The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-08
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NCYARlE5 D.BATWEll,
e'YSHsH'' ''o''H WRaEAR5T saEu bRrgn RIGHTS
RESERVED.
sREqT BRlTHlh RIGHTS
RESERVED.

leaves that had been piled up against /
the previous fall. At last a stroke of thu
shovel cut through the shell of dry earth
and the fresh, damp air rushed ina most
welcome relief to their parched lungs. Ten
minutes more hard work and Leslie had
made the hole big enough so that he man.
aged to squeeze himself through and crawl
out.
ITS pouring down rain he called
down to Antoine. Your barns are both
gone, and the house is down. I can't SEQ
a light anywhere. Seems as If every house
round here had been blown away. ! see
a big light over toward East st. Louis
looks as if the whole town was on fire."
lie dropped on his knees by the window
Shall we stay here till morning-or shalS
1 try to get over to the station and bring
help? Judging from what I can see here
1 don't believe there's any station left"
It was finally decided that he had bet
ter make the attempt, anyway. and he
left, promising to return as soon as he
could get help. Then in the darkness
Louise crept over to her fathers sides
where he sat on the stairs, and pleaded
with him to forgive her and the man.
who had saved both OF their lives that
day. and had proved himself to be brave.
and true-even enough that old Antoine
Bordeaux might be proud to own him
for a son-in-law. Antoine would have
done so, bur there was the memory OK
that solemn oath taken the afternoon be-
fore: TIL ask Father Du PREF. daugh-
ter" he kept saying to her. But =
swore on't-I swore on it-and I must
keep my OATH"
The morning light was streaming
through the little windo when there
came a SOUND of voices, and then Leslie's
CHEEKY face at the aperture, as he called
down to them. a sound OF axes and saws,
and Of timbers being thrown to onestde.
1t last the door was wrenched from Its
frame, and Bordeaux and Louise walked
forth from their prison, climbing over he
mass of debris to the yard outside.
Antoine could hardly believe his eyes.
Gould this mass of t.mbers and plaster be
the old home that had sheltered the FAM.
lily for the past three generations or
more? Not a wall was left standing. AS
he looked about him. he saw that the
great barn which stood a hundred yards
from the house was level with the
ground, the mighty timbers had been
thrown and tossed aside like matches. OF
the beautiful orchard that had been hin
pride every tree seemed to have been torn
up by the roots. Half a mile away had
stood the little station Of New Baden,
with It's fifteen or twenty houses and the
white Catholic church standing in the
middle of the village. Houses, store and
church were all g~one-only the long, low
building that was used as a railway sta
ton had been left standing.
Leslie and Louise had followed him, and
just then the old Catholic priest, tears
streaming down his eyes, came through
the mass OF broken and uprooted trees
and debris that filed tho front yard.
May the saints be praised: 0 arc
safe" he said, as he took Antoine's hand.
"A terrible thing is this, Antoine; a ter
rible thing. Not q house left standing in
New Baden. Even cur blessed church is
destroyed. The dead lie at the station in
rows. Thirty bodies-and more being
found all the time. East st. Louis Is In
ruins. and 7he dead are there by hun-
dreds. A calamity sent by God-when the
heavens themselves fell and crushed our
people, And, overcome with emotion,
the good priest bowed his head and wept.
did you hear that, father?" whispered
Louise. as she laid her hand on his arm.
II says the heavens fell. Look and see.
Not a timber Of the old home left stand
inG-not a tree left rooted In the orchard,
and the good father says the heaven
fell. You need not break your oath-and
you can forgive Fred and T."
Old Bordeaux face was a study. Then
the fathers heart spoke. you NAV be
right, daughter" he said. "I've done INV
duty by you when you were a child; Tll
not make you unhappy now tina you are
woman grown. And young Leslie la a.
brave fellow-most brave enough to have
fought under Napoleon. Wen build a
new house here on the ruins of the old
one and make your wedding day the
hOuGe-WarlnlnE."
And now old Antoine tells his little
~grandsons the story of the night when thu
heavens fell.