands could, the shawl around
IL. Deadt Oh, no, no! She could feel
the shivcring pressure Of the little limbs
as she cuddlcd them 90 her
Oh, for strength 10 reach homcl Or
would they both freeze, and die down
here. and be buried In the suOwl
A heavy burden for her slight arms,
for her freezing hands, the sturdy baby
she carried; "a burden made still hcavier.
by his present semi stupor She grippeG
her numb fingers around him She bent
her head. Beaten, swayed, bufTeted. she
made her way up the hill. She reached
the level. She could not go much farther.
Her hold Of Willie was relaxing. Hc was
slipping from her, OF so she fancicd The
bitter, bitter cold her very heart was
paining with il. Her whole slender, un-
protected body was rackcd with it's
agony.
Was that the house7 Directly before
her something dark had loomcd mp She
tottcred against IL. A haystack AZ its
base she sank exhausted. One step farther
would be simply physical impossibility.
Tighter she wrapped Willie in the shawl,
and held him 90 her Then, with her
back against the haystack, her head
bowed forward, her face hidden, she
crouchcd there in torture, which driftcd
into drowsiness-drowsine that was
deadly as dcliciousi
'sWilliei'
This was the first word she said, en-.
dcavorcd 90 say, when the long.
wretchcd delirium of fever was over at
last. Where was sheY Not ont on the