Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-12-22

strength gave way. Then, trembling
and exhausted, she crept along the
building to the front door and STUN
bling inside fell an inert mass upon
the floor.
Teachers dead teachers dead !"
screamed one of the little girls, where
at there was a general outcry which
had the effect of arousing Sally sufli-
GENTLY to reassure the children. Two
of the biggest boys helped her to
chair near the stove, where, after rest
ing few minutes, the frozen snow be-
gan to dissolve and for the first time
since leaving the building she could
open her eyes.
Four, 5, 6 o'clock came and passed
without any cessation to the raging
blizzard. To entertain her charges
Sally had recounted every story she
knew and had invented all sorts of
games for their amusement, but now
their hunger asserted itself and they
refused to be pacified.
To add to her distress the supply of
oil in the lamps gave out, plunging
the room into utter darkness save for
n thin CLEAN of light that forced its
way through crack in the door of the
stove. Prior to this misfortune Sally
had made the children spread their
outer wraps on the floor around the
fire, on which she bade them lie down,
then taking the youngest girl in her
arms she sat in her swivel chair and
IN her sweet contralto voice soothed
them with simple melodies until the
tired, hungry young ones forgot their
sorrows in sleep.
Brave little woman! A dozen lives
depending on her fortitude and good
sense, she had managed so far to pre-
serve her charges from harm, but she
dreaded the morning, when, awakened
from their slumbers, their rebellious
stomachs would crave nourishment.
Her only hope lay in the storm abat
ing, when help would surely arrive,
for she realized how great must be the
anxiety of the parents for the safety
of their children.
Relieved of the necessity Of enter
tanning her scholars, Sally's thoughts
reverted to Joe, and the girl wondered
if he were safe from the storm. After
settling this problem satisfactorily in
her own mind she began series of in
ward self-questioning something after
this fashion,
Did she like him? Yes she felt sure
of that. Better than anybody else?
Than Jim Carleton, for instance, or
Dick Staples? Yes, better than either
of those two. Did he like her? She
knew he did Did he love her? She
closed her eyes, let her lips rest upon
the curly locks of the sleeping child in
her lap, while n blushing smile stole
across her face. Did she love him?
Love! What was that? To leave
home, father, mother, and give her
self entirely and unreservedly to him.
All she did not know she could not
tell the question was too hard to an
swer.
AT that moment Sally heard the
whinny of horse and the next instant
came voice from the storm calling in
unmistakable accents, "Sally! Sally
let me in, let me in !"
Did she love him? Like flash the
problem was solved. She knew by the
glad leap of her pulses, the yearning
of heart, the outpouring of her whole
being to the man whose voice she heard
that she would willingly go with him
anywhere he beckoned-to the end of
the world if necessary.
Placing the sleeping child on the
floor she felt her way to the door, and
the next minute WAS folded in the arms
of her lover.
so, Joe, dear joe" she sobbed,
'Im so glad you came. / knew you
would"
my darling, my darling" was his
response as he drew her to his breast
and kissed her upturned lips, 'then
you do love me?"
Better than life" she whispered as
she led his snowy figure toward the
stove; "but you must be nearly
frozen?"
81 was pretty cold, that's fact, "
returned Joe, 'but not now. | have
forgotten everything else but you"
Fortunately for the schoolma am the
room was dark, or the children, some
of whom had awakened, might y we
told queer story about Miss SallSA y
ing hugged by big man in buffalo
overcoat wearing green goggles. But
they saw nothing and Sally was too
overjoyed to think of repressing her
lovers ardor.
The first transports over, Joe told
his story. The blizzard had caught
him just as he reached the nearest
farmhouse, two miles from the school.
Here he was compelled to remain all
that terrible afternoon and evening,
in an agony of doubt and fear, within
miles two of Sally, yet utterly unable
to render her any assistance. At the
suspicion of II break in the gale he
had thrown blanket over his horse,
placed basket of provisions i'll his
sleigh, furnished by the farmers
thoughtful wife, and disregat ding all
warnings started across the prairie
to the schoolhouse, which he reached
mainly owing to the ssgacity of the
horse he drove.
The storm was still raging, but the
worst was over BY midnight the
stars were out, the air was stilled, the
temperature had risen and only the
deep, billowy snow remained to tell of
the battle of the elements. But long
before that hour Sally had aroused all
the children and supplied each with a
generous portion of the good things