The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-19
IN THE BLIZZARD.,

When Ben hsked her IL she would MARI.
him, she said "No!" After this she tenn
pered the refusal little by explaining b
him that she liked him quite as well a
anybody, but she had certain ideas abou
independence and winning her own wa!
In the world, and she wanted to be free Il
follow those to their logical conclusion
Ben Howard did his best to prove to hel
the futility of these notions and wasted Z
good deal of valuable time in the effort.
When he saw that no eloquence OF his
was likely to make Susie Barton changt
her mind, he packed together his few be-
longings and started toward the land on
which his eyes had long and longingly
been set-the Dakotas.
1t was hard task to Vhich he had set
his hand, to carve n home from the broad
prairie and to be alone in the doing of it.
He had not much money, and so went
where land was cheap, far beyond the out
post Of settlers. He took up his claim and
paid his entry fee, that gave him the right
TO call the land his own, and built a rude
hut of sods.
Howard's first years crops had done
well, and after the winter was on he per-
mitted himself to add some comforts to
the bare equipment Of his home and
bought some books and prepared to get
through the drcary, lonesome time as best
he could.
The long, cold winter of the north was
fairly on when Howard, looking from his
door one morning, saw smoke ascending
from the schoolhouse chimney for the first
time.
$50 they have found a teacher, he said
to himself II suppose it is all right. But
dare say it's girl-they always get girls
out here-and she's bound to have hard
time of It, Girls that have to earn their
own living ought to stay east. It's bad
enough out here for man"
The SHOWS came, and the whole rolling
plain lay white and glistening from hori-
zon to horizon. The cattle had been brought
in from the fields and hidden In the sheds
that now were covered with the snow, and
SO made only little hiliocks In the land.
One day Howard looked in his flour bar
rel and in his potato sack and found that
supplies were getting low. 1t was ten
miles to the nearest town. Early the'next
morning he hitched up his team and start.
ed off, on the way passing the schOolhouse
There a boy was just starting the fires
He had hardly completed his errands in
the town and started back when a sudden
storm came up, terrible blizzard, such as
only tho wide plains Of the frozen north
can know. It would have been the part of
wisdom for Howard to turn and get to
shelter as quickly rs he could In the town.
But somehow the thought of the school
mistress and her little charges had been
on his mind all day. He did not know
who she was, had never heard her name,
had seen her only across the distance of
the white fields, but he knew she was q
woman who was struggling alone to make
her way In the world. This fact appealed
to him.
The storm had come so suddenly that
no one would dare to venture out until its
fury was spent. The girl and her pupils
ers perhaps for many terrible hours. Even
the people nearest would not dare try to
make their way there, for they could not
hope to battle against the binding, driv-
ing, freezing storm. AS for Howard, he
was already In the fight, and it was only a
question whether he should try to return
to town or push on few miles farther
He felt instinctively that man was need
ed at the schoolhouse He pushed steadily
forward /
the track and blinded him. Itstung where
1t struck his face and hands. 1t froze upon
his beard and upon the harness of his
horses. More than once he thought he had
lost the way and halted and groped about |
for the road. He became chilled SO that
he could hardly move, could hardly guide |
his horses. Once he felt it was no use to
battle further and stopped, and the storm
ragged about him. But he knew it was
cowardly TO give up, SO he urged the horses
forward again. Then he sank into a lethar-
gy, and the cold began to do its work up
on him. Suddenly he was aroused The
horses had stopped, and house loomed
up before him, dimly seen through the
storm. Howard drew up his stiffcncd limbs
and stumbled from the wagon and threw
himself against the door. 1t opened, and
he half fell inside, carrying with him
great gusts of chilling wind and snow.
AS soon as he had brushed the snow
from his eyes and become used to the dim
light of the room this Is what he saw: A
dozen children huddfed about a stove, in
which there was only the least spark OF
lire, and woman standing upright, look
Ing at him with white face, but with an
Intensity of questioning that seemed to
ask If he were man or ghost. Half dazed
with cold and suffering as he was, that
look brought him to himself He said but
one word, 'Susic" and opened his arms.
And the next moment he held her to him
and was pressing his frozen beard against
her cheek
A man may DO warmed from within as
well as from without. He forgot his hours
OF suffering and battling with the storm.
He put aside her questioning and all
thought Of himself The fire in the stove
gave out only the least glimmering OF
heat. The fuel was all gone, and the chill.
dren shook with cold. Howard seized the
AZ and, going out into the storm, once
moro began to demolish his wagon. From
IL he made great armfui of frewood and
brought IL In, and he added 10 on the fire.
Then he managed to get his horses out of
the harness and brought them into the
schoolroom. Then he sat down with Susie
to falkland 10 walt II was quite night
when the last stick from his wagon had
burned and the storm abated. Then from
all about anxious parents came streaming
toward the schoolhousc, plowing their way
through drifts, and, finding their children