The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-19

coal stove burning until 2, but by noon
! the coal was exhausted, and we were
forced to move into the sitting room.
where we lighted a fire in the small
wood stove. At l o'clock, after an
anxious luncheon, had an inspiration.
1t. came while / was standing wrapped
| in a shawl at the window, looking out
at the gray landscape. The houses
were all sobliterated.
There was nothing to be seen but the
dull grayish swirls of snow with which
all the winds of heaven were playing.
Suddenly, while 1 watched the lonely
| picture, / saw a light shining through
\ the powdery atmosphere. Straining my
eyes, seemed to see the dark outlines
of a shadowy house.
THE blizzard isn't so sad" I said.
Il am beginning to see things
Yes, that's Mrs. Larsen's house."
said Cecilia spiritedly-"the wash
woman, you know. Her house is in the
alley, just back of our house. There,
see. we've lost it. The wind is blowing
the snow the other way now"
Cecilia l said, why couldn't I go
1 to Mrs. Larsen and. ask her to come
up and help US? Or. why couldn't we
both go to her house?"
I'VE couldn't get to her. said Ceci-
liza, lin the first place; and in the sec
ond place, she wouldn't let me in if we
should go. She loathes the sight of
! me-"
"Loathes the sight of you?'' queried.
| yes, I had her wash for me once,
and 1 didn't let her eat with Bob and
me, and she was awfully vexed-quite
/ furious in fact. She left, talking over
her shoulder at me in Norwegian. I
don't understand Norwegian very well,
but one of the things she said was that
some day 1 would have nothing but
my pride to keep me warm. 1t does
seem prophetic, doesn't it? She never
will even look at me, if she sees me,
you know. She nurses her grudge very
tenderly."
Cecilia sighed sneezed, opened the
stove door, and poked in a stick of
wood. Then she closed the draughts
and propounded this social and
economic question:
Would you,'' she asked lin order to
keep the peace with a near nalgh5or
have gone against all vou- tradition
and asked Mrs. Larsen 20 dine with
you?"
Really" / said 81 don't know But
I am inclined to think 1 should have
done as you did,
! Cecilia walked to the window.
There's som ethiIg black moving
across the yard she said; - am afraid
! it's Karl"
Afraid it's Karl?'' 1 exclaimed.
Yes, if it is Karl, hes drunk, you
know" she answered; aonly a drunken
man would venture out on a day like
| this. He came to me drunk once be-
| fore, and brought in coalhod with
some eggs in it and a little basket
| filed with coal. He was so leering and
bleary and silly
The moving form in the yard adj
vanced, twisting and turning about.
Once it fell. and something like shawl
! blew out from its shoulders.
It's a woman" said Cecilia
she's lost her way" 1 said.
We went to the kitchen door and
got it open. The snow came drifting
in over the floor, and the wind blew
! out the lamp Cecilia had lighted.
The door is open," 1 called. Come
| this way"
Yes, 1 GOMEZ a voice replied OF
come in Ill WHILE
IT'S Mrs. Larsen" said Cecilia, with
a start of surprise.
Mrs. Larsen reached the door at last,
and we helped her. spent and breath
less, into the kitchen.
Did you lose your way?" asked Ce-
ella. Come into the sitting-room; we
haven't any fire here, you see, and
very little in the sitting-room. Come
quickly before it goes out"
Yes. you not have fire?' Mrs. Lar
sen said in an almost gleeful tone.
yes, 1 t'ink so to myself 1 say,
Linka go off yesterday in Petersen's
sled, and L know Karl. what man he
| is. I go see If they got coal and wood
there. They been people from the
| east. they don't know what blizzard
! is like. Yes, t'ink all this. Where
your coal-hod and Ill sled? 1 haul in
some coal now and wood
''Oh, Mrs. Larsen said Cecilia, and
! her pretty look of admira ton and
gratitude expressed more than her
words. We tried to persuade our de-
liverer to rest, but she gave one dis
dainful look at our miserable little
fire, and then tramped resolutely out
| into the kitchen, tied one end of a
rope around her waist and the other to
d hook near the door, took two coal
hods and a little handsled, and started
ou..
We stood in the door in silent admir-
| alton of her broad, muscular figure as,
mounted on her ''skees," she walked
bravely into the storm. l think we felt
vaguely that we were somehow of
more use standing in the doorway, but
! this illusion was dispelled by Mrs Lar
sen, who called out:
You go back to the sitting-room;
you not been much use, day like this,
except by fire.
Accordingly back we went to the
sitting room.
Il think it is so sweet and forgiving
Of her, Cecilia. when you were so mean
to her" said.
81 mean 70 herr" exclaimed Cecilia;
II only did what you said you would
/ have done.''
Six times did Mrs. Larsen make the
! trip back and forth from the wood
shed. Then she came into the sitting
room. Her face looked stiff and red,
| bur not white and frozen, as we had
feared it might. She was too breath
less TO speak, but she sank at once,
with deep sigh of physical exhaus-
! ton, down upon the broad lounge,
which Cecilia had gotten ready for her
with pillows and blankets. When she
wakened from her sleep two hours later
! it was still 40 below without. But
within fires were roaring comfortably,
and the temperature at ''75 above was
/ defying the power of the icy winds
without.' Tea was ready, and at the
! table in the diningroom three chairs
warmth burned brightly that night,
and the traditions that prevail back
| east in wisconsin and in steam-heated
| New York were set at naught, for
Mrs. Larsen broke bread with us that
night and, truth to tell. did not seem
at all conscious of the honor done her.
Gertrude Adams, in New York Post
/ --1-<Zz>-s-
! The demand for Ayers Hair Vigor in
such widely separated regions as South
America, Spain, Australia and India
has kept pace with the home consump-
! ton, which goes TO show that these
! people know good thing when they
try it.
The King of Pills is Beechan,'s-