Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-08

leaned against the rough logs of his house and
formess and Whitley whrlng world He had looked
upon a miracle. He had those immuable
peaks, as stable as Time, bend and bow in their
strange cosmic dance; for the change i'll the APP
parent position OF one had created the iusory effect
of change in all Gradually as the air cleared. he
saw that world lay about him. For dozen
yards before the cabin: his path with its high white
walls, was intact but beyond that lay incredibly
expansf OF sn9w ONE tn ro layer It a
great patches. The road was obterated, the vast
projecting rock lodges which had oyerrshadowed it
had disappeared. The great sweep of the avalanche
had left not tree standing. They had all been
RACED or else uprooted like the rocks and carried on
in that rresisbe rush The light poured badly
featureless But down the road where the bridge
had spanned the .crevasse there rose vast white
mountain effectualy cutting them off from all COM
muncaon with the outside world.
Nothing remained OF familiar surroundings: This
was new earth. At Last essoP reused hmS lei
eyes upon Alma's covering, Inuttering figure. He
gazed at her moment in unsimulated surprise I'M
believing, as if she must be part of the vision. this
miracle that he had SEEM then he leaned out from
the sheltering wall and scanned with a measuring
and speculative eye the white heap that from the
crevasse and seemed almost 10 touch the lowering
and sulen sky. Apparently satisfied. he gave
long whistle: and entering the cabin, began to build
time before.
The cracking Of the logs reused Alma and she
lifted her head, bent over her beads she had drawn
from her pocket, and stared at him with wild eyes.
Don't do that! she, cried sharply. Gomez
struggling to her fcet-"we must go-go-get away
the world: Come. quieklyr
"Where?" asked Jessop, with one OF his queer.
sarcastic smiles. throwing another log on the FIRE;
for Ii was popularity OF his that his large living
room held not only small cooking stove, but
huge open fireplace.
s sh"r: a least die ''''s''y We must get to the
"Hocwir asked ,JessCp still lasonc: Look at
that! lie pointed to the new mountain which rose
from the gully.
alma, listen
She looked up to meet his eyes sparkling with
thousand twinkling reflections of his mad mood.
MY friend the devil took my word. He's
better Judge of good bargain than you are'
fear; them without word, she fell to telling her
beads again.
long reamedof mastery were his at last, swelled
like diapason through his voice-"every that's
lived the kind OF life that have knows that there
comes times when, do what he will he can't buck up
against the combination against hm and there's
other times when his lucks just like big cornucopia
without bottom pouring steady stream Of good
things him. In the main lfe's damn cruel mis-
tress., She'll bind burdens on you thatd break a
burro's back; she'll make YOU work till your. fingers
split open and give you neither tlpenny bit nor a
thank we: she'll break your heart and take all your
money, the Jade and then give YOU. the go-by But
hang round your neck and be soft and sweet that
she makes up to you for every, rotten trick she's
no6H at w lease 9o her
Rugged himself at the thought-""I went down not
ings up!'. He looked about him with pride.
GEORGE! And to think stocked up with provisions
on" ae mo ean "s 9 %ma turned fownn
from her beads.
"That"-he pointed to the great wall between them
my srl" He ;poke wit! deliberate and yet exut-
t y w Am and 1e he threw her aa
lie" she cried. %You think I'd stay here with YOU.
Bill Jessop' Why, I'd rather throw myself in that
get home. l know that"
"WeIl you know the !nountai? as well as d."
think of it." He began to whistle through his teeth
softly as he filled his pipe, carefully pTodding the
comfortably in his chair he lazly struck match.
He seemed to be ponderng something deeply, oc-
casionaly squirting an eye at the ceiling in abstrusc
calculation.
It'll give us about ten undsturbed days" he said,
speaking with the pipe between his teeth his eyes
the blazing logs on the hearth We're in for big
thaw but it'll take time to melt down that mountain
@ there or hav They 1 won't n yy ae0u here down
know that Pm stocked up. So they know that we're
either comfortably dead III, that snow out there. or
digging out the Leftover boys for the next few
days It'll be about fortnight. Alma"
S "a GGGhs H yoa yin XII xq@y ys sf Ssa 'sA'
Jessop whstled softly his one monotonous tune
"You won't feel that way long" His eyes full
those two weeks are up. and you'll put your arms
as soft and s.weet-and you'll beg me to keep YOU
here always"
"Dios!" Alma had tottered back at his unlicensed
utterances, and stood with her stretched stify
against the wall her mouth OPEN, staring at him ir
Mortified incredibly. Then her hot blood flushed
her cheek, her eyes narrowed and slittered. and
like cat she sprang at him and slapped him acros'
his nsolenty smiling face. Take that, dog, she
cried ""son Of an ape" She flung Spanish oaths a.
him with such force and heat that he told her the,
spluttered when they fell upon the cold of hi
frightened ears.
But the maddening smile still fingered on his lip
as he bent to pick up the pipe her blow had sen en-
moment caressing the white dents her fingers ha'
left on his hard red cheek. Then carefully refnrl
his pipe ne drew table toward him, and sat for thu
rest of the day softly whistng and playing ont
game of solitaire after another
Alma for her part, retired to the darkest part o
the cabin. Her attitude resembled that of panthe
huddled sullenly in the back OF its cage, feignn
sleep yet warily watchful, lisess yet tense, ant
ready at any moment for spring.
When. at last. he announced supper BY simpl!