The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-05-12

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Rarely had the ice held so wonder
fully. All through February it had
stayed like dull steel, both in appear
ance and temper, and now with
March approaching it still remained
strong enough in places to support
the daring skaters who yentured on
Il.
1.-THE thaw will catch It soon,
though" said one of the women, who
were gathered at the clubhouse over
looking the lake, land soften the
hard heart"
Il wish there could be a thaw TO
soften a still harder heart" thought
Lieutenant Frazer, as he watched the
wind forcing the moving cakes
against the firmer ice.
Nearly every spring the wind thus
drove the fee to the shore and made
late skating for the people of the lit
tie northern town as far as any one
cared to go--even to the cribs, where
the city got its water.
Mrs, Brownson came to the paren-
tai residence shortly after luncheon,
dangling her skates on her arm.
When she went away It was with May
and Grace Henderson, her younger
sisters. Her mother, Mrs. Hender-
son, stood in the door.
do not go far from shore" she
said. And be careful il there is a
change of wind"
"Oh, We will all be good" laughed
May, as she fell behind her sisters.
Before they got to the shore others
Joined them and they all forgot pos
sible danger in the excitement of seal
ing the hills of ice on the edge of the
field. 1t was a pleasing picture-the
sun shining and rejecting in the
glistening ice, the gliding forms of
skaters and the heavy shadows. Be-
hind the hills on the shore were the
houses of the town and eastward was
the field of ice and beyond was a dark
line of water and the sparkling of
waves.
where is May?" suddenly called
oAhNN w hl D. lDlON ucOu,
ooh, where is she?" Mrs. Brown
son looked about in the crowd, but
could not find May.
us that" and Grace waved her
hand at a figure far in the east.
But do wish she would come
back. No, indeed You cannot go
after her. We will have to wait until
she gets tired and comes in. do
hope she isn't in danger" Mrs.
Brownson stopped on the ice and
gazed after her daring sister.
Suddenly there came a shrill cry Of
warning and the skaters came to-
ward the boathouse. May was skim
ming toward them when she, too,
heard the cry and quickened her
strokes. For she recognized the
warning. There was a crowd of peo-
pie near the boathouse when Grace
and her sister pushed in. The shores
were dotted with people, taking off
their runners and glad to be out of
danger.
The wind had shifted and the ice
had cracked. Every second the fis-
sure was growing larger, cutting off
the ice toward the east. And May
was on the sundered portion!
She leaned forward and darted des-
perately toward shore. But when she
reached the crevice she gazed up and
down the riven mass in dismay There
was never footing for her that she
could see, and she could not jump
across. The crack was too wide. And
it was widening with the changing
wind, for the foe that bore her was
floating toward the open water be-
yond. May, brave though she was,
uttered cry Of despair. 1t was lost
in the lonesomeness of the lake.
At the clubhouse there WAS
stunned, breathless CONSERVATION.
Mrs. Brownson stoof by .he door, her
gaze lakeward, and ~ her side, with
a wild look in her eyes, was Grace.
A gray-haired, energetic man
asked who was on the ice
my sister," cried Mrs. Brownson.
Your sister," he exclaimed. "Are
you sure?"