Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-03-05
CHAPTER XVI.
Flroi


night-the wind that many hardened
inhabitsnt would have foretold hours
before had he been master Of his time
and thoughts. Al q rule. NO signal
service was needed In the COW eoun'
try. Men who practically hved In the
open had . natural right to claim
some close acquaintance with the por'
tents Of approaching changes. But II
would have been well had some STORM
nag waver over the little town that
day. For the wind that came slippinS
M In the night. flrst In little signing
whiffs and skirmishes. gradually grow'
ing more impatient. more domineerins,
more utterly contemptuous. naughty.
and hungry. sweeping down from 10
northwest camping grounds. carried Q
deadly menace In its yet warm breath
to tho helpless and unprotected cattle
huddled together in startled terror or
already beginning their migration "
intuition. running with the wind.
Il ratified loose window castings In
the hotel. 20 that people turned unsas.
lily In their beds. It sent strange crea'
lures Of the imagination to prowi
about. Cowmen thought Of the Do.
pleted herds when the riders should
come in on the free ranges In the
spring should that moaning wind
mean q real Northwestern.
Louise was awakened by Q sudden
shrek of wind that swept through the
siight aperture left by the raised win
dow and sent something crashing to
the floor. She lay for Moment drowsi'
" wondering what had fallen. Was
Il anything that could b broken? shs
heard the steady push OF the wind
gainst the frail frame building. and
knew she ought to compel herself suf'
flciently to be aroused TO close the
window. But she was very sleepy.
The crash had not awakened Mary.
She was breathing quietly and deeply.
But she would be amenable to touch
Just q light one-and she did not
mind doing things. How. mean. though.
TO administer Il in such . cause. She
could not do It. The dilapidatsd green
blind was Mapping dlsmaily. what
time was Il? Maybe Il was nearly
morning, and then the wind woald
probably 80 down. That would SAVE
her from getting up. She suuggied
under the covers and prepared 70 slip
dellciously on into slumbsr again.
But she couldn't 60 70 sleep aftsE
ali. A haunting suspicion preyed on
her waking faculties that the crash
might have been the water pitcher,
She had been asleep and could not
gauge the shock Of the fall. II had
seemed terrific, but what swakens oas
from sleep 10 always abnormal to
ones startled and unremembering
consciousness. still. u might have
been the pitcher. She cherished no
fond deiusion a. to the lmDenetra-
bility OF the warped cottonwood Aoor.
Ing. Water might even then - trick
ling through 10 the room beisw. She
found herself wondering Wnefe me
bed stood. and that thought brought
her sitting up IN . hurry oaly 10 70
member that she was over the musty
sitting-roon with its impossible ear.
pet. She would 10 Glad 10 ses Il
soaked-it might put little color Into
Il. temporarily ct least. and lay he
dust Of ssss. But sitting up. shs tslt
herself enysloped IN uals % wind
that played over the bed. and - wise.
b concluded that 4 she wishsd 70 re
this court through without the risk q
grippe OF pneumonia eomplicaiions,
she had better close that window. %
ahe slipped cautiously out q 30, ner-
vously appFphensiVs e piun1lnl hsl
f6ot INTO \ pod a W1lef. = - -,
bson ths D111hF nliar a. Lz.1 ..lel