Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-05-17
"A DAKOTA HEROINE.

away the frost Hes han'some feller;
Jest come hyer an
The gaunt woman turned round and saw
her companion leaning with a white face
and closed eyes against the rude wall Of the
| house
| "Nance, Nance Martini what's the mat
ter with your ! do believe-yss. I know
you're in love, you in love with that ham
some Mr.. Pemberton. an he Jest goin TO
Ten Mile to get marr'd. You In love
huh, huh, huhl an aspirin too high"
The woman's harsh laughter echoed
through the room.
In the early afternoon a dark cloud rose
out of the glistening horizon in the north
west, and shivering gust ofwind skurried
over the plain, driving an occasional fake
Vt snow.
The cloud rose higher and grew darker,
| The flakes increased, and inside OF 80 minutes
q perfect gale was blowing and the air
no thick with snow that IL was impos-
sible for Nance. standing a moment at the
| door, TO see IS feet from the house. The cold
| was intense. and the wind seemed 70 bite
| one 10 the very marrow.
III that Mr.. Pemberton ever tries to git
back here IN this storm" said Nick Mallory,
the worst blizzard ever saw"
Upstairs in her cold, cheerless room,
Nance Martin heard these words. A vague,
choking sensation came into the poor girls
throat
"Oh, save him, God save him-save 'em
bothp' she muttered, clutching her rough
hands together and peering out into the
driving snow.
How had this friendless girl come to
treasure love beyond her stationi How
could she have been so indiscreet as TO yield
up to her wild fancy her whole heartt Who
forges these chains of love, soft as gossa,
mer, strong as ironi Not men, nor women.
All that Nance could realize was this-she
loved hopelessly, unwisely, but with her
very soul And she sat there for hours, walt
ing and praying for him to come in safety.
At last there was a sound of bells through
the storm, faint and far away, but caught
by the girls quick ear. She threw open
her window and leaned breatblessly out.
Nearer, nearer came the jingling sounds,
and finally up TO the very door of the house
out of the flying snow came horse, and
Nance's heart grew faint within her. The
horse drew no sleigh, but hanging TO scrap
of harness trailed pair OF broken thills.
Evidently the animal had run away. And
where was emberton-Pemberton and his
bridei
Nance Martin could draw but one infer
ence. They had started back, had met with
an accident and were now, beyond doubt,
alone on the prairie In the snow and cold.
What should she dor
She crouched at the window moment
with her head in her hand. Then she got
up. equal 10 the task which she had de-
cided in her mind it was her duty to per
form.
Hastily wrapping herself In an old shawl
and drawing mittens on her hands and
knitted scarf about her face and ears Nance
Martin all unnoticed crept from the house.
IL took her a long time to And the stable
30 long that the cold had pierced and be-
numbed her before she reached 1t. Every
moment to her was precious With aching
fingers she bridled one Of the startled horses,
led it from the barn, mounted and forced
her way out into the storm.
Nance could see only few feet in either
direction. The snow was falling thicker
and faster, the cold was growing more In
tense to her poorly protected body, but still
she forced her way blindly on In the direc-
ton of Ten Mile.
She could not hope c<accomplish much,
but she wildly thought that instinct would
guide her-that her love and her will would
open way. They did open way. 1t was
the way of all life-her path to liberty and
pesGemt5s ssot.r reward of hhOpeleH' love and
The storm broke away In the night. Morn
ing brought the morning sun, glorious and
bright above the sparkling horizon.
Toward noon as Sis Garfield rubbed the
frost from the window and looked out over
the snow she saw two sleighs driving rap
idly toward the house.
"As live" she cried, "there's Mr.. Penn
berton, and the woman with him must be
his wife. Huhl / don't see nothin excep-
tionally fine bout her. An there's Nick In
the back sleigh. What has he got In front
Of him there' swan, blieve It's wom-
an-why, it's Nancei It's"-
The sleighs came to stop. Mr.. Pember-
ton lifted his wife out and brought her into
the house, and then he and Nick tenderly
carried Nance Martin back into the place
where she used to exist-not live.
No, 1t was not Nance Martin. That long,
black hair, frozen into a mat Of ice and
snow, those staring eyes, those frost COW
cred hands-that was not Nance Martin.
But Sis Garfield thought so.
FOR the land sakes, how did 1t happenw
she asked.
'The horse broke away yesterday at Ten
Mile and started for home" said Mr.. Penn
berton sadly. my wife and I secured an
other sleigh and came on this morning.
Half way on our journey we found our
broken cutter and In IL was"--
Hewaved his hand toward the room where
that still form was lying and turned away
his head.
" came up just then," said Nick. "Her
horse came back this morning. eho was
stone dead Started out to find Mr.. and
Mrs Pemberton, reckon, an she'd found
'em, too, If they'd been there"
No tears could come to the cold, hard
lyes OF Sis Garfield, but in the other room
Mr.. Pemberton found his bride kneeling
and weeping by the icy form Of one who In
life had said there would be none to shed a
tear when that life was ended.
All, WE'LL IL one has not noble deed for
monument, 'twere vain to erect marble