The Adair County news., 1918-03-20
nave you nao any food?" he asked.

lave you udu any IOOuS ne dSkeQ.
A tired smile Lit up the shadows of
WEAKNESS under her soft, dark eyes.
Boiled oats, plum pudding and choco-
| lates," she told him.
"We have plenty of food on the sled.
I'll bring 1t at once"
She nodded, and turned to go to the
cabin. He watched for a moment the
lilt in her walk. An expression from
his reading jumped to his mind. Me-
| lOdiOus feet! Some poet had said that,
hadn't he? Surely it must have been
Sheba of whom he was thinking, this
| girl so virginia. of body and of mind,
free and light-footed as a caribou on
the hills.
Gordon returned to the sled and
drove the team up the draw to the
cabin. The three who had been ma.
rooned came to meet their rescuer.
"You must "a come right through
the storm lckitty split" saltwater
said.
you're right we did. This side pard-
ner Of mine was bent on wrestling with
a blizzard" Holt answered dryly.
|
THE there's two of US sorry, Swift
water. It's one of the best laigs I've
| got"
Sheba turned to the old miner im-
| pulsively. eff you could be knowing
what am thinking of you, Mr.. Holt
how full our hearts are of the graft
tude-" She stopped, tears in her
voice.
"Sho! No need of that, miss. He
dragged me along" His thumb jerked
toward the man who was driving. "Tve
seen better dog punchers than Elliot,
but he's got the world beat at routin'
old-timers out of bed and persuadin'
them to kick in with him and buck a
blizzard. Me, O. course, I'm an old fool
for comm"
The dark eyes of the girl were like
stars in a frosty night. "Then you're
the kind of a fool love, Mr.. Holt. I
think it was just fine of you, and I'll
never forget it as long as live"
Mrs. Olson had cooked too long In
\ lumber and mining camps not to know
something about bone setting. Under
her direction Gordon made splints and
helped her bandage the broken leg.
Sheba cooked an appetizing breakfast.
The aroma of coffee and the smell Of
frying bacon stimulated appetites that
needed no tempting.
Holt, propped up by blankets, ate
with the others. For a good many
years he had taken his luck as it came
with philosophic endurance. Now he
wasted no time in mourning what
could not be helped. He was lucky
: the ice slide had not hit him in the
head. A broken leg would mend.
While they ate, the party went into
committee of the whole to decide what
was best to be done. Gordon noticed
: that in all the tentative suggestions
made by Holt and saltwater the
: Comfort Of Sheba was the first thing
in mind. :-:z:s 10 2. r -'
The girl, too, noticed it and smil-
ingly protested, her soft hand lying
for the moment on the gnarled one of
the old miner.
"It doesn't matter about me. We
have to think of what will be best for
Mr.. Holt, of how to get him to the
proper care. My comfort can wait"
The plan at last decided upon was
that Gordon should make a dash for
Smiths Crossing on snowshoes, where
he was to arrange for relief party to
come out for the injured man and Mrs.
Olson. He was to return at once with
out waiting for the rescuers. Next
morning he and Sheba would start
with Hollis dog team for Kusiak.
Macdonald had taught Sheba how to
use snowshoes and she had been an
apt pupil. From her suitcase she got
out her moccasins and put them on.
She borrowed the snowshoes of Holt,
wrapped herself in her parka, and an
nounced that she was going with FL
liot part of the way.
Gordon thought her movements a
miracle of supple lightness. Her lines
had the swelling roundness of vital
youth, her eyes were alive with the
eagerness that time dulls in most
faces. They spoke little as they swept
forward over the white snow wastes.
The spell of the great North was over
her. Its mystery was stirring in her
heart, just as it had been when her
lips had turned to his at the sunrise.
! AS for him, love ran through his veins
like old wine. But he allowed his feel
ings no expression. For though she
I had come to him of her own accord for
that one blessed minute at dawn, he
, could not be sure what had moved her
: so deeply. She was treading world
primeval, the wonder of it still in her
+ soft eyes, Would she waken to love
= or to disillusion?
0 He took care to see that she did
:, not tire. Presently he stopped and
held out his hand to say good-by.
d "Will you come back this way" she
" asked.
e "Yes. ought to get here soon after
dark. Will you meet me?'
G She gave him quick, shy little nod,
1 turned without shaking hands, and
struck ont for the cabin All through