Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-02-03

sent tne snow crystals In icy sting
ing gusts against his face.
AS he plodded upward the crust was
thicker. and when he reached the top
Of Bald Knob walking was difficult.
lie paused and looked around at the
mountains of snow glistening with Icy
caps in the bright sunshine.
Overhead was n sky of deep blue.
Below nestled the village, with his
school in the center, and under the
shoulder of Bald Knob was Luke God
dard's comfortable home.
Addison could see the smoke pour
ing from the wide chimney. 1t crept
like blue mist up over the shoulder
and curled away into nothingness In
the light air
The house was long and low, and It
was built so snugly under the noun
tain that the kitchen opened directly
into great natural cave In the rocks,
and that cave was Luke Goddard's
woodshed.
Addison's strong arms had hewed
vigorously that long autumn to fill the
woodshed. Every night after school
he had come up the mountain and.
with Emily sitting near by to gladden.
his eyes, he had cheerily reduced the
pile of cord wood to kindling.
In the spring he and Emily were to
be married and come to live with Luke,
and their plans for the future had been
so long in making and so interviewer
with love and little self sacrifices that
CT n IN fof In
top. with a lOveless future before him,
Addison Dodge was very miserable.
His was Il nature that would never
yield to an unjust claim. Neither
would he lie to save his soul.
Luke Goddard, in his own way, was
obdurate. He loved Addison Dodge
as his own son, and yet his domineer-
ing spirit would not concede one inch
in the controversy which had separat-
ed them that morning and in which
the old schoolmaster believed himself
to be in the right.
Genealogy was his hobby. That any
one should dispute him upon his be-
loved subject was unbearable.
Pretty Emily would have Jared hard
ly between these two unrelenting men
she so dearly loved but kind Provi-
dence intervened and made clear the
descent of Addison beyond all doubt
and quite to the satisfaction of his fu-
ture father-in-law.
Addison roamed over the mountain
top all the afternoon, rejoicing in the
keen wind that arose and chilled him
to the bone.
His snowshoes glided over the frozen
crust and bore him along against the
bitter wind with startling swiftness.
He always remembered that day on
the mountain as one of pain and self
torture.
His love for Emily sent him toward
the trail a dozen times, and his pride
sent him back again as many more.
At sunset, when the whole west was
a glorious blaze of crimson and purple
and gold and the expanse of frozen
snow was binding in the glare, Addi-
son skirted the shoulder of Bald Knob.
seeking for n short cut to the village
below
He had made up his mind. He
would not take back what lie had said
to Luke Goddard.
When he reached a point above the
cottage of his sweetheart he paused
and looked down the glittering slope
to where the blue smoke curled up
ward from the chimney.
While he gaZed Emily and her father
came out CT the cottage aud looked
toward the west. as was their custom
at sunset. He could see the pink
shawl about Emily's head. and in the
clear air lie heard Luke Goddard's
sharp cough.
In another second they would see
him silhouetted against the sunset sky.
and he turned abruptly away.
As | said before, Providence inter-
vened. The mass of snow upon which
he stood suddenly slipped forward. and
before the young man could throw
himself from the little avalanche he
was speeding downward, downward
with startling swiftness.
He heard Luke's shout of dismay and
Emily's frightened scream as lie swept
down toward them = toward a goal
which could be no other than the roof
of their home.
1t was growing larger. larger now.
and the singing blue smoke OF the
chimney smote his eyes, and then-the
avalanche of snow struck the stout
roof and packed itself into a high
plateau about the tall chimney.
Addison clambcred out OF the great
bank OF sCc" to find Luke Goddard.
poised on tail ladder, staring at him
over the caves of the roof
Boy, IhnnSht you were killed."
said the Old man hoarscly as he helped
Addison to descend to the ground
Emily'S arms were around her lover.
Father ana came out to look for
you. Father made mistake"- She
looked Mt Luke with loving. sympathet-
ic eyes.
Luke smiled grimly. Il looked up
that Dodge matter after you weat out,
Addison. and-and as near as 1 can
make it out over the Mountain Dodge
was n grabbed old bachelor that lived
and died hermit. So I'll have to
give in that you came from Exeter
after ALL" He held out his hand. and
Addison grasped 1t warmly.
Were both wrong and both right"
asserted the yOunR man aS he stood he