The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-08

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all that day the old man kept close,
never even going outside to saw
wood He had enough cut for "a
hours; perhaps the weather would
moderate then. Heshuddered at the
thought of what moderate weather
might bring for him, and drew
closer still to the small, miserable
stove. The clock on the wall seemed
to him to tick monotonously on:
What then7 What then9 What
thenf" He closed his ears to shut
it out, but still he could hear its di
abolical insinuation eating into his
very soul
Toward night the storm reached
it's height. 1t had already ragged SO
hours, and the. old man smiled to
himself as ne reflected that more
than "a hours had already gone
since the threat had been made. He
passed another restless night, and
with break Of dawn looked out. The
storm was evidently moderating.
bc: the cold was becoming more in
tense. Through that morning ne
walked up and down incessnntly, as
if irresolute from some great and
terrible inward struggle At last,
seizing bag, he hastily threw into
it lot of flour and hunch of pork,
tied it around his body with rope,
then wrapping his blankets round
him he strapped them firmly on, in
cased his hands in his we'll worn
buckskin mitts and as though not
daring to weaken his resolve by
waiting swiftly opened and closed his
door and vanished in the gradually
abating storm.
It was l in the afternoon. During
all this time Edsen and Wade had
waited in vain for Serge's return
from Grand Forks. Either he had
not started, fearing the storm, or if
he had started he was by this time
assuredly lost Their flour had been
out now two days, they had not
even pinch of tobacco, and the
cold, from insufficient banking out
side, penetrated the unevenly laid
floor.
Selfish as Edsen's nature was, his
one redeeming trait was his affec-
tion fer Jim. and when he saw him
now lying on the bed, abandoning
all hope with the burning cold and
want Of food, his distress was great.
Stealing quietly to o shelf, he took
down large crust, his own share
Of their final meal. which he he'd
kept .as a last resource, stinting
himself if happily he might save
his friend. He moistened this now
in snow water and held it to Jim's
lips, trying to force him to take ii
and encouraging him in every way
to keep up his pluck, as the storm
was clearing off and help would
come.
Glancing at the clock he saw il
was close on 2. AS he turned to sup
port Jim, who was becoming uncon-
scious. he thought he heard a
crunohing sound outside the door as
Of a heavy body on the snow. He
listened. The came sound again, and
this time n lcw 4soan. Eric tore
open the door, only to see. not five
yards off. huddled form crawling
on hands AID feet. It was not ten
ssoonds and Eric had the form IL.
eide and the door closed He ahook
the powdered snow from the blink
eted figure, which lay silent and
quito still. He looked into the face
and an awful cry broke from his
lips which brought Jim to his feet.
Gently now Eric loosened the sack
from the body and chafed the help
less hands with snow They were
frozen he:d as stones. The figure
mutterad something, and Eric, ,stoop,
ing down. heard these words, mot
far - now - warmer - warmer. :
The words died on the trembling
lips. the true brown eyes opened
wide in vacant stare, the head fell
back He was Gead. and nothing
was now heard but the vain sob.
bing OF the two land grabbers in the
shack and over it the wall of the
dying blizzard chanting the here's
dirge st Louis Globe Democrat
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