Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-03-26
THE WATERS OUT.

THE WATEkS OUT.
A STORY OF DANGER, BRAVERY, AND LOVE.
days heavy rain, and the clouds
heavier and more laden-looking than ever,
as they poured down an incessant torrent
. OF water, save when, with fierce gust,
{ the wind came down from the bills, driving
the rain before It IN 9 perfect cloud of
spray, which dashed against the windows.
and beat beneath the door, while the old
house seemed to shake to the very founda-
tons. had just come to live at the Mil
then-st least so We called the house adj
joining the old water.mill, built over a
: branch of the river
PLENTY of water, ehs" l said laughing
ly to old smith, the miller; mo standing
still and stone-chipping to-day"
TOO much, sir, too much" said the old
man, grimly. "The waste water don't
carry it off half fast enough. The low
grounds flooded now; and if this keeps
on We shall be swsmptd before long"
Another day, and the waters higher the
rain pouring down more hercely than ever,
pittlng the surface Of the yellow river,
whose waters foamed and churned along,
covered with twIgs and grass, for every
now and then, when the wind rushed
through the tall elms that overlooked our
house, dead branch would be sEatched
eff and hurled ssysgely into tie river.
Once a couple of tiles shared the same fate,
having been struck by heavy bough
which caught the corner Of the house.
But a. pail placed beneath the epot where
the water dripped through into the att
= met that disaster; and after Say ing that
would give orders to the bricklsyer to
come and repair damages, l passed my
cup 10 my sister for little more coffee.
But you surely won't start on such q
morning said my sister, Il rains more
than ever"
Must" / said. CT promised . e,
Harris, and l won't fail"
But Is il not dangerousf Dont you
think the flood may get worsef"
"No, my DEAR" l said. u think the
water viii go down now; and as to danger
well, l may get wet"
But must you got" said the little, !,
der, pale-faced thing, that always won
deIed some huge he had not stolen from
my side years before.
"Must-must-must," / said laughing
And now, don't, pray, be uneasy; for if the
house Is swept sway before ] come back
you have plenty of stores to last you on
your cruise for whole week, before starva-
ton brings you down to COLA oil and jam !;
and even then there Is the box Of candles
i mean the dips; but would not eat the
wicks; and whatever you do. don't touch
the omposites-arsenic, you know"
Don't be foolish, Fred" she Whispered.
II can't help feeling nervous; the house
seems 10 shake; and lay for hours last
night listening to the winds bowling, and
the waters rushing past the piles 30 furious
ly; and / could not help thinking that
If the house set sail, and fitted down
the currer., you would be wrecked upon q
willow-stump down in the marsb, / nid.
Now, don't be little goose, but occupy
your mind with something till get back
to an early dinner-say four; and most
likely l shall bring Harris back with me-
What are you blushing for."
don't be foolish, dear" said the little
thing with her face af1ame. So / ordered
the cob 1 Ioce TO be brought round and
after setting rain wen st defiance with
india-rubber leggings and macintosh,
went out TO see how the water stood.
% 1t certainly was coming down furiously,
and tore along by the sides of the island
upon which our house stood at q fearful
rate, making the old wooden bridge quiv.
er, while l saw that must have q small
brs-AA va CoAtx tA4OWA w Ii lAOAs VI bAC
door, or the water would soon be In the
passage, frightening sister Helen into fita
s"oh, the fshingI" thought to myself
for1 had taken MP my residence at Pike
hurst Mil on account Of the goodly stores
of finpy prey in dam and pool, as well as
In the swift river on the other side of the
house ane now this food seemed furious
enough to sweep every fish out of the
stream. As 20 danger, such an idea never
once entered my head, as soon after mount
ing my cob, / trotted over the echoine
WOODEN bridge, and then went splashinQ
along the swimming road till it turned ur
the hill !; and then ss / rode along the cres;
towards the town-the pleasant ride where
had so often watched the meanderings oil
the silver river-I was almost Startled al
seeing the extent to which the flood had
reached-meadows and fields, far and wide
were under water, with farms here and
there, like islands in willow pollard dotted
lake; while the river itself could be traced
q more by the rushing water than by the
trees which grew upon its sides.
The man at the turppikew was full of news
OF the mischief done--sheep drowned, pig
swept away, and how that q farmer, tryine
to cross the ford IN bis gig had lost hi
life; but be was not quitasure wbethex i
l HAD Ask miles ride to the town, wher'
/ executed yarious little commissions, pait
8 visit or two, lunched with my friend Har
Lis and then after finishing our busineaI
consultation, he walked with me down 4
the hotel where had left my horse.
by JoYei how the waters up" sait
4. Harris, as We nesred the bridge which
crossed the navigable part of the river
and vel he might exclaim, for, as WI
Deared crowd, we saw couple of heav
lily laden berges float swiftly along, with
bows apparently on level with the crown
Of the one-arched mon bridge; then there
was shrek and q rush, and those who
were upon the bridge fed, while, with I
crash, the bargeE, one after the other, CANE
in contact with the. ratings, swept TIT
bridge away, and than slowly forging
round. were wrecked, - it we're, amongs
the ruins, forming q. dam right across tn
narrow Iiver-a barrier which grew strong
er every moment, with the boats, timber
and fragments brought down by the fierc'
stream tih, leaping and breasipg IN vain
atsth1s obstacle in its career, tia swOlleI
river dashed right and left along thu rive
street, flooding houses, running into eel
Lara end AoipB incsacnlahls p6chief in ,
few minutes.
"She's risen . foot an hour since ten
so'clock,"s man said close by my elbow
and as / started and changed color, Harri
-s.gghfMy am, md whi.pezed esgeriy,
VIII all be sale at home
'-Gume MI said, huskily; Tor II nov
,stxuckne- thaI nd Treated the Hood Il
e-too c4t4ffer 3 manner, and that aftef ~
the Nm, n not In danger, would b g "a
flooded e TO drive its tumzt0 no afnirf
and fnghte them almost 20 deefE But
had no occasion to hurry my riend, 70