Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-09-09
The Storm Without.

The woman's first thought when she
stepped outside the door was that at
all hazards they must go back The
wind almost swept her away; only the
steadying grasp of the boy better pre-
pared than she for the attack of the
storm, enabled her to keep her feet
Yet the presence of that CHASTITY thing
on the floor which was affecting even
her iron nerve, prevented their return
Whatever happened they must go on!
The door of that shelter was closed
to them forever by the dead or dying
tenant She realized however, that
their chances of escaping freezing to
death in this mad endeavor were so
small as to be practically none. Well,
fate had forced her into this position.
She would follow the path she had
chosen, whatever might be at the end
of the way.
Speech was well nigh impossible
The boy staggered on past the win
dow, and she followed until the lee
of the house was reached Between
a great drift and the wall, in little
open space the horses were tied.
The boy was a natural horseman.
He had picked out the best two bron-
cos in the camp If any animals could
take them to safety, these could. Not
yet chilled by the fierce cold, they
united the shiVering, reluctant, terri
fed horses from the wooden pins driv-
en- into the chinks between the log
walls of the house to which they had
been hitched, mounted them, and
threading their way rosnd the drift
started southwark on their awful ride
They left death behind them-and 10!
death doomed before and on either
hand.
Except where the storm was broken
by houses, drifts had not yet formed
The wind was too terrific; it swept
the level prairie clean But away
from the shelter of the house they got
the full force of it. Although they
We're thickly clad in wool and fur, the
pressure Of the storm drove their gar
ments against their bodies, and soon
filled them with icy cold. There was
no help for it, no relief from it. They
had to bear it. They could only bend
their backs to it and keep on. trust
ing to the endurance of their horses
The woman judged that it had been
about one in the morning when they
had started. The Overland Limited
ran through the station at three. No
horses that lived could have made
that IS miles in two hours under those
conditions. 1t was more than prob
able, however that the limited would
be greatly delayed by the storm, and
if they kept going steadily they would
be likely to catch it. At any rate.
when they reached the station, they
would find food, fire and shelter.
Ii their horses did not give out. If
they We're not turned adrift on foot
in the storm and snow, and left to plod
on until they fell and slept, and froze,
and died, they would perhaps get
away.
More experienced than the boy all
these possibilities were present to her
She did not pray, she could ask moth.
ing of God; but she went warily and
carefully, helping the horse where she
could.
AS for her companion, he did not
give these matters very much consid-
GRAFTON He kept going toward the
south to the railroad station because
that was the only thing to be done.
Another, however, rode with him, if
not with her. Before his eyes was
ever present that CORY, grizzly spec
tacle of human form, the red blood
yelling from its breast, redder still
from the white snow with which he
was surrounded. That awful figure
beckoned him on. He was younger,
finer, better, than she. He was more
fool than knave; she was all knave.
Her thoughts went forward to what
was before her; but his went back
ward to what was behind. -
lTo be continued)