The Red Cloud chief., 1918-12-12

you know, for you've been to sea 81
much-Benjamn, i want to know II II
hurts much TO be drownd.edT"
Hurts much?" gasped the old sea
man.
"Yes, sir. DO people that get
drowDd-ed feel much palnp Is II suf.
ferin' way to die? | want to know
Benjamin, cause my papa and mamma
died that way" continued the child
choking little. at does seem as
though I'd Just got to know"
AYE, aye" muttered the man. 81
see. An kin tell ye, Carlyn May, as
clos't as anybody kin. I've been so
near drownin' myself that they thought
was dead when.I was hauled inboard.
"Comin' back from drowning Is a
whole lot worse than bein' drowned.
You take II from me-"
"Well," sioic, Carolyn May, I'm
glad to know 'hat. It's bothered me a
good deal If my mamma and papa
had to be dead, maybe that was the
incest way for them to CO."
Since Joseph Stagg had listened to
the rambling tale Of the sailor regard.
ing the sinking OF the Dunraven, he
had borne the fate Of his sister and
her husband much In mind.
He had come no nearer to deciding
what to do with the apartment In New
York and its furnishings.
After listening to Benjamin Hardy's
story, the hardware dealer felt less in
clined than before to close up the af-
fairs Of Carolyn Mays small estate" !"
Not that he for moment believed that
there was possibility Of Hannah and
her husband being alive. Five months
had passed. In these days Of wireless
telegraph and fast sea traffic such a
thing could not be possible. The imagi-
nation of the practical hardware mer-
chant could not visualize It
One day when Carolyn May was vis-
iting Mrs. Gormley Chet burst In quite
for 1t was not yet mid
afternoon.
Mr.. Stagg has let me Off to take
Carolyn May slidin'. The Ice ain't
goin' to be safe in the cove for long
now. Springs In the air o'ready. Both
brooks are runnin' full"
Carolyn May was delighted. Al
though the sky was overcast and
storm threatening when they got down
On the Ice. neither the boy nor the lit
tie girl gave the weather second
thought Nor had Mr.. Stagg consid-
cred the weather when he had allowed
Chet to leave the store that afternoon.
Chet strapped on his skates, and
then settled the little girl firmly on her
sled, with Prince riding behind.
The boy harnessed himself with the
long towrope and skated away from
the shore, dragging the sled after him
at brisk pace.
"Oh, my" squealed Carolyn May,
there isn't anybody else on the Ice"
1--WE won't run into nobody, then"
laughed the boy.
1t was too misty outside the cove to
see the open water; but 1t was there,
md Chet knew Ii as well as anybody.
He had no intention of taking any
risks--especially with Carolyn May in
his charge.
The wind blew out OF the cove, too.
Az they drew away from the shelter OF
the land they felt Its strength.
Naturally. neither the boy nor the
little girl-and surely not the dog
looked back toward the land. Other
wise, they would have seen the snow
furry that swept down over the town
and quickly hid It from the cove.
Chet was skating his very swlftest.
May was screaming with de-
light. Prince barked joyfully. And,
suddenly. In startling fashion, they
came to flssure In the ice!
The boy darted to one side. heeled
on his right skate. and stopped. He
had Jerked the sled aside, too. yelling
to Carolyn May to "hold fast! But
Prince was flung from 1t, and scram-
bled over the ice, barking loudly.
"Oh, dear mer cried Carolyn May.
"You stopped too quick. Chet CORN
ley. Goodness There's a hole In the
iceW
"And / didn't see 1t till we was al
most in It," acknowledged Chet. "Its
more'n hole. Why! there's a great
field OF Ice broke Off and sallln out
into the lake."
"Oh, myw gasped the little girl.
The boy knew ut once that he must
be careful in making his way home
with the little girl. Having seen one
great fissure In the Ice. he might come
upon another. 1t seemed to him as
though the Ice under his feet was In
motion. In the distance was the sound
Of reverberating crash that could
mean but one thing. The Ice In the
cove was breaking upl
The waters of the two brooks were
pouring down into the cove. Spring
had really come, and the annual freshet
was likely now to force the ice entirely
out OF the cove and open the way for
traffic In few hours.
CHAPTER XIII