The Donaldsonville chief., 1912-08-24

tered from the prevailing winds, but
the house itself was almost covered
with the drifts. The constant fire
roaring up the huge stone chimney
had melted some Of the snow at the
top and it had run down the slanting
roof and formed huge icicles on what
had been the caves of the house. The
man had cut away the drifts from
doors and windows for light and lib
erty. At first every stormy night
would fill his laborious clearings with
drifting snow, but as 1t became pack
ed down and frozen solid he was able
to keep his various ways open without
great deal of difficulty. A little
work every morning and evening suf-
feed.
Every day he had to go Gown the
mountain stairway to the bottom Of
the pocket to feed and water the bur
ros. What was quick and simple
task in milder, warmer seasons some
times took him half a day under the
present rigorous conditions And The
woman never saw him start ou: sn
the storm without sinking heart and
grave apprehension. On his set3rn to
the cabin half frozen, almost spent
with eager gratitude and satisfaction
which would shine in her eyes, threb
in her heart and tremble upon her
lips, control it as she might. And he
thought it was well worth all the trou-
bic and hardships of his task to be SO
greeted when he came back to her.
Winter had set in unusually early
and with unprecedented severity. Any
kind of winter in the mountains
would have amazed the girl, but even
the man with his larger experience
declared he had never before known
such sharp and sudden cold, or such
deep and lasting SHOWS. His daily
records had never shown such low
temperatures nor had his observation
ever noted such wild and furious
storms as ragged then and there. Il
seemed as If Nature were in con-
spiracy to seal up the mountains and
all they contained, to make ingresa
and egress alike impossible
a month had elapsed and Ends
foot was now quite well. The man
had managed to- sew up her beot
where the knife had cut 1t and al
though the job was a clumsy one tho
result was a usable shoe. It is as
tonishing the comfort she took when
she first put It On and discarded fof
good the shapeless Woolen stocking
which had covered the clumsy band
age happily noslonger necessary. All
though the torn and bruised member
had healed and she could use 1t With
care, her foot was still very tender
and capable Of sustaining no violent
or long continued strain. OF neceS
sity she had been largely confined to
the house, but whenever it had beet
possible he had wrapped her In his
great bear skin coat and had helped
her out to the edge of the cliff for
a breath of fresh air.
Sometimes he would leave hen
there alone, would perhaps have lsfs
her alone there always had she no&
imperiously required his company
Insensibly she had acquired the halo
it-not difficult one for a woman te
fall into-of taking the lead in tho
small affairs Of their circumscribed
existence and he had acquiesced i'm
her dominance without hesitation or
remonstrance. It was she wh6 or
dered their daily walk and CONVERSE
ton. Her wishes were consultea
about everything; to be sure no great
range of choice was allowed them, OF
liberty of action or freedom In ths
constraints with which nature bound
them. but whenever there was any
selection she made it.
The man yielded everything for her
and yet he did it without in any way
derogating from his self-respect or
without surrendering his natural inr
dependence. The woman instructive.
ly realized that in any great crisis in
any large matter, the determination
of which would naturally effect theiE
present or their future, their happtus
ess, welfare life, he would assert him
self, and his assertion would be unr
questioned and unquestionable by hsr,
There was a delightful satisfactsoa
to the woman In the whole situation.
She had woman's desire to lead In
the smaller things in life, and yea
crayed the Woman's consciousness
that in the great emergencies she
would be led, in the great battles she
would be fought for, in the great dan
gers she would be protected, in the
great perils she would be saved
There was rest, comfort, JOY and salts
faction in these thoughts
The strength of the man she mas.
tered was estimate of her own powoE
and charm. There was great, sweet.
voiceless, unconscious fattery in his
Difference of which she could not ha
unaware.
GRO BE Continued
Thin Ice.