One morning Mr. and Mrs. Allis had occasion to go to a neighbouring town on
business, and Mary was left at home alone with the baby. The children rode
to school with their parents, and, when they got out of the wagon at the
door of the log school-house, Annie said,--
"Will you get back before night, father?"
"Probably not. If we do we will call and take you home."
The morning was somewhat dark and cloudy, and a dense fog settled in the
hollows and ravines. Towards noon, however, there was a change; a cold
north wind began to blow, as it blows nowhere except on the wide open
prairies, unless it be on the sea. The clouds soon disappeared and the
bright sun shone out clear and bright. Every hour the cold increased, until
it became intense. The school-mistress dismissed the children somewhat
earlier than usual and called them all around the huge fireplace to warm
themselves. Then, after she had carefully fastened their cloaks and tippets
and charged them to run home as fast as they could, they started out.
Poor little Annie and Susie had to go alone. None of the children lived in
the direction of their home; and, worse than all, they had the cold, fierce
wind directly in their faces. But they thought of no danger while the sun
was shining so brightly; and so on they went, running backwards to keep the
wind out of their faces. Somewhat more than half-way home, a little aside
from the road, lived a family by the name of Staunton.
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