Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-30

hill, and. clutching wildly at the air, sh
caught hold Of birch sapling as she swun
on the precipice. which had been quarrie
away until its rocky sides were almos
smooth for descent Of forty feet. An,
there she hung, her only support the saplin.
which she grasped with her left hand, an,
which bent 50 low with her weight that it
plumed top touched her head. She knew II
must break soon, and she looked at the Jag.
ged rocks lar below her, and cried. and
shrieked fo1 help.
II she had had any presence of mind ,he
would have seen that she had one chance for
her life Nina saw il in a flash, and called
out to her:
Swing yourself little to the right. Kit
ty, and put your feet upon that little point
of rock. Don't you see it p
Il see it :" shrieked Kitty, "but can
do it. Help me o help me -
Nina ran to the spot. There was no friend
ly rock or bush to hold to-noihing but the
shelving bank, and slippery grass, and the
one sapling which was the frail support Of
poor Kitty. She threw herself upon the
ground. as far from tho edge as she could,
and seized hold of Kitty's wrist
Now, Kitty, don't let 20 the sapling,and
swing yourself upon that rook-you can
easily do it,"
Il can't do il shall fall if move =
Pull me UP, Nina, pull me up
al can't" said Nina. Tho grass is slip
perry, and there's nothing TO hold by, and
haven't the strength, Get on the rock -
Tom will soen be here
But the terror stricken Kitty began to
struggle, and MIN, felt herself moving TO-
wards the edge of that awful precipice
ION are pulliuo mo oH Efttv 7 oarfs
hold you If you struggle. The rock is your |
only chance
But Kitty would only scream. and s,ruc-
gle, and now Nina was drawn 50 near tie
edge that she could see far down into that
fearful depth
al will let hergO,' she thought, "she will
! kill me II DON'T But her next thought
was, Nv hat shall tell Tom when he comes
hack No, viii cave her, or We wall die
together"
She saw that root Of the saUling was
above the ground. This was little thing.
indeed. but 1t gave her some hope StiIl
keeping hold ofkitty = wriS:, she rli=el her
sslf on her knees. and working herself slow
iy and carefully along that trcacherous Bank.
she reached the root. and fixed her knees
firmly against it. Then takiu. OF her
shawl she lowered il to KiIty's hand. Kit
~ eluichcd II with - strong and dcsI airing
a hold, that Nina shook and tJttcrcd. Sic
recovered herself, and closing her cyes fora
instant 10 summon all her courage. and 10
commend her soul to God. she exer.ed all 7
her strength, and swinging Kitty round land y
cd her in safety on the little rocky lclss.-
And now some Of kitty's sense returning to
her, she managed, with the help OF Nina
and the shawl, to scramble upon the hill,
where the two girls had brief struggle vet 3
to keep from sliding of, until with blanched j
cheeks and bloodshot eyes, they stood upon !,
firm ground, and looked at each other.
At this point Nina should have tainted. Il
but, instead Of that, she gave Kitty good b.
shaking. =.
"lou silly baby - she exclaimed. "Nos
came near putting an end to both Of Us -
Why didn't you do as | told you to p
And then she sat down on the ground and :.
,ried. And Kitty cried, too, and between n
her sobs she said =
''oh, Iina you saved my life-and :,
iou are so good-and I've been-so naugh- -
y-and I've trled-I've tricd-to steal your .,
)eau eau - =
" know it, said Nina shortly, choking ),
'ack the tears land that isn't the worst =
f it, Kitty a,
" There can't be any worse" said Kitty. a.
" Yes, there can" said Nina And then =
hey both fell to crying again, and Kitty ~
'ut her arms round MIna's neck, and kept y;
Obblng: Oh what shall | do?" To y,
Thich question she got no answer. IN
And thus the amazed Tom found them. -
nd Kitty told the story, and Tom trembled H.
D think how near death Kitty had been, AZ
nd he knew he ought to have thought first
Nina, and that he ought to say some
hing, but he only stood twIrling the ends mt
his silk handkerchief, and wishing he
Ias girl, so he could cry, too. pr
But Nina dried her eyes, using for that all
urposc pink kid glove instead of her sb,
for she was IN sore trouble
- Tom," she said, in thick and husky VI
mes, ''you love Kitty, and she will love car
Du sometime if she DONE now. And l er,
ont stand in your way. And so it's all lov
Ter between US. and you mustn't feel sorry =
II me. i know you wouldn't have broken br
18th me, and that you meant to stand to your iol
romise but 1t wouldn't be right you D,
now, to marry me with love for another
oman in your heart. And now will 90 CAV
ome by myself | would rather, and you
nd better wait till Kitty feels better
Here Tom should have delivered speech ds-
othed in that tender and simple language, ",
Id with that beautiful pathos and refine W.
lent of feeling for which We all know poor mo
)ung working men are remarkable. But On,
, was an exception to his class, ana so he -,
lily twirled bis handkerchief the harder, and
oked foolish. and was dreadfully afraid he lar
ould cry, and only managed to say,"DOn't fro
ina, don't break with me in this way. We S.a
Ill talk it over"
"No, Tom," said Nina, '.the.cs no use Ten
/ talking it Over-I know it all. Don't as
el sorry for me. You couldn't help it, Law
I'd couldn't help doing what have to-day =.
nd what am doing now, and Kitty eOuld't se'
elp being pretty. And now don't YOU be ION
cling sorry for me- bill
And so she left them, and the two stood
atching her in silence, and shame, and P4'
ty, while she vent her way across the field SEQ
ntil she seemed to them to melt into the wa
,imson and golden glories of the West tho
And now it would seem as if Nina had W.,
tablished sort Of claim tc be considered
sroine; but then, after these events she ish
d not pine away into beautiful and sec
minous shadow" and die placidly and pas
renely at sunset, or sunrise (never by any
,ssible chance in the middle Of the day,) cor
ter giving Tom her blessing, and Kitty roa
II Sunday clothes. No, indeed. am an'
rry to say she still persists in keeping alive
ID well. And, worse than this (if any ah'
ing can be worse.) she bought COW with va
e money she had put aside for her we'd
ng fnery and now, having plenty of oa'
ltiermilk to drink, is getting rather stout N ~
Punch thus sums up the ins and outs of -
le case at Washinoton in an unusnallv "