The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-06-06

II"
She Was Working on a Pair OF Moe.
casins, After an Indian Pattern.
a 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 behooyed them to watch wind and
fire.
Hazel washed up her breakfast
dishes, and set the cabin in order ac.
cordng to her housewifely instincts
Then she curled up in the chair which
Bill had painstaklngly constructed for
her especial comfort with only aX and
knife for tools. She was working on
pair Of mOccaslns 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 a long time, she looked
at her watch.
Goodness mel Bilrs due home any
time, and haven't a thing ready to
eat" she exclaimed. "And here's my
fire nearly out"
She piled on wood, and stirring the
Goals under 1t, 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 II 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 broil
on .he 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. II 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 sooty manner.
Bareheaded, in n thin pair of mocca-
sins, without coat or mttens to fend
bo, frop, thn opcn-tpntbnI frnct TIognI
ran to the stable. She could get the
horses out, perhaps, before the log
walls became their crematory But BIZ,
coming in from his traps, reached the
stable first, and there was nothing for
her TO do but stand and watch with a
slckening self-reproach. He united
and clubbed 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, shlv-
ering in the bitter northwest wind that
assailed their bare, unprotected bodies.
Bill himself drew back from the fire
and stared at 1t fixedly. He kept ST.
lence until Hazel timidly put her hand
on his arm.
You watched that fire all right,
didn't you?' he said then.
"Blll, Billw she cried. But he
merely shrugged his shoulders, and
kept his gaze fixed on the burning
stable.
To Hazel, shlverlng with the cold,
even close as she was to the Intense
heat, 1t seemed an incredibly short
time till a 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 smolderlng 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 lt; Hazel
followed. When he Stood with the
rife 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 sorryi" she pleaded. |
"It's terrible, know. What can we
do2"
"Do2 Huh r. he snorted. "If ever
have to die before my time, l hope 1t |