The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-21

Aneu, III SOllluuS, lOueilu6SS anu
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
Held to sell barely paid his debts.
Winter came on, and he was not able
to put in the usual annual supply Of
coal.
1t was a harsh, shivery season, full
OF privation and discomfort. Many
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 shed to repair the barn.
A part Of the refuse of the shed and
its boards sufficed tor quite fuel Sup
ply for the rude fireplace in the kitch-
en- of the cabin.
There had been 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 a horse attached to a
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 q
woman, apparently attracted by the
lights in the cabin, and screaming for
help.
1t was Viola Tascott! She fell half
fainting into his arms. He bore her
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 Compounded that
the Tascotts had started across coun-
try that morning for Plainfield, to be
overtaken by the storm. The brother
lay unconscious. Viola was half SEN
sible Of her strange surroundings.
Heat! That was the essential Of
the hour. Recklessly, Norman piled
on the last splinter OF wood. Then he
rushed to corner where a Ratchet
lay. He glared about him desperately.
There stood the old desk his father
had left him. Crash! into it's timbers
the keen blade sank. 1t was soon q
wreck. Soon, too, the fireplace blazed.
Viola sat up and rubbed her eyes.
She told Of their folly in trying to
cross the bleak prairie. She aided
Norman in seeing that her brother
was administered to. Then he sat
beside her on the settee, waiting for
morning.
Only once she referred to the past.
Why had he deserted them? He
told her Of those fateful overheard
words at the window, and she, in
blank CONSERVATION, told him that
what he listened to was part of an
amateur play she was rehearsing with
her cousins.
Then-then-might he hope she
would regard the words he had come
to speak to her in the long ago? All,
love was mightier than the storm and
poverty, and there their troth was
plighted.
And then came a wonderful discov.
cry, for among the litter from the old
desk, doubtlessly driven out from
some secret drawer, Norman CHANGED
to pick up folded sheet.
1t was the hidden release deed that
made him owner of the town property,
and a rich man.