The Prescott daily news., 1908-04-27
THE LEvELlNG
 WINDS
By Stuart B. Stone

ano-tin edihces of Plain City and given her grass-grown streets back to the greedy prairie had sdbsided suf- nclently to allow a near -at-hand below to count for more than a whisper, the four crazy-clsd figures that huddled beneath the cliff at the Terrapin Bend began their bellowing There were two men and two women, young, and, so far as hurricane-swept dishabille could allow, they were what men are pleased to call fair.
 The woman with the pink-striped nightgown moaned on the shoulder of the barefooted, hatless giant, whose trousers were on wrong side before; and the dainty. yellow-haired thing in blue kimono held the hand of a shlv- er1ng being in an arctic overcoat and little else. A keener gust found Its way into the rock shelter and the Xii mono girl whispered, I'll never see XIII again. Poor little dog"
 Her protector stood on his nude right foot, while he endeavored to warm the stiffened left member in the folds of the arctic overcoat Now he bawled, impatiently:
 "Ki-Yt be blanked! The prairie zephyrs have abducted and macerated SS0,00O in Union Pacific As for me Also that light over there to the east Is from the home of my forefathers, and the insurance policies expired yesterday. Ki-Yi be blankedl"
 Thh oi are not ruined, Robert?"
 Busted fiatter than sheet of tin plate. couldn't buy collar for the lost and confounded KiYi, that wrings your gentle heart"
 The kimono girl edged slightly away from the arctic overcoat and some what nearer the giant with the misfit trousers The giant was shouting to the fair vision in pink:
 You don't mean that you have lost everything?" Then Boreas snatched at the giant. flinging him bodily against the pink fragilty
 "Oh, keep away" she shrieked "l mean that all had in the world went toward the Mexican gulf at the rate of 100 miles an hour bit ago-mort- gages. notes, bonds and all. must have $1310 in the bank"
 The giant whistled in the teeth of the storm. You have nothing and have less than nothing We shall do we'll"
 The girl in the blue kimono bawled Have you lost your money, too Ethel? Robert has lost every cent
 The pink girl sighed, as we'll as the winds allowed her. Poor Robert, she moaned. what will the dear boy do?"
 You might think of yourself first. growled the giant. Robert can look after Robert l should think"
 But the pink girl continued to groan and moan, Poor Robert. Poor dear boy!"
 Now the poor. dear Robert came over to the pink girl who grieved, and he shifted to the bare left foot while the right thawed beneath the kindly overcoat Tt isn't so bad, Ethel h. said; "I will make my way again. If only"
 Yes. if only?" said the girl, encour- agingly. but the poor, dear Robert checked himself The pink girl, who had at first clung to him, was talking against the elements.
 Tt seems to me" she shouted that you are more concerned with Ethel than with Ki-Yi and me. But, of course a fiancee is a common thing.
 The giant stirred now. Tt has a look to me also he said, of wires twisted in the storm. Robert, the af- finity of Barbara, would console Ethel, who is engaged to me.
 T have q suspicion,' said Robert, that when the wild winds carried the i r. r. Is to the equator, they also waited away the gentle Barbaras de sire for me.
 And | have a theory said Ethel, that the same gale took along the se- curities of Miss Ethel English and also the ardor of her gigantic fance.
 Well" said the giant, "a hurricane may do almost anything. Maybe you are right. Anyhow, you find speedy solace in the arms of the bereaved Robert Ransom We're all on par now. and think I have something to say to Miss Barbara Lane" and the grotesquely-cost giant joined the blue kimono girl. and their cooing talk was lost in the storm.
 were together again, Robert, said the pink girl; when distress comes. then 1t is you and l. "
 "Yes," said the man, it should