South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-23
THE SNOWMAN By O. Henry

who can show a reaction that is not
chiefly composed Of a drachm or
two OF potash and magnesia. with
traces Of Adam. Ananias. Nenu-
chadnezzar. and the fretful porcu-
pine.
This is no story. you say: well let
There was a knock az the door 0s
the opening not full Of context and
reminiscence on. best buyers Of best
sellcrs2).
We drew the latch. and in stun
BLEED Etienne Girod Gas he afterward
named himself). But just then he
was no more than a worm strug-
Cling for life. envelOped in a killing
white chrysalis.
We dug down through snow. over
coats, mufflers. and waterprOOfs. and
dragged forth living thing with a
. Van Dyck bear and marvellous dia-
mOnd riags. We put IL through the
approved curriculum of snOw-rub-
blng. hot milk, and teaspoontul
doses of whisky working him up TO
"a graduating class entitled TO di-
ploma OF three fingers Of rye in half
"A glassful OF hot water. One of the
ranch boys had already come from
y
and kicked the strangers staggering
pony 20 some sheltered corral where
beasts were entertained.
! Let photographic biography of
/ Girod intervene.
Etienne was an opera singer or
I iginaily, we gathered; but adversely
and the snow had made him non
| Conpos vOcis. The adversely consist
ed OF the stranded San Salvador OPP
\ era company, a period OF hotel sec
/ Ond-story work. and then a career
I OF professional palmist, jumping
| from town TO town. For, like other
! professional palmists, every time ne
worked the heart line too strongly
he Immediately moved along the line
OF least resistance. Though Etienne
did not cOntide this TO us, we sur
missed he had moved out into the
dusk about 20 minutes ahead OF a
constable, and had thus encountered
the snow. In his most sacred blue
language he dilated upon the sub
jet Of snow: for Etienne was Paris
born and loved the snow with the
same passion that an orchid does.
''Mee-ser-rhablei" commented Eft
ienne, and took another three fin
gers.
ed blank blank" said Ross
and followed suit.
Rotten" said I.
The cook said nothing He stood
in the door weighing our outburst
and insistently from behind tina
frozen visage 1 got two messages
(via the NJ a. NJ. wireless). On'
| was that George considered our vi
! tuperatiOn against the snow childish
the other was that George did no
; love Dagoes. InasmUch as Etienn'
r was a FrenChman, / concluded l haC
the message wrong. So I querieC
the other: Bright eyes. you don
really mean Dagoes. do you2" anC
2 over the wireless came three deathly
f psychic taps: Yes" Then I re
Elected that to George all foreigner
were probably "DagOes." I had one,
{ known another camp cook who ha'
thought Mons. Sig. and Milli
T CTrans- Mississippi for Mlle) wer
: Italian given names: this cook uset
10 marvel therefore at the paucity o
r Neo- Roman precognOmens, ant
therefore why not
I have said that snow is a test o
, men. For one day, two days, Etienn
81 stood at the window. FletcherizInl
s his finger nails and shrieking an'
S moaning at the monotOny. To me
{ Etienre was just about as unbear
e able as the snow, and so. seeking re
o. lief, went out on the second day {
e look at my horse. slipped on a stone
{ broke my collar bone. and there
after underwent not the snow tes
but the test of flat-on-the- back.
a test that comes once too often 70
r any man 10 stand.
n However. 1 bore up cheerfully.
e. was now merely a spectator, an
- from my couch in the big room
e could lie and watch the human in
e terplay with that detached. impaS
r. Sive. impersonal feeling whic
!. French writer's tells us is so valuabl
" 10 the litterateur. and America
writer's 10 the faro dealer.
h Il shall go crazy in this wretcheC
q abominable. mee-ser-rhable place.
q was Etienne's constant prediction.
al Never knew Mark Twain 20 Dor
q over. He sat by the other window
r hour after hour, a box OF Pittsbur
II stogies Of the length, strength. an
p. odor Of Pittsburg graft scand;
II deposited on one side Of him, an
10 "ROughing 1t. The Jumping Frog
and Life on the Mississippi on tn
" other. For every chapter he III
d new stogy. putting furiOusly. Thi
q in time, gave him reCurrent pr,
II monition Of cramps. gastritis. smol
l. ers' collie, or whatever IL is they hav
d In PIttsburg after a too deep indus
Al ence in graft scandals. To fend O