Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-16

and peeped out. A gust Of wind slammed
1t down again in her face.
i see It, pa--a-layin' on the porch-IU
get III" she cried. And before any ona
could restrain her she had shouidered
through the trap door and sped like a deer
TOWARD the house.
The howl OF the storm burst above like a
benied beast OF prey as the cyclone broke
In ell its mighty fury upon the land. Ores.
trees snapped like pipestems in its giant
grasp. whole house walls sailed By overhead.
a flock OF sq~uawking hens vent over AZ sc.
cureiy held in the teeth Of the wind as II
In the claws Of a fleeing tiger. a sheep was
picked up bodily from a nesghborine aeld.
the roof Of the porch lifted OF like q hat
from Phiiury's devoted head aa she STONED
for the lost pocketbOok and turned back
toward the cave. The s~mokehouse rumbled
and went up like q pack Of cards In her
path.
Run! Philury-Runi" shouted the men
In a frenzy As they watched. expecting every
instant to see her gathered to the cruel
bosom OF tho storm.
She reached the cave, another step and
she would be safe. The door opened joy
fully to receive her. But an instant is time
enough for things TO happen. Just as the
little flying foot was planted on the top step
Z great acantling from the demolished barn
struck the door and she fell beneath IT,.
plunglng white n unconscious into her
fathers waiting arms.
-Oh. God!' he whispered over and over
again. as he bent with switching lips above
the still limp little form Of his nrst born
"Oh, Godi'
But she was only stunned and soon re-
vived under the dash Of cold water from the
tubs where the milk was kept cool. She sat
up weakly after a while with a pale lrrtis
smile and q brave I'll soon be all right,
daddy"
The old man locked at the great purple
bruise on her tender temple and took on
his battered hat.
Let us thank the Lord fer his marciesr'
he said. bowling his gray head. And they all
knelt In the haif-darkness Of the cave while
the lightning nickered through the CRACKS
in the door and the rain fell in a deluee out
side.
When they emerged. pale and quiet and
thankful. a scene Of desolation greeted their
eyes. The house was unharmed. save for
the unroofed veranda, but cha outhouses-
barn, hsneoop, sn~okehouse, cattle aheds and
granaries were a. though they never had
been. The stable lots we're IS bare ss n
swept BY a gigantic broom.
OF the threshine machine nothing re-
mained but the iron power wagon. The
straw carrier AMI feeder were found later
mired in the swamp pasture OF Uncle Benny
Wray. whose farm lay next In the path Of
the storm monster
The men looked IN wonder At old Skin
flint zeb as he walked, silent and unmoved.
amidst the wreck Of his empire. He must
have been the loser Of many hundreds
perhaps ~thousands-of dollars. but not 3
murmuT did they hear from him.
And When over the waste Of young trees
and late Brain laid Low between his farm
n that if Uncle Benny two figures came
hurrying he fastened 70 meet them.
isis PhLlury ali right7' gasped young
Ben.
"Yes-we're ali safe" answered the old
man IN trembling voice
"Will W les step over ter ar barnyard
an look a. somothin'f" asked Uncle Benny
In a subdued tone, but his eyes tWinkled
under thslr bunhy white broWs.
tn cyclone seems ter hov skipped
you'uns." old zeb, being human. was moved
to reply upon looking into their smiling
ss curious
threshers followed.
Past the dlsmantled remains Of a Grain
rick only a short half hour bsfore rich with
eolden harvest, stepping over fences laid
nat thsy uenL nd. tnEniee The eornsr o.