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


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. He shuddered 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 then2 What then? What
thenf" He closed his ears to shut
it out, but still he could hear its di-
aholical insinuation eating into his
very soul.
Toward night the storm reached
it's height. 1t had already ragged Sc
hours and the. old man smiled to
himself as he 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,
but the cold was becoming more in
tense. Through that morning he
walked up and down incessantly, as
if irresolute from some great and
terrible inward struggle. At last,
seizing bag, he hastily threw into
it a lot of -four and a 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.
1t was in the afternoon. During
all this time Edsen and Wade had
waited in vain for Serge's return
from Grand Forks. Either be 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-
ton for 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 shelf, he took
down large crust, his own share
OF their final meal, which he had
kept as last resource, stinting
himself if happily he might save
his friend. He moistened this now
in snow water and held it to Jim's
irs, trying to force him to take it
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 it
was close on q AS he turned to sup
port Jim, who was becoming uncon-
scious, he thought he heard a
crunching sound outside the door as
of heavy body on the snow. He
listened. The same sound again, and
this time a low moan. Eric tore
open the door, only to see, not five
yards off, q huddled form crawling
on hands and feet. 1t was not ten
| seconds and Eric had the form in
eide and the door closed He shook
the powdered snow from the blank
eted figure, which lay silent and
quite 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 we're
| frozen hard as stones The figure
rnuttered 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
hack. He was dead. 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 helo's
Girge.-St Louis Globe Democrat
Wise Dont's for Married Men.