The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-10
IA Book to Be Thankful For.'
fallen thorn-,ree gave him a bridge over
BY ALFRED OLLfKAN7.

fallen thorn-tree gave him n bridge over
the soft snow. He stayed but little
while at Kenmuir. yet when he started
for home 1t was showing again
BY the time he. had crossed the ices
| draped bridge over the Wastrel,E II bliz.
card was raging. The wind roarcd past
| him. shifting him so that he could barely
| stand; and the snow leaped Mt him 50
| that he could not sec. But lie held on
| doggedly; slipping, sliding, tripping, down
and up again. with one arm shicdin.
| his face. On. oil. into the white dark
ness, bindlN ont sobbng, stumbling,
| ldazed. "
Al length. nigh dead. he reached the
brink of the Stony Bottom. He looked
I,ipt and lie looked down, but nowhere In
that binding mist could lie see the fallen
| thorn-tree. He took n stop forward into
| the white morass. and sank up TO his
thigh. lie struggled fceby to free him
self, and sank deeper The snow wreath
cd twisting, round him like wmte
flame, and he collapsed. softly crying,
on thai soft bed. 3
II CANAL canna!" he moaned.
IL
Little Mrs. Moore, her face whittier and
Trailer than ever. stood at the window,
| looking out into the4storn1.
| II Gamma rest thinkin q tn lad, y
she said. Then. turning, she saw her
| husband, his fur cap down over his ears,
l3lmttofing his pilot-cont about his throat.
! while Ovid Bob stood at his feet. walt
ling.
"Ye,re no goin'. James?" she asked.
arxiously
bit / am. Lass he answered: and
| she knew him too well to say moro.
So those two went quietly out to save
! life or lose It. nor counted the cost.
Down q wind-shattereds slo pe--over -
spar Of ice--up an eternal hill--a tforlorn
1 hope.
In a whirlwlnd chaos OF snow. the temp
| est storminE at them the white eartn
flashing them. they fought a good fight.
| In front. OVID Bob, the snow cloEginG
/, his Shaggy coat, his hair cutting like
! lashes Of steel across his eyes, his head
islowercd as he followed the finger OF God;
| ma close behind. James Moore. his back
stern against the storm, stalwart stlii-
yet swaying like a tree before the wind. s
so they battled through to the brink
/ of the Stony Bottonl-onl to arrive to-"
| Hate D
For, lust as the Master recrlng about
i him. had caught sight Of a shape1ess lump
Living motionless In front. there doomed
| across the snow-choked gulf %throug h the
| white riot of the storm a. gigantic ny 4
4 ure, forging doggedly forward his greal
! head down tc meet the hurricane. Ano l
! close behind. buffeted and bruised. SUI W
| and staggering Il little dauntlcss figure
holding stunbornly on, clutch,ng with Onu
! hand at the gale; and a shrill voice.
i whrled away on the trumpet tones OF
i the wind, crying: 5.,ss55}5
moo, SJNulle. wi me!
i 6".Scots wI,a' hae wi Wallace ble1! Il
scots wham Bruce has often led!
\ Welcome to-
4 Here he is. Nuilie!
\. ...-or to victorie!''
/ The brave little voice died away. The
! quest was over: tile lost sheep found
i And the last James Moore saw Of them
I! was the same small, gallant form, half
carrying. half dragging the rescued boy
/ out OF the Valley Of the SHADOW and
4 away 4 .,i al q
h venture. for on reaching home N Adam
3 produced milIar bottle. ,s
j 4"Here's something to warm yer IN sac,
1 matchmaking a feint at the strap Oh
4 the wal,-.'here's something TO do the
4 same BY YER. But. Wullie, cot a Eain
And out they went-unreck Faof heroes ',s !.
i n was but a week later, in the very
4 heart of the bitter time, that there came
4 a day when, from gray dawn to grayer
eve. neither James Moore nor OVID Bob
! stirred out into the wntry white. And
A 1.-The Masters face was hard and set as
4 1t always was In time OF trouble
y Outside. the wind screamed down the
Dale: while the snow fell reentlessly;
softly lingering the windows. blocking
4 the doors, and piling deep against The
walls INSIDE the house there was q
J strange quiet; no sound save for hushed
voices, and upstairs the shutiinE Of nuf-
fled feet.
Below, all day long. OVID Bob patrolied
+ the passage like some silent, gray spec
i tire.
Once there came a low knocking at the
J door: and David, his face and hair anu
cap snothered in the all-pervading white,
came In with an eddy ofsnow. He pat
n ted OVID Bob. and moved on tiptoe !nt0
the kitchen TO him came Maggie softly.
shoes In hand. with white. frightened
face The two whispered anxiously
4 awhile like brother and sister as they
a were then the boy crept quietly away;
y only little pool Of water on the foo!
8 and wet trcacherous foot-dabs toward
J the door testi,ying 10 the visitor.
Toward evening the wind died down.
a but the. mourning fakes stu fell.
With the darke1ing OF night OVID Eon
retreated 10 the porch and lay down on
his blanket. The Light from the lamp
( At the head o. the ata!r1 ss.oHs through
the crack OF open door on his DARK neaf
and tbe eyes that never slept.
: The hours parsed. md the sray kn!shI
still kept his vlgil. Alone In Inc dark
. ,:ezs-aIone. IL a.,aoz; seemed IN the
Il house--:.e watched. His head lay no
i!onless along his psst. but the a.eaay
graz. eyes neye. G!nched Or tr0opef.
Time tramp.ti On IN ieaden foot and
! still ne waited: ard ever The pain OF nov
ering anxiety saH stamped deeJ,e. IN the
gray eyes.
: A, iength IT grsS past btahn9; me
. nolIoe Ari;laesg Of the i!Dtits oyegcaiFe
him. lie ,oss. 0snhec o.,en Ito dooE. ard
!; 1oaiy pattsret aesp1s lie patzsge.
~ ,lse fDot 3. 5tse statff ~ halted, ~
.o,Gpawz ". tfi4 first step th sraFs iact
8 ard pleading eyes Epiifief, ~ tHoggh h
Yere praying T'tse din ilzat fell on tEe
lalsed had and tne white escGtc::eon
! oa aiE prsaa. aj3cae on ase ts's s..pyt on
Salmon,
, IL length. z3ta 2 RpafE lize sg5, IL
arOpt.et 10 sGls xreg;ae, st4 stl>oa .ia'Fn-
Z sHx flEf tals GreSijt!f sl3s tye4d fas&fa
: .ss4h IL ,4tre4 ars tsx@a hp!ilY :J4etns
; ~ ard toBss isses sasae ttspei&3ooisf
: teeti.iyegl n, tkse gsts u Gfata
{ ~, shd 19@ra. ~ af5c 11,is, spffp ~
= tfse lslftas Etsgr, M nssFJ. 1eaft