The Grand Haven news., 1865-05-31

just then WAS wJthln SIX feet Ot her,
standing ON six inches wide of'a deal
plank that bent ike whalehone, my only
hold the lose cord swinging from rock 10
rock, with dizzy whirl OF roaring foam
between them. Judge. then, my dismay
and ustonishment, when lsaw the GIRL,
as spoke, leave bold Of the hand rope,
and walk unassisted towards me along
that narrow shaking path hung out 10 air.
| could not credit my senses, it was un-
heard Of; al was too daring; il was i'm
possible for any human being. Before !
could recover or decide how 10 act, she
flung herself upon me, her arms about
my neck, and her whole weight resting
upon me like lead. scarcely retained
my balance, and / could not attempt to
recover myself i felt she was about to
faint; knew no human power could
save us il she did. Moved, then, for
my own life as well as hers, / whispered
in that stern, strange, inward tone which
arises in the extreme of anxiety or peril {:
"If you faint. or give away we are
both lostp
The effect was wonderful. Bravely the
poor, young, frail creature fought with
her weakness, beating back the faintness
on that thin, quakiug plank, with the
fierce eddies running far below, and their
hoarse voices filling the air below us; on
ly one arm about her waist to stay her
against the swaying ropes beneath.
snow, are you ready to try itT
9" am ready," said the brave girl
Gently, and gradually, | looseDed her
hold of my neck and arms; put the
hand rope into her grasp, with directions
to let il slip through her hand, merely
resting on it as she walked, and with her
left hand clasped in my left, which was
stretched out behind for her hold, inch by
inch, and foot by foot, without a sigh or
huller, she reached the platform, where
her friends stood like statues, awaiting
us in breathless awe.
had only time to lift her from the
bridge when she gave way in earnest, and
for long time she lay pale and rigid as
a drowned corpse, on the black rocks.
When symptoms of recovery, began TO
appear, the friends were profuse in their
acknowledgement; one old gentleman
the pdter tamilios, | supposed--eyeing
my rough shooting coat and worn leg
gings, began something about any re-
muneration j could fairly ask" fumbling
at the same time in his pocket | fear |
consigned him rather abruptly to the
tender care Of certain unmentiona-
ble parsonage, in great dungeon with
what | conceived an insult, | called old
Tasso from admiring and nosug about
the young girl had assisted, and stump
ing up the ladder with him in my arms,
| (he conld never climb up, though he al
ways got down handsomely, poor fellow,)
reached the top. A sweet, faint voice
followed me: s Z H
"Oh, sir, / want to thank you."
This sounded soothingly and real; but
stay, my hot bashful young blood could
not remember taking of my hat and
replying with many bushes:
"Not at all-dont mention it / beg"
and | moved away. ''.et
suppose you think the above named
young lady is now Mrs. -----. 1t should
have been so, perhaps, but il never was,
nor is likely TO be, unless she turns up
and rewards me after. this long delay. l
heard no name or anything Of her beyond
this adventure on the swing bridge; and
as am out of The worlds notice, it is i'm
probable we will ever know more of each
other. a.i 1a " havi-
But let no one disbelieve, on this ac-
count, the simple truth Of our strange
meeting on Carrick-a-Rede, to which /
have added nothing.
---------o-------------
IL