The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1910-03-02

As he crashed through the tnln crust
with fiercely placed steps light vino
sent the 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.
He paused and looked around at the
mountains of snow glistening with icy
caps in the bright sunshine.
Overhead was a sky of deep blue.
Below nestled the village, with his
school in the center. and under the
shoulder of Bald Knob was Luke God
dards 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 a great natural cave in the rocks.
and that cave was Luke Goddards
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
now, standing alone on the mountain
top, with loveless future before him.
Addison Dodge was very miserable.
His was a 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
| 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.
| A1J;con roo,,,od ouo, +bo
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 dozen times, and his pride
sent him back again as many more.
At sunset, when the whole west was
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 q short cut to the village
below.
He had made up his mind. He
would not take back what he had said
to Luke Goddard.
When he reached 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 of the cottage and 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 he heard Luke Goddard's
sharp cough.
In another second they would see
him silhouetted against the sunset sky
and he turned abruptly away.
AS l said before, Providence inter
vened. The mass Of snow upon which
he stood suddenly slipped forward, ant
before the young man could throw
himself from the little avalanche ht
was speeding downward, downward
with startling swiftness.
He heard Luke's shout of dismay ant
Emily's frightened scream as he swep
down toward them = toward goa
which could be no other than the roo
Of their home.
1t was growing larger, larger nov.
and the stinging blue smoke of the
chimney smote his eyes, and then-th,
avalanche Of snow struck the stou
roof and packed itself into a higl
plateau about the tall chimney.
Addison clambered out of the grea
bank Of snow to find Luke Goddard
poised on a tall ladder, staring at hin
over the caves of the roof.
boy, l thought you were killed,
said the old man hoarsely as he helped
Addison to descend to the ground.
Emiiy's arms were around her lover
Father and l came out to look fol
you. Father made mistake"- Sh,
looked at Luke with loving. sympathet
ic eyes.
Luke smiled grimly. 81 looked NJ
! that Dodge matter after you went out
Addison, and-and as near as l car
make 1t out over the Mountain Dodge
was a grabbed old bachelor that lived
and died a hermit. So I'll have X
give In that you came from Exeter