Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-07-06

| 1''''
She Was Working on a Pair Of Moe
easins, After an Indian Pattern.
miniature volcano when the fire was
roughly stirred, or an extra heavy sup
ply of dry wood laid on. When the
wind whistled out of the northwest the
line of flight was fair over the stack.
It behoOved them to watch wind and
fire.
Hazel washed up her breakfast
dishes, and set the cabin In order &C.
cording to her housewifely instincts.
Then she curled up in the chair which
Bill had painstakingly constructed for
her especial comfort with only ak and
knife for tools. She was working on
pair of mOccasins after an Indian
pattern, and she grew wholly absorbed
| in the task, drawing stitch after stitch
of sinew strongly and neatly into
place. When at length the soreness
of her fingers warned her that she had
been at work long time, she looked
at her watch.
Goodness me! Bills due home any
time, and I haven't thing ready to
eat" she exclaimed. sand here's my
fire nearly out"
She piled on wood, and stirring the
Goals under it, famed them with her
husbands old felt hat. forgetful of
sparks or aught but that she should
be cooking against his hungry arrival.
Outside, the wind blew Justify, driving
the loose snow across the open in long,
wavering ribbons. But she had for
gotten that 1t was in the dangerous
quarter, and she did not recall that i'm
portant fact even when she sat down
again to watch her moose steaks br0il
on the glowing Goals raked apart from
the leaping blaze. The flames licked
into the throat Of the chimney with
the purr Of a giant cat.
No sixth sense warned her of i'm
pending calamity. 1t burst upon her
with startling abruptness only when
she opened the door to throw out some
scraps Of discarded meat, for the blaze
Of the burning stack shot thirty feet
in the air. and the smoke rolled across
the meadow in a sooty manner.
Bareheaded, in a thin pair Of mecca
sins, without coat or mittens to fend
her from the lance-toothed frost, Hazel
ran to the stable. She could get the
horses out, perhaps. before the log
walls became their cremat0ry But Bill,
coming in from his traps, reached the
stable first, and there was nothing for
her to do but stand and watch with a
sickening self-reproach. He united
and clubhed the reluctant horses out
side. Already the stable end against
the hay was shooting up tongues of
flame. AS the blaze Tapped swiftly
over the roof and ate into the walls.
the horses struggled through the deep
drift. lunging desperately to gain few
yards. then turned to stand with ears
pricked up at the strange sight, shiv-
ering in the bitter northwest wind that
assailed their bare, unprotected bodies.
Bill himself drew back from the fire
and stared at it fixedly. He kept 81
lence until Hazel timidly put her hand
on his arm.
you watched that fire all right.
didn't yOu?" he said then.
bill, Bill - she cried. But he
merely shrugged his shoulders, and
kept his gaze fixed on the burning
stable.
To Hazel, shivering with the cold.
even close as she was to the intense
heat. it seemed an incredibly short
time till glowing mound below the
snow level was all that remained;
black-edged pit that belched smoke
and sparks. That and five horses
bumped tail to the driving wind. stol-
idly enduring. She shuddered with
something besides the cold. And then
Bill spoke absently, his eyes still on
the sm0ldering heap.
give feet of caked snow on top Of
every blade of grass" she heard him
mutter. "They can't browse on trees. |
like deer"
He had stuck his rifle butt first In
the snow. He walked over to 1t Hazel |
followed. When he stood. with the
rifle slung in the crook of his arm, she
tried again to break through this silent |
aloofness which cut her more deeply |
than any harshness of speech could |
have done.
"Bill, I'm so sorry!" she pleaded !
"It's terrible, know. What Gun VIC !
dol"
do? HUH" he snorted. IF ever :
have to die before nv time I homo II