Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-19
turned down the lamp. fumbled In his hip pocket and went to the door.
CHAPTER VI.

I"HE day broke with a scream of wind out of the pralries and such cloudbursts of snow that \ Joe could see neither bank ot the river as he made his way down the big bend of ice. The wind struck so bltterly that now and then he stopped and, painting and gasping, leaned his weight against it. The snow on the ground was caught up and flew like sea spume in hurricane; 1t swirled about him, joining the flakes in the air, so that it seemed to be showing from the ground upward as much as from the sky downward. Fierce as 1t was, hard as 1t was to fight through, snow from the earth, snow from the sky, Joe, was grateful for it, feeling that 1t yelled him, making him safer. though he trusted somewhat the change of costume he had effected at Beaver Beach. A rough workman's cap was pulled down over his ears and eyebrows; a knitted comforter was wound about the lower part of his face; under ragged overcoat he wore blue overalls and rubber boots, and in one of his red mittened hands he swung a tin dinner bucket. He bent his body against the wind and went on, still keeping to the back ways, until he came to the alley which passed behind his own home, where, however, he paused only for a mo- | ment to make quick survey of the premises. A glance satisfied him; he ran to the next fence, hoisted himself wearily over it and dropped into Roger Tabor's back yard.
 The place seemed empty, and he was on the point of going away when ne heard the click of the front gate and saw Ariel coming toward him. At the sound of the gate he had crouched close against the side of the house. but she saw him at once.
 She stopped abruptly and, throwing the waterproof back from her head, { looked at him through the driven fos of snow. One of her hands was stretched toward him involuntarily, ! and it was ih that attitude that he long remembered her-she looked an Undine of the snow.
 Suddenly she ran to him, still keep ing her hand outstretched until 1t touched his own.
 How did you know me| he said. "Know youv' was all the answer she made to that question. Come into the house. I've got some coffee on the stove for you. I've been up and down the street waiting for you ever since 1t began to get light. There's no one l here"
 She led him to the front door, where he stamped and shook himself. He was snow from head to foot. She wasted no time in getting him to the kitchen. where, when she had removed his overcoat, she placed him 1 in a chair, unwound the comforter and. as carefully as a nurse, lifted the cap from his injured head. When the strir l of towel was disclosed she stood quite | still for a moment with the cap in he hand. Then, with broken little CT. she stopped and kissed a lock of hi hair which escaped, discolored, beneati the bandage.
 "Stop thatw he commanded, borribl, emta rassed. J
 "Oh, Joe," she cried, T knew! [ knew 1t was there. but to see it! An
 it's my fault for leaving you. had | go or wouldn't have-F'- "Where'd you hear about it?" h, asked shortly.
 T haven't been to bed," she answer
 ed. "Grandfather and were up a
 night at Uncle Jonas, and Colonel Fit croft camc about ? o'clock, and he tol, l us."
 "Did he tell you about Norbert?'
 "Yes-a great deal" She poured cof
 fee into cup from pot on the stove
 brought it to him. then, placing som, thin slices of bread upon a gridiron
 began to toast them over the hot coals
 "The colonel said that Norbert thought he wouldn't get we'll" she concluded
 land Mir. Arp said Norbert was the l
 kind that never die. and they had quite an argument"
 What were you doing at Jonas Ia bor'sY asked Joe, drinking his coffee. with brightenlng eye.
 "We were sent for" she answered.
 What forT
 She toasted the bread attentively without replying. and when she decid. ed that it was brown enough piled 1t on a warm plate. This she brought to him and, kneeling In front of him. her el. bow on his knee. offered for his con. sideration. looking steadfastly up al his eyes. He began to eat ravenously.
 What for?" he repeated. T didn't suppose Jonas would let you come in his house. Was he sickT
 "Joe." she said quietly, disregardine his questionable. have you got to