The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1920-02-04
THE
''SNOWB BIRD"
~ -%
0a3D
By VICTOR RrDCLIFFE

III BY VICTOR REDCLlFFE
xCssyrisAt, 1870. wsstsra Newspaper Jnion)
Rhoda Burt was disappointed and
hurt. She had waited two hours for
Tayior Bridges to cali for her. al he
Ind rremised. 10 zee. him spin by the
Mouse I'm his sleigh and Maud Lester
w Ill hide. The smart was deep.
1hs ~ not envious Of the befurred
4 ana vAlveted Maud. She did not care
enough for Bridges to experience any
heaitache, but 70 realisation that she
hAd been Get aside because she was
stoor and humble subdued all other
emotions.
Rhoda lived with her aged, father,
aAd they eked out Z mere Subsistence.
Life was not very animated for the
lonely girl. Taylor Bridges had been
quite attentive to her Of late, but she
looked upon him g hap-hasard e.
cot Of tickle nature.
There was superb skating on the
river, and twice within week she
y had accompanied Bridges to spin
along Ito smooth surface. Only two
evenings before he had managed to
transfer her to Z friend while hs
sought the company Of gay group q
fashionable friends. Rhoda felt some
what embarrassed among the we'll
dressed girls, for her own apparel was
old. ont Of style,
There was one reminder Of that last
evening on the river, however. that
caused her I pleasurable sensation.
4 She was sitting alone resting on a
fallen tree when Neal Arden ap-
preached and asked her company for
r glide along the river. He was the
son Of the richest man in Ardnore,
sand had been absent ut college for two
years, and Rhoda fluttered % he al-
sluded to their former school compan-
iionship. He was % pleasant and
friendly that when he left her she felt
20 though she had passed through the
most inspiriting half hour Of her life.
But Of course. she reasoned, he
would probably never think Of her
again, and had acted from an impulse
~ courtesy and thoughtfulness.
~Oh, dear Z! sighed Rhoda. II fancy
/ shall be more contented to stay
st home until I can appear Ike other
sgiris. However, the gentlemaniy con-
sldefation Of Neal Arden made up for
ne disappointment Of the general stu
alton" l@ B
There came a big snowst0rm, fol-
LEVIED by i cold SNAP. It was about
nine O'Clock the second evening Of the
sell. The wind was blowing q hur-
ricane and the iii, was filled with Mt
itiss binding snow. when Rhoda. seat-
"a reading, was startled by forlorn
nelghing sound ct the window, and
rYoase heavy object grazed the pane.
sWhy, its q horse!'' she exclaimed.
and went to the door. Then she ran
70 where her father was lying asleep
and awakened him. z
''Eather. father, get up!" she cried
! excitsdly. "a horse has wandered
into our yard with wagon and .
man In it, seat has dropped the lines,
Ii and looks as II he Is frozen"
M. Burt, with . lantern. hurried out.
The Aorse seemed unable to, move.
The vehicle was q box wagon Of .
country huckster. Lying half back
in IT. seat was q man. helpless and ap-
parsntly lifeless. Beside him, all muf.
Aed up, apparently also overcome by
the cold. was 4 boy Of perhaps six
years.
4 II was no light task to carry the
stricken two into the house. Both
father and daughter worked for half
an hour restoring their involuntary
guests to safety and comfort. The
horse was led to the barn, and the
kindly SsSamaritans realized TINT the
suneresS had reached them just Ia
time.
4 humble peddler. Isaac Holmes
overd6Red with gratitude when khe
was able to comprehend all that had
been done for him and his idolized lit.
tie grandson Benny. He remained at
the Burt home until they were fully
fecuperated. The wise old fellow read
between the lines as to the poverty
Of his helpers.-- He brought from his