Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-01-27

Pole with a howl that meant danger.
II had come to stay, and 1t had
brought Doctor Cooks long missing
records from Etah.
Of course, the pony was smooth
shod. The coachman had figured it
out that it was to be winter with
out ice. Twenty rods from the gate
the animal struck an icy spot and
went down. He got up again all right.
but the fall had made him cautious
With his face to a blizzard and his
footing insecure he preferred to walk.
The gale brought more snow. 1t
didn't fall straight down. as girl
falls from cherry tree, but it sailed
around in rings and wreaths and
clouds. and neither girl nor horse
could see five feet into the furry.
Down went the pony again and again.
and twice he blundered into the road
side ditch and almost upset the cut
ter
Could the depot and Mr.. Chope be
reached? The driver asked herself
it There was farmers barn on the
road with a wagon shed attached. He
had often noticed It. AS he reached
that point in his struggles. and as he
found the gate open and felt the bliz-
zard growing stronger, he turned in.
He had no sympathy with would-be
heroines.
Miss Myrtle figured 1t out that they
were under a shed, but she couldn't
figure where nor how to get out
again. The pony absolutely refused
to bulge. He didn't care for all the
Chopes in the country. He stood
there and listened to the screeching
gale and the driving snow and was
glad he was no nearer Hudson's Bay.
Could the girl find the farmhouse
in the storm? No. Could she go for
wards and backwards on foot? I'm
possible. Could she make any one
hear her screams for help? lmpossi-
BILE again! What she could do and
did do was to cuddle down. There
were fur robes and blankets in plenty,
and after crying for an hour because
she was no heroine she fell asleep.
The pony shook and shivered and
shed tears that froze an inch from
his eyes, but he had to stand It.
Once. as the shed threatened to
come down under the pounding of the
gale. Miss Myrtle woke up enough to
remember how hot it was last Fourth
M Ti1lu nd in
she sort O. dreamed that the pony
had backed out of the shed, and that
he was going home by the light of
lantern. When she did actually
awake she was being carried into the
front room of her mothers house in
q strong mans arm. and as he de-
posted her on lounge she heard
MIN saying to her mother:
81 found her in a farmers wagon
shed off the road, but It was mere
chance that the pony whinnied at
just the right second. No; | don't
think she has come to any harm, ls
she had the robes over her. You had
best give her hot drink and then let
her sleep as long as she will. Yes;
the drifts are very bad and it was
hard breaking way for the pony and
| Ii there's nothing l can do III go to
my room"
That blizzard showed up the coun-
try for a week. Then Mr.. Chope
went away to be gone week and re-
turn. Then he was off for day or
two at time, but he made the house
his home. Tom called him "old man"
and pressed him to stay for a hun.
dred years and mother and daughter
got to think he almost belonged there.
On that blizzard night, not finding any
one at the depot, he had made his
way to the house and then gone back
to the rescue Of the maiden.
Myrtle" said the mother one day
when she caught the girl craning her
neck to look down the road, that
was bad blizzard"
"A horrid one, mother
"But are you not glad 1t occurred?'
Glad? Why should | be glad?"
Because, you had both little toes
frost bitten and made a heroine of
yourself"
What foolishness."
And because If Mr.. Chope doesn't
ask you within another month to be
his wife then | never saw love in a
mans eyes!"
"You silly mother!"
But he did.