The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1908-04-10
CHAPTER XVII.

Fire!
The wind arose along toward mid
night-the wind that many hardened
inhabitant would have foretold hours
before had he been master of his time
and thoughts. AS a rule, no signal
service was needed in the COW coun-
try. Men who practically lived in the
open had natural right to claim
some close acquaintance with the por-
tents of approaching changes. But it
would have been we'll had some storm
flag waver over the little town that
day. For the wind that came slipping
up in the night, first in little signing
whiffs and skirmishes, gradually grow
ing more impatient, more domineering,
more utterly contemptuous, naughty,
and hungry, sweeping down from it's
northwest camping grounds, carried a
deadly menace in it's yet warm breath
to the helpless and unprotected cattle
huddled together in startled terror or
already beginning their migration by
intuition, running with the wind.
It ratified loose window castings in
the hotel. so that people turned uneas-
fly in their beds. 1t sent strange crea-
lures OF the imagination to prowl
about. Cowmen thought of the de-
pleted herds when the riders should
come in off theS free ranges in the
spring should that moaning wind
mean real northwestern
Louise was awakened by a sudden
If vyin1 hot ~,
slight aperture left by the raised win
dow and sent something crashing to
the floor. She lay for moment drowsi-
ly wondering what had fallen. Was
it anything that could be broken? She
heard the steady push of the wind
gainst the frail frame building, aud
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 a light one-and she did not
mind doing things. How mean, though,
to administer it in SUCH cause. She
could not do it. The dilapidated green
blind was Tapping dismally. What
time was it? Maybe it was nearly
morning, and then the wind would
probably go down. That would save
her from getting up. She snuggled
under the covers and prepared to slip
deliciously off into slumber again.
But she couldn't go to sleep after
all. 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. It had
seemed terrific, but what awakens one
from sleep is always abnormal to
ones startled and unremembering
consciousness. Still, it might have
been the pitcher. She cherished no
fond de1usion as to the impenetra-
bility OF the warped cottonwood floor
ing. Water might even then be trick
ling through to the room below. She
found herself wondering where the
bed stood, and that thought brought
her sitting up in hurry only to re-
member that she was over the mustv
sitting-room with it's impossible car
pet. She would be glad to see it
soaked-it might put little color into
it, temporarily at least, and Law the
dust OF ages. But, sitting up, she felt
herself enveloped in a gale of wind
that played over the bed, and so>wise-
ly concluded that If she wished To see
this court through without the risk of
grippe or pneumonia complications.
she had better close that window. So
she slipped cautiously out of bed. ner-
vously apprehensive Of plunging her
feet into pool of water. It had not
been the pitcher after all. Even after
the window was closed there seemed.
to be much air in the room. The
blind still tapped, though. at longer in.
tervals. If it really turned cold. how
were they to live in that barn-like
room, she and Mary? She thought of
the campers out on the flat and shiv-
cred. She looked out Of the window
musingly a moment. It was dark. She
wondered il Gordon had come home.
OF course he was home. 1t must be-
nearly morning. Her feet were get.
ting cold, 50 she crept back into bed.
The next thing Of which she was con
scious, Mary was shaking her excit.
Tedly. Ri II
That is It :" she asked, sleepily.
Louise ! There's 9 fire somewhere!
Listen ! 's
Some one rushed quickly through
! the hall Others followed, knocking