Year: 1873

all who who felt lis terrors. The dearening
roar of the wind and hail almost drowned
the loud thunder-claps. A binding flash
of oflightning showed the trees almost bent TO
the ground, and the house rocked to and fro
like a cradle. She suddenly felt a new,
strange feeling, as if she was flying, float
ing, through the air. She thought that she
was dizzy, ant caught hold of the bed. A
terrible crash-she never knew how il all
happened Her babys cries aroused her.
The wind and rain chilled her through.
She started TO spring up but something
held her down. A shock of pain darted
over her, and putting out her hand, she felt
a great beam lying heavily across her
limbs. 1t seemed as though ii was crush
ing her. Something struck her, then an
other and another. How they stungl Obi
was her.child unsheltered from that pitt
less storm? His screams grew louder. Oh
she must reach him She could sec moth
ing through the thick darkness, but she
knew that he was not far of. What if he,
TOO, were fastened, crippled She stretched
her arms; every movement made her pain
more excrucating. She strained every
nerve; she could almost reach him. What
if he was free and could come to her? ooh
Sa anmy Sammyr she called, "come to
nanny" The child ceased crying. She
heard him move. His warm body touched
her hands that were cropping in the dark
ness. She caught him in her arms and
hugged him 10 her breast She felt of his
head, his arms, his feet sound and whole.
How thankful she was for that. But how
those cruel hail-stones must have bruised
him. She rested him on the ground and
crouched over him; she could move Just
enough for that. The frightened child
ceased crying, and put his arms about her
neck. If she could only find something TO
cover them from the storm. She reached
around, but could touch only cold mud


Oh that terrible pain! She had almost
forgotten it in her anxiety for her child. 1t
grew more and more intolerable 1t SEEM
ed as though the hail-ston struck through
into her brain, What if they killed herP
Was she afraid to die? Visions of eterni-
ty, of the heaven of her faith rose before
her. Should she dwell with God and the





would never be an end ? No, she was not
afraid of death. But her child, her hus-
band-how could she leave them Not yet
Not when life opened before her She must
live TO help John keep his promise. God
would spare her for that. How long it
would be until morning. How could she
bear the pain so long? Oh! it would be
fAp I1 T,,I,, I
lying there cold and stiff. John did love
her, oh ! so well. He had loved her so long.
1t seemed so many years since he first told
her that he loved her it was on the noun
tain-side in dear old Tennessee. How far
away it seemed. How the sun shone and
the birds sang. How dreamy and bewil-
dered her thoughts were. How still the
baby was. Yes, she could feel his heart
beat. She no longer felt the patter of the
storm; had it ceased?


Her thought was answered by rush of
wind from new direction. She felt the
great weight lifting Off from her. She was
free! Then-sonlething struck her.


The train went snorting into Winthrop
just at daylight. John jumped off, and
was the first to reach the ferry. He had
never seen Atchinson so quiet. With the
exception of those who had crossed on the
ferry and few early rsers who were hur-
rying up the street, the town seemed asleep;
but as he passed Connecticut street, he saw
a man who was riding mule, coming
down in great haste, who cried out, GLOW
dy, Johnw


"Why, Jake" he replied, SIS that you?
I allowed you was halfway to Denver afore
now"


1--WE started yesterday, but we had a
powerful storm on the prairie out here, last
night. We CHANGED to be right near to
house and they let us in; but it sent our
old wagon rolling over and over across the
prairie, like patch of tumble weeds, and
our oxen all.stampeded Pm on the hunt
for 'em.'


at dod't look like ii had reached Atch-
inson."


"No; l reckon ii just took a streak"


John hurried on down the river. The
road ran so rear the bank that the steady
swash of the water seemed under his feet.





and the sunshine came creeping down the
bluffs overhead. How eager he was to get
home that morning. His heart was full of
new plans and new purposes. He could
keep his promise, and he would he would
never make Nancy's heart ache again by
breaking that promise. He stopped sud-
denly-had the storm reached Summer?
N oil oil ha xvbo orf
leaning roofless, one this way, another that;
as if the wind, coming over the bluffs, had
reached just low enough to unroof them.
He FASTENED around the foot of the hill
there lay the brick hotel, the boast of the
town, in scattered fragments on the ground,
like wasp's nest scattered by the house
keepers broom. He looked around three
it with his home? He ran up the street
until he could see where it stood. Gone
Not vestige of it left. And his family?
Perhaps they had escaped before the storm;
perhaps Scarce knowing what he did,
he hurried to the nearest house that was
yet standing, and without ceremony open
ed the door. There was no one in the
sheet "sunk to the still proportions of two
silent forms. Moved by some strange i'm
pulse, he turned back the covering that
shrouded the faces-Nancy and the baby
Shocked, stunned, he sank on his knees
and laid his face on that dear form. Who
can describe, who can comprehend the ut
ter desolatlon of that hour? None but
Nxh hnun fol l,n to
and memories that crowded upon him
many of them, bitter, regretful thoughts.
But there was one memory for which he
was thankful; that he had not listened to
the tempter which whispered TO him yes