Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-27
The Argus Daily Story
The Cyclone Cure-By Clarissa Mackie.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau

pasture and refused to eat. Even the
chickens seemed to feel some impend'
ing calamity in the air. for they hud,
died In corners, and some OF them
went to roost as the day grew darker
jeremiah went in and out OF the
house several times. and each time he
passed through the hall be noticed
that Mrs. Bentley was neglecting the
homework to attend to the safety OF
her own effects. Once when she was
struggling down the stairs with q
huge feather bed in her arms he came
to her assistance and carried the bur
den down to the cellar and from theirs
to that deep subcellar which had been
prepared for cases Of emergency.
The cyclone cellar was a small apart.
ment, cemented all over. and now II
was crowded with the possessions of
jeremiah Butterfeld's housekeeper.
Her feather bed was the browning
eminence Of small mountain OF
chairs piled with clothing and boxes.
A birdcage with its little occupant
hopping cheerily within stood on a
chair, together with young rubber
plant which Mrs. Bentley was coax.
ing to maturity. A lantern hung from
hook in one corner
You going to come down here be
fore dinner?" asked jeremiah in a mat
ter OF fact way.
It'll be time enough when the cy'
clone strikes" said the widow coura-
geously. az hope you'll have sense
enough to let the cattle take care OF
themselves and come down here too"
81 got to look out for my stock" said
jeremiah stolidly.
Once or twice he looked at the ba'
rometer and saw that 1t was rising
rapidly. Then the wind came, light al
first and steadily increasing in velocity
until it might have registered ten
miles an hour Matters looked serious
enough Mrs. Bentley had retired to
the cyclone cellar and pulled the trap
door down after her.
jeremiah stood outside watching for
the funnel shaped cloud that must
come out of the northwest If they were
really going to have a cyclone. He had
! housed all his horses and cattle and
hoped that the path of destruction
might not be laid in line OF his house
and barns. His standing crops he ex'
pected to lose and was resigned.
A Gathering whir overhead brought
his gaze to the revolving blades Of the
tall windmill back OF his barn. he
had meant to lock the blades so that
the approaching storm would meet
with resistance there. His watet
tanks were overlooking now and the
mill must not be permitted to run any
longer. There was only one thing to
do. jeremiah fastened to the room
under the tower and moved the lever
that locked the blades of the big cir
cular fan. But something was the mat
ter, and he went outside and looked.
One of the blades had broken loose
and in falling had so damned the lever
bar that there was nothing to control
the big fan unless one released the
broken blade and so give the lever an
opportunity to do its duty.
In trice Jeremiah was climbing up
the narrow iron ladder that led to the
platform under the whirring fan. For
the moment he had forgotten the com
ing storm. nor had he seen the funnel
shaped cloud whirling down upon him.
, Just as he reached the platform the
wind hurled itself upon the structure.
Something snapped in the deafening
> disturbance that followed. jeremiah
knew that it was part of the windmill
! and that he was also clinging to 1t by
main strength as they were sucked into
the center Of the circular windstorm
hOrpa oIn NJ xalnptfv of forty
; miles an hour. The atmosphere was
. filed with debris of every sort. Jere-
miah was conscious that his house kept
| pace with him for awhile rs he was
swept along on the platform, much as
was the Arabian prince who In days OF
old Travelled through space on magic
carpet
Something large and dark sent him a
: stunning blow just as be was sent to
the outer edge of the low travelling
storm center. and so it happened that
he fell to earth on a great mound OF
soft. hay. What became of the plat.
form he never knew. When he recov-
cred consciousness his wife, Eva. was
bending owe: him and crying because
> she thought he was dead.
Where am II" demanded jeremiah
sitting up and looking around at the
cloudless sky and then down at the
haystack on which he sat. When hC
saw his wife he really thought he had
. died and gone TO heaven.
Then Eva told to his incredulous ears
how the cyclone had brushed the edge
= Of her property and that the house was
unroofed and the hay he was sitting
> on and which had undoubtedly saved
: his life had come from her own vanish
ed barn. The fat carriage horse was
: dead and her chickens had disappear
ed from Lilac villa.
u I'VE will have to begin all ovel
again. Eva" said jeremiah firmly
I'VE can sell the two places and buy
one in California. I'm sure the Widow
Bentley would Ike TO buy Lilac villa
and maybe If she stays in the cyclone
belt long enough she'll get caught II
one and lose her bad temper"
> The cyclone cured rs. didn't 1t. Jer
, ry?" whispered Eva as she kissed he
). Z huei.and-c haira