Monmouth weekly herald., 1858-08-19


upon broken branch, and spite of her
shrleks and struggles hung the fair lady
| up between the dark waters.
Edward forgot to laugh at the ridicul-
BUSINESS of her position, when he saw the
eminent danger she was in Of drowning !;
but with his usual readiness, be pulled
out and opened his jacknife, while rum
| ing with all speed to the rescue. The
water was not more than waist deep !;
and rushing in as quick as possible, he
raised the fair maiden out of it with one
hand, while he backed off the odious
hoops with the other and then brought
her safe to land.
She had struggled and swung herself
out of the water, and shrieked and tore
at her stout garments till she was
strangled and her strength exhaustcx7
and now she was black in the face and
nearly senseless.
He laid her down on the soft, mossy
bank, and was parting the dark dishevell
ed hair from her face, when she caught
breath and began to revive. He then
raised her to a sitting posture, and sup
ported her with his arm till she became
sensible of surrounding objects. He
watched the changing hues upon her
countenance with the deepest interest,
and when it resumed it's natural color he
ventured to ask in low tone if she was
better.
As she turned and looked up eagerly
in his face, the truth flashed upon her
palsied mind, and overcome with shame
and confusion, she covered her face with
her hands and burst into tears.
DO not let it distress you," he said,
guessing her feelings; we are all liable
to accidents, and let us thank God thaa
this did not end fatally" Rl
Deeply mortified at the, accident, 81 M q
| frightened to find herself in the arms of
stranger, the girl started up as soon as
she had collected her senses. and ran
away with the speed of an antelope.
-" =. That's cool, any way,' exclaimed
| Edward, as he looked after her with an
eager, halfprovoked air. "She didn't
even stop to thank me for this ducking,
to say nothing of all the anxiety she has
given me for year or more.n For in
this pretty wood and water nymph, he
had discovered his fair inamorata of the
Launay station.
He sat down and mused upon it for
while regretfully, and then hunting up
his carpet bag, he took out pretty white
summer suit, made himself presentable,
and marched on towards home. He had
sent no word of his coming, hoping to
give his mother pleasant surprise, SO in
he walked without ringing, just as they
were sitting down to dinner.
Why, Edward, did you rain down to
us p said his mother, as she rose to greet
him and then turning, she presented
"my son to Miss Jennie lie Roy, one
of my boarders, who is spending the
vacation With me in the absence of her
father from the CITY,"
Edward could hardly command his
countenance when in Miss lie Roy he re,
cognized the heroine of the morning !;
and the maiden herself sufficiently be
trayed her confusion at the sight Of him.
She arose, as if to fly from the room,
then sat down again, blushing to the
roots of her hair and seeming more than
half inclined to cry. He saw it all, and
charitably withdrew his mothers atten-
tion from her till the meal was nearly,
over, and then, the old lady being call
ed out of the room, he said hope
you feel no bad effects from your acci,
dent this morning."
NO." said Miss Jennie, and her face
flushed up in an instant. But | will
not stay here to be the butt of 4ye.y.4s
ridicule and the laughing stock of the
whole village. I will go home this very
day." And up she rose to leave the
room.
Forgive me" said Edward, as he
intercepted her flight, " if have wound
ed your feelings by alluding to the sub
.ject and believe me when / say that
you will meet with no ridicule or ex-
posure from me, and no one else knows
anything Of the occurrence"
But it morti6es me to think
she began.
8 Think nothing about it, then or if
you do, remember that you were saved
from a fearful death, said he, seriously.
You must think me an ungrateful
girl, but | am not, said she feelingly !;
| am deeply sensible of the value of the
service you rendered me on this, and |
believe former occasion; but must
confess that I am foolishly sensitive to
ridicule. Will you pardon my rudeness
and seeming ingratitude ~
Yes, if you will promise not to run
away because of my coming home," he
answered, laughingly.
Whether she promised or not, the
young man did not run away, and
strangely enough before the month was
over, she forget that she was a rich
mans daughter, and he poor woman's
son. Young and unhakened in worldly
wisdom, she thought of no harm from the
intimate companionship that grew up be-
tween them !; nor did she analyze her
own feelings enough to know why If was
she derived SO much pleasure from its
society. Gradually, as their acquaint-
ance progressed, she forgot rank and
! caste in looking into his handsome face