Show A 1 4 1 A 4 a MA 1 1 1 4 V L i ir CHAPTER X continued 14 and how long will ine 0 o last liow how long I 1 ask you ile he lansed a foot end and she saw a bare leg above the shoe 1 11 I put my socks on joey miller thice hours ago when you were nodding aliat boys all in nancy fin and sums some of these little girls vion wont t live the day unless help leaches lei us if we had food it might put new ufa life into them but every lunch palls anity and lie ile stopped silenced by a moan from sonie some one in tle the huddled mass and lifting a hill worked at her stiff legs in III it was nance em the win twin who ft ho wore her find suddenly the fearl irl was pulling ok of tier her stockings while tack tacit protested prote you kaei keei those on fisl S sly siy iy are you going crazy do you want w ant to freeze to death lou ouro re in your thin silk un riles dies now I 1 know it I 1 saw you sneak out of that knitted thing it is while ago D n ion nince nelson jou keep those stockings nancy wild nothing jack was she understood half crazed with wit 11 anxiety for all those helpless calill dren and herself as veil ell slipping bare feet into her shoes again she knelt to pull her warm hohe hobe over the ley icy logs legs of the small sufferer while one of the girls watching in silence struggled out of her cont coat and buttoned it about lier her little ats ter nance threw a smile a drawn sad smile that cousin columbine w it nave have recognized come help me evelyn she said gently we must v m ake some of the littlest ones and keep them moving it was nearly noon v nhen lien as the wind subsided jack said the words that struck terror to ills his sisters sister Is heart im going now nancy ills olce trembled a little AS I 1 see it theres there a no other way keep up your courno courage and for gods sale nance keep fighting unless the win I 1 starts up ag again ga in 1 I 11 reich that ranch in a few hours I 1 nd lf if you don tv t cues ces met inet and nance knew tier her bretler cr re aled ed how a chance lie ho lind hail her 11 lips ps trembled but lie he inneo a gesture toward the children I 1 kno but I 1 enn can t let them die nancy while alle theres there s a cerince cirince ch ince to sie them 11 bill aning tt to the boy aho vho N ho wire w ire ills jachet I 1 in I 1 n going for help i nd ad it looks as it if I 1 1 I 1 hae to vike tike that coat no I 1 won t decd tile the socks fis as the little b boy y 0 stooped bracely lra ely to demoe them toni tom leep the kiddies monlong im 1 ni counting ou oi ou older ones lo 10 0 o help I 1 ook here I 1 spill e c up tile the loy suddenly Bud denly ou find a fence jack and fo low it it 1 you can toli told me once tint it if eer I 1 got caught out in a blizzard to find a fence and just hang onto it and it ion run into a arll m box bof aull ou 11 know a gate Is sot sol ethere gosh inck 1 I 1 I sort rt 1 wish ou wouldn t go tach forced a knille now nov don t aou QU orry kid III get there them sure so BO long ion as the wind stans quiet lou loll juat help nancy every liv you ann cnn in and happens dont ion t go to slap keep thinking that by night u 11 I 1 II be safe home goo I 1 ty by e everyone ery one ile he el 11 II I 1 t loot look tit at nancy cincy as lie he strode ay the girl knew that he did not dire to I 1 and in an another 1113 tall for a was blotted out hat fate meet anicet him alone on those terrifying plains she wondered tears stinging her ca ciello Ciel elida ld and with a clutch of fear was th ill vand ind rising time passed interminable hours that seemed unending the dread el ed wind ind died lown domi returned and died ag aglan aln not to r f urn no one rould say just allea the ceased for one by one the children were pre to tia tile the tell brov once nince succumbed ell horsely to ti be aroused by the fran tic pounding fists 0 of tommy Os gr g r 0 1 when the cold w v 9 still intense that second dul dual approached the pr ur alps but the whimpering Ill alperin olles glien silence ce acre w ere huili cd in an ominous most of the children tind had gln gl n ul up spent jah ito cold by now non completely comp fright for I or and hunger huner and even there had been str ainge happenings happen ingi i twice tice they since tacks departure at the souad of ap that ahelf th only to fand aln horses ing must hive hire de deceived elved them two eairs I 1 the ml had of tile the children mirage action 1110 ote I 1 and fis as tile the of disappointment failed flod burst into tears on ley icy irl rl ins ina courage k kaev n ev R in as a arnia an gil ST f arror r cree ling 0 r ap out iler I 1 r that mie he wils was giving alris kept closing against her will at times it ec tiled impossible to drag them open her hands numb hei bare legs curiously lifeless lom loin osgood stripped to hla his overalls arid cotton was ills hla dollies clothes on the boy iho ho hill given up tip juchs cont coat 1 without toms help nance told tier self she ehi could not endure much longer that boy was a helal how many times ind had she blie seen been him when lien on oa the brich of dozing pull himself liim self to f other to help the yours young or cr ones ahi lie was wag drowsy now poor dirling lui ills task pilled ile he imd had slumped slur onto tint huddled mass upon the floor oil lie he t go anderl not bravo little ton tom osgoode nancy dragged liel self up shaking the boy with all lier her falling failing streng strength th Wn walie le up lommel I 1 need youl you I 1 we must help these children don t po go to sleep tom keep keel fight ing tigh fighting tIng an hour later when ft hen tile the bus door 1001 snapped open and matt ew ev adim his uncle tind and two grim faced fa stopped stepped fearfully inside nan Ys fur colt coit was wag covering a mound of children mille the girl herself almost too to reallie Te that help had come sat on the floii amid a n drift of snow vieb only a childs thin sweater aft eater covering coyer lag her thin silk underwear nodding nod ling ding nf r she he rubbed at a boys frozen feet CH PTER XI SUCH events are ineas news to the associated tres pres on tile the morn ing after that momentous bl lyard james nelson arose early for mar garet va ag convalescing fidlin an nt int tack of flu and the doiran who had been coming in to help vas also hence it devolved on did to get the family breah breakfast tast but be fore beginning tills duty he stopped to tiko in ills his I 1 morning paper spring pring li hid id come early to edge inert men the air times pimps noticed was almost balmy lie ile had a melodious and mendelssohn s spring aon long was on hit his lips when illen sud denly realizing that time was as fleeting lie turned the kitchen ibell tlell therell there 1 greeted phil on ills his way ay downstairs and smiling Binl ling james tossed him the piper without looking at it IL take tahe tint that up to sour mother phil slip may like to glance at the news nena s before I 1 go but come right bick sonny I 1 need a cook s assIst assistant antl and ask how bow much coffee I 1 ought to use margaret Mar Marg giret tret looked loola up as the boy entered her room its tood good to hear bear dads dad a IM t icv it she elie arid recalling the imir months villen han that cheerful sound was wai silenced 1 I feel like a slacker lying hero here while he turns a cook but the doctor ens im not to stir for a nother v ipek pek thank goodniss aunt louisr will he out tonight dont stop to read the paper phil find and tell yo byoir ir as fl a heaping tablespoon look herel the small boyi ebes e es bere iere ere bright mith uh interest thres th res been a lawful blizzard in lol I 1 wonder if it was near cousin C lumb lumbirt Irm s margaret reached for the paper contin ling almost automatically A heaping li tablespoonful to every cup I 1 ahll hil then as he ran to join hia rat father her her eyes foil fell on these ar resting headlines I 1 terranc bluzzard sleeps colo rado plains bus full of school cull dran saved by heroic efforts of two yo ing people after the driver goas in in search of help became con fused and died to in the storm denver colo march ma 27 A story of lieto heroism ism and golf r le rince was vas enacted sc iday afternoon in a school bus stalled on the tha colorado a prairies when nancy nelson nineteen popular sub aub deb daughter of mr mir and mrs james 1 0 I nelson of boston and cousin ot of miss collim beno nelson resident of pine fine ridge colorado stripped to her underwear in order to put her clothes on children who were freezing to death before her eyes while her brother jack seventeen fac ing the tha steiro in hole hoie of bringing help succeeded in reaching a dla dis tant ranh ran h a where be collapsed collapse d after giving news of the of the missing bit bus without the heroic action of these two young people sixteen children aull undoubtedly liae haae peri klied I 1 bantle parents mare net read no further because her hancq bete shaking so that she could not see the type but she managed to coll call a call that somehow startled her husband and at that very moment the front door bell rang james set tho the coffee pot on the stoic and said iou answer that hell bell son eon III see vill oh it Jk mother lother wants 11 was wag lying back against tile tho pillows hor her face one hand still clutched the paper and a limp gesture told her husband he w was its to red it lie ile sat on the bed and strangely ills name mime stared up tip at him ns as he took the sheet anca bekolo he saw iw the head lines nancy alaon stripped to her underwear brother jack collapsed its a tele telegram graml t tried phil bursting into the oom in groat great excitement ci cit ement maate its from cousin loluma uc as me to visit her open it quick front ou wiy whets what s tile the matter la Is mother sick again geel theres therea the telephone na hat d it han hae e tc to ring for now As aa lie he sped aw away ay his father stared down at tile the yellow envelope for a moment it seemed iq if he could not face its contents then biaca ing himself inwardly he tore it open ebes 03 es the signature before lie read dont be unduly alarmed by reports in papers stop jack making fight against pneumonia and all possible being lone dona ston lel lei grah if coming stop wire again at noon after talking with doctor stop am ain proud of your calill dren columbine nelson kelson margaret watching Us ils ten oe face cried out Is lq 19 lt it not that I 1 jarcan broke in quickly I 1 not that dear I 1 I 1 and read the message ills his olce bolce trembling then the small email boy v as back call ing as lie he ran up tip the stairs its it s aunt lou ion on the telephone she wants you dad 1 cheres here s that telegram was it achen james rp returned turned five ruin min 1 THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING ruined financially james Nel nelson sori boston merchant bre iks tile ilia news to his household A tinia before an elderly chuon of nelsons belsons Nel sons coluni colum bine had suggested tl 0 at bance hla his daughter nineteen come coma to td her nt at pine ridge colo as a paid companion jack nance bances a bi other seventeen urges her to acre acee A t to rl e eve 0 their tather father of a financial burden and offering to go with her so that ate will not feel too lonely it Is arranged that the two shill go met by cousin columbine they are somewhat dismayed by hei t I 1 attire und and mannerisms manteris ms but she has character mark dam son of a close h filand lend of 0 the old lad Is introduced llie I 1 lie desolation to nances bances city ideas of pine RIUS RIUO appal 3 the girl the newcomers meet natthew fat thew adam marha older brother cousin columbine explains her reasons toi foi desiring nance to come coma to ter rr nance nanca gets better acquainted with matthew ad adam am and Is impressed by his good tense and hi his rood good looks an absence ot of interesting reading in the community gives nancy an inspiration ahe lie outlines an idoa idea for a public library at pine ridge cousin columbine invites friends to celebrate nancys social debut tie girl has ft a delightful evening and goes to bed with a feeling of greater contentment with pine ridge ludge nance divulges her plan tor for FL a pine rodga public libary with the gathering of the bbous the k stab opens nance being the librarian with matthaw and jack nance an all uncle ot of matthews matthew B on his ranch matthew Is compelled t to stay at hla his uncle s H find and on their way home the brother and sister are overtaken by a storm they come on EL a group of school eb children ildren in a at stalled a tied hus hua N ithone heat or food suffering in the tha cold the pall through the night keep the youngsters from the tha sleep of death practically divesting themselves of their clothing so that tho the smaller ero aller children may hane hae some warmth utes later there WES a bit more color in margaret face and ami phil avld avid ly perusing the story I 1 d ills head bead from the new spacer to ex claim gee didey jack gasn wasn t is wearing earing any socks I 1 lie ile d put em on a little feller that nas as freezing and nance had given ler stockings to a rue me one too and tier dress n lier her fur coat and everything 1 she he ji st had one ol 01 0 the kids adds sweaters enters 01 er her slip she got unconscious soon as they found em one of those adam fellers got there first nanci s legs are frozen to lie ile ceased abruptly at the warn arn ing glance from ills his father that s enough now phil louise had seen been the driler If margaret argaret nd ad was rather w ked up for boulse ionise another teacher will take her classes and shell catch an eyrly train out here III stay until blie bhe comes deir she aked if ve were vere going to colorado but 1 I 1 I feel as it if I 1 must jim uati margaret weakly it jack monia he lie he a groop so fat that 1 I 11 hiie lie last letter sald said hed gained kweli gwehe e pounds tl ti fx little boy reminded th them in I 1 anil and nancy gal laid d he hed d never looked so husky 1 I know hut but her ups lips frembd trem bd and ana jimes la in tempted 11 1 I u der stand ho liow iv you feel margaret but bat its impossible for you to trav l nw this flu a s so treacherous it one gets up too soon but III drop everything and go my self unless the next telegram Is reassuring I 1 promise that la Is pneumonia a very bad thing to avel anve questioned mill soberly pretty vid bid dad a n s ered thinking that should jack not weather neather it ills his mother could scarcely reach him in any menow close your eyes margaret and III II bring som coffee you iou 11 fi feel stronger when you ve ie had something to eat 11 louise lnelson said ald afterwards that she spent the entire day on nn telephone and door buli A num berof nancys se school hool mates aiutes cal called lei up from town as aa well us als soine of 0 the far famed boy friends arlenda fr lenda abera were calls calla from victer meter asking it if jack was as badly ot off as the papers intimated and it seemed 1 to 9 tile districted woman that she clie bad not ti tine alne ne in which to cheor tile tha invalid cousin columbine ans as better than her word the second vies ine saaga sage arriving almost en an hour before promised louise called tier broth ers era anti and read it to I 1 liu ila I 1 its it 8 addressed to jim she sais doctor thinks thinka things goolt rather better find considering how bow far away you vre ore advises iou not to start immediately juk jack doing as aa well na as can be expected nancy suffel ing greatly but her con coil age Is good and will increase ln In reuse rease as af vei kness wears away letter follows this but will nill write and iidro ft ire dally daily for the present shall stay near clock nor ncr so BO address me there then dad wout wont gov go hovering near na as his aunt telephoned telephone phoned me iho shook her bior bead are they both better ketterl aunt louise nodded because speech came hard the message was hopeful y et she so ecsi |