The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-12
BY Cf.AUDINE sIssoN.
Copyright, 1912, by the Associated

Copyright, 1912, by the Associated
Literary Press,l
Seated before bright CRATE fire In
the library. with good cigar In his
mouth and his feet in another chair.
Tommy Glcns was content. without
was a winter blizzard, with snow pill
ing up to the tops OF the fences ana
a gale chasing itself down the coun-
try highway: within the house was
no other human being. The mother
had gone away the day before on a
short visit, and the cook had been
given two days holiday. Tommy had
felt himself able to wrestle with skill
let and coffee pot, and had been LETT
to do II.
Tommy Glens gravitated between
the city and his mothers manor
house. He was supposed TO be study
ing for the bar, but he wasn't wear
ing out his brains. He had been at It
a year, and yet he doubted II he could
iii out the blank spaces in a bill OF
sale. Tommy. being twenty-four
years old. was supposed to have his
eye out for matrimony. but he hadn't.
Tommy wasn't looking for trouble In
any direction He just wanted TO be
let alone and take comfort.
And so the gale roared. the snow
fell. the drifts piled UP. and Tommy
Glens smoked and read and yawned
and wondered why 20 many people
spent 30 much time In kicking when
the kicks did no good.
A mile away, an hour or so before
the lone young man sat down, Miss
Nellie Grafton looked from the win
dow on the storm for q minute and
then turned to her mother and said:
why, mother. It's growing worse
all the time.'
"Yes?"
Its a regular blizzard"
Il guess 1t is"
But I've got to drive to the depot
with the cutter to fetch Fred. He isn't
very we'll, you know, and he couldn't
walk mile and a half through this
storm. He'll try to. though. I'm
not there"
Brother Fred was to come from
the city on the O'Clock train. Had
his train come through he would
have been with 1t, and just outside
Of tho depot he would have found
three snow-covered objects represent
ing his sister and pony and cutter.
The train left the city on time, but
drifts No sister, no pony. no cutter
to greet him when he at length ar
rived. No hotel at the country sta
ton. and the man In charge OF the
depot said It was against orders to
permit suspicious persons to pass the
night In the waiting room, 1t was
therefore Fred for home: and sofne-
time before midnight he got there.
1t was to find that the pony had ar
rived an hour before him. dragging
the cutter on its side and carrying
a great hump OF the fieecy on its
back and the mother walking the
floor and wringing her hands.
''She's been tipped over In some
drift and Is freezing to DEATH" was
the wall
Brother. Fred should have stum-
bled over the victim IL she had kept
TO the road, but as he hadn't he had
to take It that his sister had-stag.
gered aside before falling. or course
he must return over tho road. The
pony. vas brought eotht TO tfsec,> this
storm again. the whip vigorously ap-
piled and the search for freezing or
frozen girl was on.
As the pony made his slow way
through the drifts the brother had
time to wonder what a frozen sister
would look like. Would she begin
to freeze at her ears or her toes
first p" Would there be smile On
her face or look OF terror Would
her hands be folded over her bosom
or would they be extended at full
length, m, A. reaehinK for the AID thai
never sSanss' is mi ing fhs poor KirI
into the cutter might she not break
in two and have to be carried home
IN halves?
Tommy Glens was so content to
hear that old blizzard raging outside
while he was so comfy where ne was
that In time he dozed. In time he
also dreamed. In some other time
he dreamed that he was with DR..
Cook within 1000 miles OF the north
pole and that he was listening to
cries for help. -fi1ose cries awo3sc
him. and then he heard them In re-
alty.
Bareheaded and In dressing gown
and slippered feet Tommy made a
rush for the arctic circle. which was
the highway. and whe nhe returned
to the house he bore the alf-insensi-
hie form OF Mics Nellie Grafton in
his arms, A quarter OF a mile down
the road. ~ she was returning home.
Srs ~r,v,<, Ind triad ~ rftvnh tia pny,r>