The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18

At a point about 100 yards from the
house she ~ncountered q high fsnc~.
Throwing the lines 10 the ground rEe
started out or the cabin afoot. WITH
out the formality Of knocking az the
door. she threw II open and entered
tne room where an hour before Gal
had fallen exhausted.
IL was a sight that frightened fne
hardened old woodsmen from me riv-
er. To be interrupted at 2 o'clJ-x In
the morning by the appearance " a
woman. u~nheralded. was an experience
foreign TO their careers.
Great guns" was the greeting the
half frozen girl received.
Every hat vas removed end every
pipe laid down. In an instant the lady
was surrounded by six as sympa.h-t-
ic souls as ever honored MonJlna by
their presence. The big hearted. hon.
orable men lost No time in removing
Bellies wraps and sitting her before the
cheerful fireplace. Then Belle toll aer
story, and when she concluded. the SIX
men in concert exclaimed. Graf
guns"
When the men told Belle that Cal
was In the next room with both feet
frozen. both hands frozen and suffer-
ing intensely. she sprang to CATS side
and cried as n IL were her brother or
her father who were lying there. she
could not force back the thought tina
II was all her fault: that II she mad
not started. Cal would in all orooa0ii-
ity have been prevailed upon &c go
no further than Eagle Rock. She could
now see Cal plOdding hrouxn the
snow in the awful storm searching for
the road. All the terrible magma
tions which at times seize a We man
crowded themselves into the brain of
the young school teacher.
Ct
spoken a word. awoke to assure her
that no one was to blame. He said
that he would probably have persisted
on the prairie had not his courage becn
strengthened by the conscience If a
duty which his manhood prompted
him TO perform even at the nxo.1se
Of his own life. Il have spent my
whole life in cold countries. I once
too my sister to a neighbor's 20
miles distant from our home IN Wis
consin. IL was Just such a night as
this and we were lost. Then y was
l who did not suffer from The cod
IL was the young lady who beraua ex-
hausted. We did not reach the neigh
boris in time. and when we iii I ar
ried the dead body of my dear s'sisr
into the house. Oh. lady, Ia rather
die a thousand times than - lind my
self in another uch position"
The horses were soon In the stable.
and A. daybreak the journey was re-
sumed. This time IL was ~acntlc. driv-
er. n Belle was accompanied to
Chestnut by two of the wood haulerz.
The day was very cold. but there was
no wind. Helena was reached without
incident. The next week following the
experience on the plains. Cal was re-
move to a hospital in Helena. IL was
necessary to amputste only the toes
Of one of his feet. Belle visited the
hospital daily until Cal recovered suf-
ficiently to travel. He returned again
to the stage line and his lone comran-
ion ~ New Years eve came to Butte.
where she taught school. after which
she was married to one of Butte's oop-
ular business men.
Ten years ago Cal went to Boise.
Idaho. and engaged in fruit rails ng.
Soon after he arrived there he wrote
a letter To Belle In which he said that
he was married. AS regularly as
New Years eve rolls around I think
of that awful night at Dearborn /
take this opportunity to extend to
your usban my heart.est c~ongratu-
lations. He certainly has a wife with
more grit than any other woman In
that cold state can boast Of"