Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1866-06-28

and, when he was there, scarce a look
did she give me. Her brother-his name
was Joe, and mine too-could do every
thing, and was the be-all and end-all of
the world, / used to think; and so one
day l tried TO run with Joe, and Joe
beat me, and Alice laughed and then l
shot against Joe, and he beat me too, and
she laughed the more and l wrestled
with him and threw him, and she didn't
laugh then, but ran to see whether he was
hurt, and said it wasn't fair for Joe to
tackle big fellow like me, although he
was nigh an inch taller
In short, / could not please her anyhow.
Well, it was one day when we heard
that the fiat bottomed boats of old Boney
were not coming over, and that the army
of Boulogre had melted bit by bit away,
like a snowdrift, that we made night of
it. Ay, it was night, too! and being
hot and in the summer, we must needs
keep up the fun till the sun came up over
the seacost, looking red and angry at our
folly. Well, Joe and I-the two Joes as
they called us-ran down on the beach
and washed our hot faces, and plunged
in the fresh, salt waves, and were in a
few moments as fresh and merry as larks.
And after dressing, Joe must needs take a
walk with me-who was nothing 10th,
you must know-along the edge of the
cliff The seas for centuries have been
washing that chalk bound coast, and at
intervals there stand up pillars Of chalk,
with seas around them. The people call
such place, ''No Mans Land,' and no
man can own it, truly. Well, Joe came
to one of these within a few feet-say
twelve-from the cliff, and turning 10 me,
said. ''Joe Junior said he-I think | see
his bright face now-''I challenge you
jump or that No Mans Land 1 do"
'sJoe," said l, hurriedly, ''don't be
fool! 1t may be it would give way at
the top, and if it did not, how could you
jump back without run? You'd be
stuck on the top there like mad sentinel
or pillar saint. I'm not going TO jump
it''
''But 1 am,' said he And before l
could stop him, if indeed had tried, he
took run and jumped.
1t was so sudden that l could only
stand aghast when l saw him there.-IIe
stood, indeed, but for moment, and then
he took a back step, and would have
jumped back, when l heard rumbling
sound, and half the top of the ''No Mans
Land part, fell down with a crash Oh
the rocky coast below.
ran round the little creek to the other
side of a small bay, and throwing my
self down on the turf, stretched my neck
over, looked over and cried out, n. Joe
Are you hurt, Joe !"
A faint voice came up, and | could see
the poor fellow struggling under huge
piece of chalk which seemed to hold him
down in agony. He smiled in CHASTITY
way with his whitened face, and said,
s'Run, Joe, run! the tides coming in -
Well | did run, and we got ropes from
the tents, and few strong fellows held
these as L swung over the cliff, just reach
ing poor Joe as the cold water lap, lap,
tapping up to his mouth, taking away his
breath and then running back, crawling
over him and leaving bubbles of salt foam,
as if in sport. l got him out, but he
could not stand. Some bones were bro
ken and he was badly bruised, SO that |
was forced to tie him to rope, and they
hauled him up, and afterwards pulled me
up, and we took him home.
Well, we'll ! to make long story short,
poor Joe died, with my praises on his lips,
and Alice bowed her head like a broken
lily. 1t was a long time before she got
over it, and summer had grown into WIN
ter, and winter to summer, to autumn,
and to winter again The threatened in
yasion was all over; our swords were get
ting rusty, our uniforms dirty, and when
the holidays came left the firm in which
l had just become partner, and went to
spend fortnight at my old friends IN
Kent.
Alice was there. well and cheerful now,
and reconciled to her loss, though we OF
ten talked of poor Joe, and as the days
wore on we grew close together and she
called me by my name and seemed to have
transferred her brothers. love to me. She
never told me so nor let others see 1t TIL
one merry Christmas night, when she re-
iected all her cousins and her other friends,
and would only dance with me.
We had tie mistletoe, too. At last,
one madcap fellow proposed that the Ia
dies should kiss the gentlemen all around
when and how they could and Ailce
should play, too and she, in solemn,
quiet way, smiling sadly and yet sweetiy
too, took me beneath the Chrlstmast
bough and kissed me on the lips
Ay, it's many years ago, but L feel 1t
now. MY heart beat 80 fast that | hard