The state herald., 1921-01-18


reason for supposing that Cranston
suspected his possession of the let
lers; he would not be particularly
watchful, and would probably pigeon
hole them until spring In Lennox's
desk.
And the truth was that Cranston
nad reasoned out the situation almost
perfectly. When Dan awakened In
the morning, and the snow lay already
foot deep over the wilderness world,
he knew that he would have no chance
to act upon the Cranston case until
The SHOWS melted In the spring. So
he pushed NIL thought of II out of his
mind and turned his attention to more
pleasant subjects. 1t was true that he
read the documents over twice as he
lay In bed. Then he tied them into
neat packet and put them away where
they would be quickly available. Then
he thrust his hend out of the window
and let the great snowfinkes sift down
upon his face. 1t was winter at last,
the season that he loved.
He didn't stir from the house that
hrst day of the storm. Snowbird and
he found plenty OF pleasant things to
do and tnlk about before the roaring
fire that he built in the crate. He was
glad of the great pile of wood that
lay outside the door. 1t meant life IT.
self, In this season. Then SnowDird
led him to the windows, and they
watched the white drifts pile up over
The low underbrush.
When finally the snowstorm ceased,
Ave days later. the whole face of the
wilderness was changed. The buck
brush was mostly covered, the fences
were ont of sight; the forest seemed
a clear, clean sweep of white, broken
only by an occasional tall thicket and
by the great, snow-covered trees.
When the clouds blew away, and
the air grew clear. the temperature
began to fall. Dan had no way OF
knowing how low II went. Thermome-
ters were not considered essential at
the Lcnnox home But when his eye
lids congealed with the frost. and his
mlttens froze TO the logs Of firewood
the pine trees exploded and cracked In
the darkness, he was correct in his
belief that II was very, very cold.
But he loved the cold. and the ST.
lcucr and auslerlty, that went with II.
The wilderness claimed him as never
before. The rugged breed that were
his ancestors had struggled through
such seasons MS this and passed love
Of them down through the years to
him.
when the ice made crust over the
snow. he learned to walk on snow
shoes. At first there were panied
nnkles and endless noundering In the
drifts. But between the fall Of fresh
snow aud the thaws that soflened the
crust he slowly mastered the art.
snowblrd-nnd Dan never realized the
full Significance Of her name until he
saw her dying with Incredible grace
over the snow-lnughed at him at first
ma ran him races that would usually
nd In his falling headhrsl Into ten
foot snowbank. She taught him how
to ski aud more than once she would
stop IN the middle Of an earnest bit
NJ pedagogy TO find that he wasn't lis
trnlng NJ all. Hc would seem 10 be
inlrly devourlng her with his eyes. de-
lighting In the play OF soft plnGs and
reds In her checks. and drinking. as a
man drlaks wine. the amnzing change
OF Ugh, aud shadow In her eyes.
She seemed 10 blossom uricr his
rnze. Not one Of those short winter
DAYS went by without the discovery
og some new trait or little vanity to
nstonish or delight sometimes
mn unlooked.fm tenderness toward the
wenl.. often sweet untaIncd philos
orhy Of life or perhaps lust u lower
ing Of her eyclids In which her eyes
would show nsrous through the
lnshes. or some sweeping eynhcrani
gesture sinr,llngly graceful.
Lcnnox wakcned one morning with
the realization that this was one Of
the hardest winters Of his exncricncr.
He BEGAN TO be very glad ~ the ahun.
dunt stores OF provisions That over
crowded his pnntry-savury lnus and
hncong dried yenlson. sacls ni rot7-
toes and eynpornied vcgcinhlr' aui.
uf course. canned goods post. cUuHi-
Ing. with the hleh fire roaring IN t''
crate. the season held no ills fnr them
But sometimes. wien the bitter cnli
came down nt twilight and the moon
looked llken thing of fee itself over me
snow. he began 10 wonder how The
Wild creatures who wlnterud on the
Divide were furlnc. OF course most
| of them were gone wonf. long since.
had grunted and mumbled his wny
into winter lair. But the wolves re-
mnlncd. strnnfc Trny shadows nn the
snow. and possibly few of The
hnrdicr smaller creatures.
More than once In those long win
ter nights their tnlk was chopped on
short by the song OF the nnck on some
distant ridge. Sometime. when thC
/ world IA old Dossibly n innu VIII h.