The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-08-29

a quick run home to take the gerani.
ums out Of the window. when he
came back to the station he knew that
a blizzard was closing down on Ridge
field. He wondered how Nellie would
get home, and then Syracuse called,
and he had to put his thoughts on his
work.
1t took all his strength to reach the
cottage across the track. His first in
stinct was to close all shutters and
draw the curtains, but he remembered
bis mothers custom of setting u lamp
In the window for those who might he
abroad on stormy nights. Such a cozy
little kitchen as 1t lighted, with nre
swapping In the old fashioned cook
stove which Miss Mccarthy polished to
brilliancy at each visitl
he hummed contentedly as he sat
over the teakettle and brought the
bread and butter from the pantry.
Then he stopped short and listened in
tently. What was that scratching noise
at the door-yes-and now the sound Of
a muffied fall2
He flung open the door, and the wind
blew out his lamp, but against the
blur of the snow he saw a dark figure
huddled on his doorstep.
He carried the woman indoors, laid
her on the old fashioned settle and re-
lighted bis lamp. Then, with some
thing like a groan, he sprang back to
the inert form. 1t was Nellie!
Fifteen minutes later a white and
very quiet Nellie sat before the snap
ping FIRE with blankets wrapped around
her still trembling figure and cava-
lier In short sleeves serving her tea
and toast.
"And now tell me how 1t happened"
Tom said, with authority.
II didn't realize 1t was storming so
dreadfully, and my machine broke
down just before closing time. The
foreman-the new man, you know,
from Boston-said that II l wanted to
make up the time I'd lost-I'm doing
piecework now-he had some extra
work to do, too, and he'd see l got
home all right. I was sort of glad to
stay, because It's fierce to go home to
cold room in the hotel a night like
this, and when you have headache
you Just hate to sit evenings in the
parlor with a lot Of folks and the piano
jangling. So l stayed. but-but'-her
voice was low and tear heavy-"on the
way down the stairs-he-he tried to
kiss me, and then l ran through the
snow, sort Of blind, guess, and the
first thing I didn't know where l was.
just saw the light didn't know It
was your cottage"
Pride struggled with relief in her
tired voice.
"Have some more tea" said Tom alb
rultly, and then for some minutes he
busted himself around the room, stand
ing before her at last In his heaviest
outdoor raiment.
"Where are you going? Please don't
leave me alone"
This storm Is no joke, Nellie" he
said quietly. "First I've got to get in
fuel to last US all night and perhaps
longer. Then, before we're showed In
for fair. I'm going to bring over the
Rev. Mr.. Gary" Nellie rose uncer-
tainly to her feet. "Now, don't get
furried. You've had your lesson, and
I've had mine, and we're going to be
married tonight. You can't get to the
hotel in this storm, thank God, and you
can't stay here except as my wife,
his voice turned suddenly tender-"and
want you to be my wife,"
Nellie rubbed her face against his
shabby, fuzzy overcoat. "All right.
DEAR" she said docilely. and then. even
as bis arms closed around her. she
murmured: tom, dear, this shiny fire
looks so good and homelike Those
registers up at the hotel sort of give
you chill"
And then Tom knew that the cottage
looked shabby no longer