The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-19

Then, in solitude, loneliness and
gloom, Norman settled down to the
hardest kind of work on his little
farm. He never went to Riverdale.
he made no inquiries concerning his
former friends, the clock of his life
seemed to have stopped for him, and
he lost his nerve and ambition.
To make matters worse. the crops
were a complete failure that year.
What produce Norman took to Plain
field to sell barely paid his debts.
Winter came on, and he was not able
to put in the usual annual supply of
coal
It was q harsh. shivery season. full
of privation and discomfort. Many
a night he sought rest early to save
the little heap Of cordwood he had in
store.
/ Then came a two weeks spell Of
twenty below zero weather. To keep
from positive suffering, Norman had
to use up his little stock Of hard wood.
He began to gather up loose boards
and chips around the place. He be-
came alarmed for his team. and bat
tened them into the little stable. tear.
ing down a shed to repair the barn.
A part of the refuse of the shed and
its boards sufficed for quite fuel sup
ply for the rude fireplace in the kitch-
en- of the cabin.
There had been a heavy fall Of snow,
then it had cleared OF bitterly cold.
Seated shivering by the almost empty
fireplace, Norman half decided to drive
with his team to Plainfield and put
up at the hotel there till spring.
The day had opened clear and bright.
but towards noon the snow had be-
gun. Now it was bowling, binding
tempest. With the exception Of few
bits of wood the fuel supply was abso-
lutely exhausted.
What was that?" cried Norman sud-
denly, and sprang to his feet, for above
the wailings of the wind clear, sharp
cry had echoed forth in the grasp Of
the tempest outside.
Dimly he made out shadowy mass
in black contrast where the road had
been. He struggled through the snow
to discover horse attached to q
sleigh, lying inert where it had fallen.
| On the seat was the form of a man,
evidently overcome by the intense
cold. Staggering towards him was a
woman, apparently attracted by the
lights in the cabin, and screaming for
help.
It was Viola Tascott! She fell hall
fainting into his arms. He bore heI
into the cabin, placed her on the big
settee near the fireplace, dashed forth
again, discovered that the horse was
dead, and then bore in his arms into
the cabin the overcome brother of the
girl he loved.
Norman at once comprehended thai
the Tascotts had started across coun
try that morning for Plainfield, to bt
overtaken by the storm. The brother
lay unconscious. Viola was half sen
sible of her strange surroundings.
Heat! That was the essential o
the hour. Recklessly, Norman pilet
on the last splinter OF wood. Then HI
rushed to a corner where a hatche
lay. He glared about him desperately
There stood the old desk his fathe
had left him. Crash! into its timber
the keen blade sank. It was soon
wreck. Soon, too, the fireplace blazed
Viola sat up and rubbed her eyes.
She told Of their folly in trying t
cross the bleak prairie. She aide
Norman in seeing that her brothe
was administered to. Then he sa
beside her on the settee, waiting 70
morning
, Only once she referred to the pas
Why had he deserted them? H
J told her Of those fateful overhear
: words at the window, and she,
/ blank CONSERVATION, told him ths
amateur play she was rehearsing wit
her cousins.
> Then-then-might he hope sh
t would regard the words he had CON
!, to speak to her in the long ago? Al
love was mightier than the storm an
, poverty, and there their troth VIZ
, plighted.
. And then came a wonderful disco
cry, for among the litter from the o.
Q desk, doubtlessly driven out fro
( some secret drawer, Norman chance
= to pick up folded sheet.
a It was the hidden release deed tn
g made him owner of the town propert