The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-08-06

was told by Fritz Gross to -get out q
this park-gct out already"
Frltzic initiated his Zoe replying in
a low, whining key, Certainly, SIR"
Get out Of this park, tell you, and
10 take few skate lessons"
One very cold winter the lake froze
as fur out as the crib, People took
walks on the ice and skaters crowded
70 the lake shore IL was at this time
that Selma, Becky and Uncle Fritzie,
very lively and noisy. started out one
afternoon 20 skate on the lake.
IL was fine, cold day. Across the
bare. gray paths and roads OF the park,
gllttcrlng with little white pockets Of
snow and blue splinters Of ice, they
walked ont TO the shore, and there
their afternoon spread before them.
Tho sky vas blue and dazzling with
streaming winter sunlight In its I'M
fathomablo heights hung and foated
snowy masses OF topping cloud, and I'M
lerneath the ice clad lake repeated in
the colors OF It's calm.scope the white
and azure splcndor Of the heavens. Up
70 the horizon the yelled waters spread
cold and vast, and north and south
they met the clty's smoke hung shores
I'm hoary sweeping line.
A little breeze blew from the land.
The air was cold as water in one's
mouth. and II seemed 10 the children
they could hardly wait to strap their
skutcs and be on, flying over the frozen
surface. They seized each others
hands and shouted as they darted
along the curve OF the little sandy beach
OF their start and out toward where a
few other people were whiz1lng black
spccks against the white plain. They
skated on and ON. The fresh wind blow
Ing behind. the singing afr in their
faces. the free scope ahead, all eXhila-
rated them. and they had gone perhaps
a mile when they saw across the DAG
cling hcld before them a wide black
bar
The Ice had broken there, and at a
little distance from its edge crowd OF
people stood or slowly skatcd. looking
at the gulf. Uncle Frltzle made tha NJ
DO girls slt down ON the ice ard took
OK their skates saying noisily Tor tie
benefit Of the crowd:
1T Is best best 20 afoid all danger.
Won little slide too far. where would you
Doc So kyicGg Vat would your mamma
sly TO me then"
He kept his own skates on. however,
and. with great difficulty, balanced
himself. TO the admiration Of ALL by
sticking one skate point into the ice.
While they were standing looking a.
,hc black. tapping water they saw
skating toward It. a few yards from
them. n little boy lie was plunging
forward. swinging his bowed arms his
can pulled down over his eyes 20 pro
tcct Thorn from the glare. He was 20.
u. as fast as De could. They an cried
out Co him On one common voice Of hor
Tor. But his impulse had been too
strong. He turned % questioning little
face 90 them as his skate runner slid
over the verge. and De was gone.
4 woman iu the crowd began 70
wiring her hands and groan.
Men aul boys glanced nervously NJ
each other and the water, and they an
With one accord moved nearer 20 IL.
Meanwhile Uncle Fritzic had undue
klcd his skates and thrown OIL his coat.
His ruddy face had turned white. lie
ran along the ice 20 where the little
boy had fallen. his high shoulders
twltching, his purple tippct floating
behind
Here he turned, half faced the crowd,
raised his chin proudly and waved q
rcassuring hand 20 Selma and Becky.
Everybody shouted, and he divcd.
Whether he reached the little boy,
whether they came up under the ice,
no one ever knew. In the sight Of the
watchers they did not come 20 the sur
face again.
IL was q comfort 20 the little boys
mother 20 see the Einsteins and weep
with their bereavement. Fritzie Gross
had no relations, but remote kindred
vvora nrond to mourn him.