River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-03-19
"It said five blow zero"

/
Uncle BILL said he, earnestly, Give
been working and waiting long time
for this night. Sit still and get warm
till [ come back"
Dick went out.
Where had Dick gone?
Straight to Helen Remington. That
is, as straight as a detour around the
fence would permit As he marched up
the walk to the house (wherein he had
never been but once in his life) he
swung his uncle's lantern and stamped
his feet to keep up his courage. He
knocked on the door softly. His heart
pounded fercely.
'Who is there?" asked a puzzled,
half-frightened feminine voice through
/ the door.
TITS only Dick RUSSELL" he said,
quietly. There's an important matter
| must see you about"
Then she opened the door-haught-
lily, fearlessly.
Come into the sitting-room, Mr..
Russell" said the girl, frigidly.
There's to be a big record frost to-
night" said he, blushing like girl.
How do you know?"
i've just had news from the weather
bureau; and I've come to warn you"
Have you warned the other neigh
bors?" she asked, quietly.
Moo. That is, IL"
why haven't you?''
because l-well-bother it ALI"
he stammered, suddenly getting
warm all over-"because [ thought
OF you first. And L only got the
news a few minutes ago And |
couldn't, if | wanted to, save all the
orchards around here But J. can
save yours-and my own-and Uncle
! Bilrs.''
"How?"
with the gas plant I've been
building, and-and-"
He hesitated, stopped.
Never mind the details, Mr.. Rus
SELL" she said, hurriedly, as she
arose to her feet; st is late, and
there is your own garden to think of.
Mine must take it's chances, as it al
ways has done. / thank you
But interrupted Dick, as he
stood up and faced her-"but'-
began again-"I-I-"
Then a sudden comprehension
swept through him; he understood
her strange expression. The words
he would have said died upon his
lips. He marched out.
Miss Remington, left alone, took
up book and tried to read But
she could not
And he had come to help her! He
had thought of her. first! What if
she had made a mistake?
"There must be an unusually hard
frost tonight" she thought.
She looked at the thermometer.
Eight degrees below zero!
She began to feel afraid; she had
heard of the damage wrought by
cold only a trife more intense than
this
Looking out in the direction of
Dick Russell's farm, she saw that his
orchard was encompassed and
crossed by systematic rows of yell
low light-jets, blazing and smoking
uncannily in the still air.
Then the truth came home to her
He was not insane. He was mere
ly genius. He was right; she was
wrong. He had come to her in
manly helpfulness, and she had
The tears came to her eyes. But
not for long. Hurrying to the hail.
she put on her heaviest boots and
warm wraps, and stepped outside.
But one thought possessed her-to
I
giveness. The rest did not matter.
She found him, as fate would have
it-alone.
Hearing footsteps, Dick raised his
head.
"HeIen!''
They looked into each others eyes
-hesitating, incredulous, mute
Words came at last. II mis- Judged
you,'' she said, simply humbly. That
was all.
That night Dick did things
many things, rapid, clever things He
hurried Aunt William and the two
men, Uncle William hurried two
horses, and the two horses hurried
load after load of spare iron piping
to various places on Miss Reming-
toms farm. But first, with great
Joy land a file), Dick cut a wide
opening in the fence. Under his Wig
orous strokes the wires parted with
vicious, reluctant snap, and the
victorious besieger passed through
into the promised land.
Quickly and deftly the men began
coupling the lengths of pipe to-
gether; while Dick, with one hand
almost frozen, went back to find his
lost mitten. Finding it, the pipe
laying progressed with greater ra-
pidity. Soon the Remington orchard
was encompassed and crossed with
lines of black tubing laid upon the
snow-crust, each pipe-length pierced
in the center with a tiny drilled hole.
Ten degrees below ze-o!
Wearied and cold the men stag
| gered to the -gashouse and sank ex-
hausted on the floor. After a short
rest Dick consulted the thermometer
again.
Five below!
I've done It'll" he gasped, trium-
phantly.
AS weeks and months went by the
wisdom of Dicks foolish idea be-
came more and more manifest; and.
/ oaroa the