The Press., 1901-04-18

when didn't turn mp Suddenly we
heard voice coming down the venti-
lator Smithson CROPPED his way TO it.
who's theiei' said he.
Its the parson. Have you food
enough?
".No, indeed. said Smithson. We're
down to our last loaf. How are you
able to he about. parson?
why. this is the queerest storm
that ever happened. All Dakota north
Of us is covered. but yours is the last
house In the track OF the storm. South
OF here the ground Is perfectly bare. so
sions along and drove to the edge OF
this mighty snowbank. and then put
on my snowsLoes and climbed up. It's
lucky you had such long ventilating
pipe. How are you going to get outi
Shall drop some food down the piper
"Smithson told him that we had not
eaten anything for ten hours. and we
were beginning to get up an appetite.
and the next minute bundle Of pork
and beans was dropped down to us.
eff you can tunnel south Of your
house for 20 feet, you'll come out on
clear country. I'll go home and get
my shovel and dig toward you. and yor
ought to get out SOON
"Smfthson thanked the dominic anc
we tackled the baked beans, and they
tasted like Neapolitan ice cream. Then
we felt like working. But l was feel
Ing pretty serious. bccauSe l knew that
Arabella was beginning I . worry. How
ever, fell to with a good will, and aft
er two hours of hard work we met in
the snow tunnel, the minister and me,
and a minute afterward we walked
out to open air and saw the strangest
sight that could be imagined.
"North as far as the eye could reach
| the country lay covered so feet deep
with an arctic snowfall. South Of us
the grass was just beginning to show
green. and skunk cabbages were al
ready pushing up through the earth.
And in front of us stood the parsons
lonely house, with box of a church
next door to it and not another build
ing in sight.
1--WE grasped the parsons hand and
told him he was a white man If ever
there was one, and then | asked him
what chances there were Of my being
able to get back to Laramie. i
"He told me that the road to the sta
ton was completely blocked. and it
would be two days before could get
through. Two days! instinctively
pulled out my watch. 1t was $50. 'In
ten minutes, parson,' said |. my we'd
ding will be due In Laramie. and Ara
bella is even now waiting for me-.
He was expressing his sympathy
when we heard q roaring noise, and
Smithson said: Run for your lives! A
cyclonev
1.-THE three Of us instinctively dived
into the snow. Then we heard muf-
fed roar. and the earth shook. and it
was all over. Just to make sure, we
lay In the snow for a few minutes, and
then we crept out. Such scene as
met our gaze! The church and the par
sons house We're the only movable
things that hadn't moved. Trees were
lsveled on all sides. and the plains in
front Of us were full Of debris from va
rious states.
Just In front of me were half a hun
dred crates of eggs, whipped to an om-
elet by the wind; bunch of bananas,
white horse and library Of books
labeled Cheyenne Free Library And.
stuck In the snowbank was a woman
in gray travelling dress. The parson
pulled her out. wondering II 1t was
neighbor, but l. catching sight of her
face, recognized her as Arabella! Ara
bella in her wedding dress, my friends!
"Of course the next days papers all
over the country had full accounts Of
the awful cyclone that had struck Lar
annie and had run northeast into the
Dakotas, but not a word about Arabel-
la except the fact that she was missing
and her mother was frantic.
"Now, you may say that 1t was her
woman's love that guided her on the
back Of the storm to where was, but
even IL so it was q remarkable occur
| renee.
I'm a minute she opened her eyes.
| and then she sat up. and then she saw
me. She was always quick to take in
situation, and she held out her arms
to me. I kissed her just once for luck.
and then looked at my watch. 1t was
4:59.
"'Parson,' said I, the church ia still
standing "-Denver Post