Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-06-24
The Midwinter
knight Errant
By CLINTON DANcERrIELp
Copyright, 1904. by J. b. Mitchell

into kindlin' wood some day" said
Nora maliciously, regarding Ham
mish's treasured blocks with an evil
eye. The position OF general slavey in
cheap tenement does not improve
ones temper do yez think yez can
be keepin' a mess of chips to play wild
when we oil do be sufrerin' crooi for
coal?"
Don't know muffin bout coal. Don't
care" retorted Hammish sturdiIy.
Five years old and gentleman unafraid
was he.
Presently he bethought him to visit
his special friend, the little seamstress
on his own floor. Concealing the pre-
cious blocks he trotted off to her room
and, getting no answer 10 his knock.
pushed open the door and went boldly
In
Why had Mazda let her fire GO out
lie snuffed the biting air doubtfully.
wondering where she was. Then he
discovered her I'm n drawn heap on the
bed. The thin blankets were huddled
over her. On top were piled her thread
pare jacket and the wrapper she had
been making for firm.
| WSnl 10 the O0USl0e.
us you sick, Mazda p he asked petu-
iantly. He did not like sick people.
1.-The girl opened pair of great violet
eyes and regarded him.
Not sick" she said slowly: "iest
cold. I'm freezin' to death. It's taken
so long hope tits come at lastr'
Does freezin' to death mean you
goin' to die?'
| Yes" The blue lips scarcely shaped
the word. but he caught II. 1t dis
tressed him greatly by virtue of knowl-
eoee newly learned from the resource
1ui Nora' who had been trying to
brighten the child with stories of
deaths grim paraphernalia. He seized
her shoulder I'm his baby hands and
tried to shake her
Don't die!' he cried piercInrlv
You said Jack was comm home 70
marwy you! How can he marwy you
II you is dead? Do you fink he would
dig you upY
| "oh. Hammish." said the girl very
Ialntly please go away! 1t will be
long. so long, before he comes. | can
not live till then. And they told me
| there was no more work after this
When Jack comes tell him I wasn't
airald ot-the grave. 1t must be warm.
er down there"
conscious that he was growing very
cold himself, Hammish, fred with n
sudden resolve, made for the battered
coal scuttle. He would make n fire
himself
For II Jack came home and had to
dig Nadia up might he not hold him
OIammish) responsible2 How often
Mazda had told him proudly OF her big.
warm hearted sailor who was coming
across the great seas.
And l was in no such place rs this
when he knew me and courted me"
she would say more proudly still.
Nanny and ] had little house of
our own" Then with droop of her
tired lids: but when she died after
being sick so long 1t was hard. so hard.
10 make bread. You don't know how
hard, little IIammish. but IL will be
your turn some day"
Don't care" Hammish was wont
TO reiterate scornfully. "Will take nv
turn all right. Shall be man"
But now he felt vaguely that a mans
responsibility rested on him long ere
he had looked for IL, for the battered
scuttie was utterly empty. There was
nothing in the pitifully bare room out
OF which the tiniest fire could be made.
In his search he lifted the faded cur
tain which covered the box termed n
pantry. Not fragment OF food was
within. 1t dawned on Hnmmish that
TX there was no food as well as no
coal Mazda might be hungry. Again he
attacked her imperatlvely.
HAS you eat you dinnerY
Go away. Hammish," repeated the
girl. How could ! eat? There-was
nothing"
Now. indeed. the puzzled knight or
rant faced complex situation. His
mother, the deus ex machina who al.
ways remedied all wrongs, would not
return until sunset. How long did II
take people TO die? Would Mazda
really die before his mothers return
just because she was cold? or whom
could he take counsel? He knew no
one but his enemy. Nora.
He waylaid her I'm the corridor.
"Oh, wait!' be cried. please walt: |
How long does 1t take people TO |
freezer
NO time at ALL" said Nora scornful- |
ly. "ye little fool. yer
"And them
"Then they dig cellar of hole an
slap 'em into itr'
She whisked on down the corridor. |
and Hammish went YEARLY TO his own |
quarters and stood before the fire
thinking.
For he was now facing the great |
problem OF self sacrifice which all of |
us meet sooner or later. Either he
must burn his beloved blocks or Nadia
must freeze. Either he must warm
his milk for her by the block fire or
Nadia must go hungry. IL he did these
two deeds. he would lose his play-
things and his supper.
The girl on the bed took no heed OF
passing time. She was In the last
sleep before death. which the FROST
king fills with exquisite mirage.
Then something troubled her. A voice
was calling. calling. InsIstently. angr,.
~, and with the voice fioated n smell
or something burning. Then n shrfl
wall made her open her eyes in earnest.
She sat up to discover Hammish dane
Ing frantically around fire of blocks
in the crate. on which boiled a tin cum
or milk. now running over the edge
'Dweadfql smell. isn't itY' he
shrleked excitedly. Come quick! uup-
ryw H'
she stumbled out somehow the
shiiu must be attended to-and present
~ FOUND herself swallowing the hot
mix Hammish manfully forced on
her. 1t brought new life to her veins
and she understood the miracle of the
fire and food.
"oh, you darlingr' she wept, clasp
Ing him closely.
Hammish tore himself loose.
You are cwyin' all over me-" he
Salu' with masculine disapproval. WAS
me milk too hot in you stummick?'