Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-04

e his armS, While outside the house
ths wild beasts howled hoarsely.
SDays passed and grew into weeks
The child lived and grew strong. but
the father faded and dropped. The
scanty store of provisions was nearly
exhausted; only the milk-he hoarded
it as the miser boards his gold. to pre-
serve the frail life which was his only
hope on earth
With a trembling hand Joe Chester
wrote a full account of the tragic
events, and left the paper where il
would be easily discovered: for well
he knew that his own time was short.
The pangs OF hunger were already
racifnc his frame; but the child lived
and grew rosy and strong shut up in
that dismal prison: n veritable Eidel-
weiss growing upon the rock-bound
soil amid the cleaning SHOWS of the
Yellowstone.
Three weeks after Mary Chcster's
Joe lifted the dccaying body in his
arms one day and bore it 10 the door
Of the house. 1t mnsf be given burial
it must be hidden away out OF sight
With trembling hands he scooped
deep. dark pit in the snow-1riffs AT the
door-close 10 the door. for he could so
no farther: tender,y and reverently he
laid the body down and covered il with
a snowy blanket, there 10 lie until
spring and human relief should come
Then he went back TO his lonely
hearth and deSolatc shelter. How hor-
rihls il was 10 lie awake in the long.
long, seemingly endless nights and
fancy that he could hear the sound Of
her footsteps. the beating of her cold
hands against the barred door, the
sad sweet voice calling softly.
-Jce,-Ioe, my huShand-lcr me in,l
II is cold in the ground, and dreary-
Let me in
And often he would start from his
bed in the dreary hours Of The night
watches and creep TO the door. unbar
ii. and peer on; into the snow-clad
night
Nothins-no one: only the dismal
howl OF the beast Of prey. coming
nesre--acarer Closing the door he
would go back TO bed and the warm
cempanionship of his little child.
But the end came ar last. and Joe
Chester. literally starving, lay down
TO die. Beside him he placed the writ
ten paper which told all, and indicated
the spot where his wife's body could be
found.
One morning the gray light Of day
struggled in at the frost covered win
uteW VI h
dead man and living child. Who
would find the little one: Must it. too,
perish:
What spirit ever possessed Dave Nc
Cutcheon. the driver Of the famous
Yellowstone Park stage. 10 make
visit TO the deserted hotel no one can
tell He declared that it was spirit
that led his footsteps thither. But,
after a long and dangerous journey
upon snow-shoes- the dashing. advent
urous stage-driver made his appearance
at the deserted building. and was al
mast paralyzed TO hear the sound Of 4
child's voice scfeaming Justify
II was the work of few moments
TO effect an entrance into the house.
and there the horrible truth was soon
learned
The child was fed and rescued Joe's
body buried temporarily. to he re-
moved in Inc spring time. together with
Marys. to 4 green and sunny slope,
where they now lie. side by side await
ing the resurrection.
And the child? Dawes big loving
heart expanded and took in the little
orphan-the child of the only woman
he had ever loved. Henceforth she
was his, to have and 10 hold. He chris
tened her Edelweiss, but as often as
rot he calls her. with tender kisses
and caresses, Dawes Little Snow
Drop