The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-24
Our Daily Short Story

| spns.' anu hstehinB TOT the voice oi Suddenly he paused and gazed about. l not a light twas visible. Tn vain he | tried to make out the glimmer of the lamp In his window. All, was darkness --7darkness and the gray of the. falling | snow. Not familiar object could he 1 see. nor tree not a landmark, only the snow-the snow. l And still the storm increased. The blizzard slapped him in the face and | he lowered his head and fought for ], breath. Then 1t whirled and beat him | upon the back, and lie knew not from whence 1t came. Then great fear laid hold of him. It was as though all hu- nnanity had vanished and he was alone in the vast wilderness and the storm. | But he must not pause. Already he | could feel the numbness creeping up his limbs. So he pushed on, whither he knew not, struggling in the snow. whipped on all sides by the stinging lash of the blizzard stumbling, falling, but rising again and fEhting-madly | fighting the grim, gray death. Again he slipped, but the wind caught him and forced him backyard, a foot, two feet, three feet. Then he fell. face | downward, in the snow, and as he lay, | gasping, he raised his eyes to the ebony heavens and thanked God for that sud- den gust of wind. For his arms out l stretched before him, extended over the | edge of his open shaft, with the bottom two hundred feet below.
 | Slowly, carefully, he raised himself | and crawling upon hands and knees, followed the circle of the great hole until he came to the windlass Placing | his back against the handle. he strode forward twenty paces. Then he reach | ed out hiS hand and rested 1t upon the stump of & tree.
 Carefully, very carefully, adjusting l hn ,lN counting hts steps. In vain the bliz- gard hurled itself upon him with its 1 tremendous power, he did not move his | eyes the hundredth part of an inch, but pushed on cautiously. painfully straight ahead.
 And presently-after an hour, it seemed to him-he beheld the faint glimmer of light. With a shout upon his lips, he leaped forward until he made out the outlines of a window. With his hand outstretched to grasp the door latch, he ran, nor paused until his foot struck something in the snow and he fell. As he struggled to his knees. struggling savaEely against the storm, he became conscious of long drawn. sigh, as of child asleep.
 Tearing of mitten, he felt in the impenetrable darkness around him, un- til his fingers rested amid a mass of hair
 l With prayer in his heart he gather ed up 8 silent form, lying beside him
 In the snow. and pressing it to his breast, fought his way to the cabin, kicked open the door, and burst in, fol- lowed by a gust of snow.
 In the light of the lamp he gazed upon the pale face of little boy The eyes were closed, the hair matted with snow. One little hand was encased in 8 red mitten, the other was blue from the cruel touch of the frost.
 "Gawdr cried the miner, was too late--too later
 Pulling a cot to the fire, he laid the child upon It, covered him with many blankets and heaped the pine knots | with reckless hand upon the smolder- | ing blaze Then he dropped upon his knees beside the cot and rubbed the little hands and gazed anxiously into the peaceful face and cried: Wake up and speak me, Billy Boy; it's your old pardnerw . | Presently a pinkish glow crept into the child's face and the miner tore of the little shoes and chafed the numb l feet with desperate energy, ever and anon crying out; Billy, Billy Boy" l After while tho child's soft blue eyes opened and gazed around, dazedly. The man snatched a bottle from the shelf and held 1t to the boys lips. The child opened his mouth and drank some of the liquor, then fell asleep. | An hour, two hours the miner rub bed the .child's hands and feet and gazed into the childs face. Then the eyes again opened and looked at the miner. The man bent over him and whispered: "Bniy Boy. don't you know your old pardner?'
 For an instant the boy gazed upon the face bent above him, then he lock ed his arms around the mans neck. Daddy! Good old Farther DaddyH' he cried.
 For a long time they nestled thus. the boy sobbing and laughing by turns and the miner silent, with averted eyes. The child spoke, finally, but his voice was an accusing one.
 Why are you mad at Mammy:" he asked. And why don't you ever write to her. Daddy? I couldn't stand to see her cry, day after day, and I couldn't stand to hear her call for you in her sleep, Daddy Pardner, so came"
 you came alone, Billy Boy?" the mnier asked. anxiopsly
 Yes the child replied. T rode until I didn't have any more money, then walked Down there in the town they told me you were up here, so came on. But I was tired oh was so awful tired, and so cold, Daddy
 
 The miner stroked the boys hair tenderly and gazed at the fire. The building shook In the grasp of the blizzard and the pine trees moaned dls- mally.
 'Tt's an awful storm. said the miner at last, and there was a quaver in his voice. sr
 Daddy Pardner.' said the boy, look l ing up into the miners face, won't you write to MammyT'
 The man piled some pineknots upon the fire and as the blaze leaped up- ward and lighted the room, he turned and saw the boys blue eyes looking at him. Her eyes were blue. her
 "BHly Boy," he said, taking the mug gets from his pocket and holding them in the glare of the fire, do ye see them thIngs7 Thems gold, Billy Boy, I've got a mine full of them out thar. Don't know how much I've got--hundreds O thousands O dollars worth. reckin, mebbe 8 milyun. And do ye know what ye and I air goin' to do tomor- row?"
 'No," said the boy, his eyes opening wide with expectancy.
 well, Billy, Boy said the miner, taking the child in his arms and brush ing his hair back from his forehead, |