ould be
sheltered. Luther's mind dwelt lingeringly upon its cozy arrangement;
every atom of his body craved shelter. Death by freezing faced him
already, though he had been in the grip of the storm but one short quarter
of an hour. He had lost consciousness of time: he only knew that he was
freezing within sight of home. Nothing but action could save him. Nerving
himself for another trial, the bewildered man turned toward the north and
walked into the very teeth of the storm, searching for the lost trail.
Sometimes he thought his foot had found it; then it would be lost again.
He wandered on hours, days, weeks--he wandered shivering over the meadow,
the road, the state of Kansas--over the whole globe and through all space,
till at last a great wall shut off the offending wind, the roar of the
planets lessened, and the numb and frozen man fell forward insensible,
striking his head against a dark obstruction thrusting its shoulder
through a bank of dirty gray snow.

The sound of a heavy body falling on her doorstep brought Elizabeth Hunter
to the door. She opened it cautiously. The snow swirled in as it was drawn
back and the heated air of the sitting room rushed out, forming a cloud of
steam which almost prevented her from seeing the helpless figure at her
feet. She could not distinguish the features, but it was a man, and the
significance of his presence was plain. Seizing him about the body,
Elizabeth dragged him into the house, and shut the door behind him to keep
out the blast.

"Luther Hansen!" she exclaimed.

Finding that she could not arouse him, she pulled the relaxed and
nerveless form to the lounge, but when she attempted to lift the limp
figure to the couch she found it almost more than all her woman's strength
could accomplish. Luther stirred and muttered, but could not be awakened
sufficiently to help himself, and it was only after some minutes and the
putting forth of every ounce of strength that the girl had that he was at
last stretched upon the lounge. Elizabeth brought blankets to cover the
shivering, muttering, delirious man, and having heard that the frost must
be drawn gradually from frozen extremities, and being unable to get his
hands and feet into cold water, she brought and wrapped wet towels about
them, and chafed his frozen face.

It was a long time before the white nose and cheeks began to show colour;
then the ears became scarlet, and pain began to sting the man into
consciousness. The ch