The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-25

| wei wrapped up IN IurS-
Two miles up the road Cord IN stopped
his team sharply. He had turned a
bend in the trail and had come upon
an empty stage buried In the snow.
The fear that had been uppermost
in Elliot's mind for twenty-four hours
cfutched at his throat. Was it trag-
edy upon which he had come after
his long journey?
Holt guessed the truth. They got
stalled and cut loose the horses. Must
have tried to ride the cayuses to
shelter"
ITO Smiths Crossing?" asked Cor
don.
Expect So" Then, with a whoop.
the man on the sled contradicted him
self. mo, by Moses, to Dick Fiddler's
old cabin up the draw. That's where
| saltwater would aim for till the biz
gard was over"
'Where is ft?" demanded his friend.
"Swing over to the right and follow
the little guIch- I'll wait till you come
back
Gordon dropped the gee-poIe and
started on the instant. Eagerness,
anxiety, dread, fought in his heart. He
knew that any moment now he might
stumble upon the evidence of the sad
story which is repeated in Alaska
many times every winter. 1t rang in
him like q bell that where tough
hardy miners succumbed a frail girl
would have small chance.
He cut across over the hill toward
the draw, and at what he saw his pulse
| quickened. Smoke was pouring out of
the chimney of q cabin and falling
groundward. as 1t does in the Arctic
during very cold weather. Had Sheba
found safety there?
As he pushed forward the rising sun
flooded the earth with pink and struck
a million sparkles of color from the
| snow. The wonder of it drew the eyes
of the young man for a moment toward
the hills
a tumult OF joy flooded his veins
The girl who held in her soft hands
the happiness of his life stood looking
at him. 1t seemed to him that she
was the core of all that lovely tide of
radiance. He moved toward her and
looked down into the trench where she
waited. Swiftly he kicked off his
snowshOes and leaped down beside her
The CLEAN Of tears was in her eyes
as she held out both hands to him.
During the long look they gave each
other something wonderful to both Of
them was born into the world.
When he tried to speak his hoarse
voice broke. ''Sheba-Iittle Sheba
Safe, after all. Thank God, Fou-
you" He swallowed the lump in his
throat and tried again. eff you knew
God, how I have suffered I was
afraid dared not let myself think"
A live pulse beat in her white throat.
The tears brimmed over. Then, some
how, she was in his arms weeping. Her
eyes slowly turned to his, and he, mel
the touch. of her surrendered lips.
/ Nature had brought them together by
one Of her resistless and unpremedi-
tated impulses.
A stress OF emotion had swept her
into his arms. Now size drew away
from him shyly. The conventions in
which she had been brought up assert
ed themselves. An absurd little fear
| obtruded itself into her happiness. Had
she rushed into his arms like a love
sick girl, taking it for granted that he
cared for her?
"You-came to look for usF' she
asked, with the little shy stiffness Of
embarrassment.
For you-yes."
He could not take his eyes from her.
1t seemed to him that a bird was sing
ing in his heart the gladness he could
not express. He had for many hours
pushed from his mind pictures Of her
lying white and rigid on the snow. In
stead she stood beside him, her deli
cate beauty vivid as the flush of a
flame.
did they telephone that we were
lost?"
Yes. I was troubled when the
storm grew. could not sleep. So 1
called up the roadhouse by long dis
lance. They had not heard from the
stage. Later 1 called again When I
could stand it no longer, 1 started"
mot on foot?"
mo, with Hollis dog team. He Is
back there. His leg is broken. A
snow-slide crushed him this morning
where we camped."
Bring him to the cabin. 1 will tell
the others you are coming"
''Have you had any food?' he asked.
A tired smile lit up the shadows CT
WEAKNESS under her soft, dark eyes.
Boiled oats, plum pudding and choco-
Iates," she told him.
eve have plenty of food on the sled.
I'll bring it at once.''
She nodded. and turned to 90 to the
cabin. He watched for a moment the
lit in her walk. An expression from
his reading jumped to his mind. Me-
lodious feetI Some poet had said that,
hadn't he? Surely il must have been
Sheba of whom he was thinking. this
girl so virginia. of body and Of mind,
free and Hght-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 lickitty split" saltwater
said
you're right we did This side pard-
ner Of mine was bent on wrestling with
a blizzard" Holt answered dryly.
'tSorry you broke your Iaig, Gid"