The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-08-21

1 sIf you are not in love nov, you never
Twill be-" returned q. sturdily s!''and i
Twill have my answer now or never. ,s.
| Never, them" laughed Susy. But
she had gonea step too far. Her often
severely tried lover was now too much
in earnest to bear trifing any longer.
| ! "Neyer be it: then = he cried = aud
seizing his hat he strobe from the7room.
/ Susy listened to his recceding foot.
steps with dismay. Had she, indeed, by
her inccrrigible love coquetry, lost hin, 2
1t smote her, to the soul to think SO. AS
she heard him open the front door, i'm
peiied BY d feeling Of despair, size raised
the window sash, aud, leaning forward,
| whispered ...ss.,..s .-.,..e.,,
| "Charley, Charley you will be at the
boat Tomorrow to bid me good bye,
won't you Surely we are still friends" Z"
/ AS she spoke she tore rose from her
bosom and threw it to him. 1t lodged
on his arm, but he brushed it away as
| though it had been poison, and passed
on without looking up.
| spsy. spent che 'relnainicr et the day
in tears. Early the next day the hustle
of departure begau. Susy was going to
accompany her widowed invalid mother
on trip for her health. AS they
reached the wharf and descended from
the carriage, Susy's eyes made them
selves busy searching for a wished for
face; but it was nowhere to be seen.
/ The steamboat lay painting and putting,
seemingly impatient to be let loose.
Susy's mother, aided by the servant man
who accompanied them had already
crossed the gnngway which lay betwe n
the wharf aud the boat, and Susy was
reluctantly following, when the sound OF
u voice behind hcr-the very voice she
had longed to hear-startlcd her. She
turned to look round, and missing her
footstep, fell into the water
Another instant aud Charles had
thrown off his coat, and calling cut
loudly, ,s"Tell the captain not to allow the
wheelstu stir, aud 20 lower me u sropc -
he sprang into the water But Of her
whom he was risking his life to save, he
was unable to perceive any trace
Judging that the current of the river
might have carried her little forward.
he swan around the wheel but still he
saw her not, and despair seized his heart
as he conjectured that she might be un-
der the boat. He strained his eyes to
see through the water, and at length dis
cerned, far below the surface, what
seemed the cnd of hoating garment
lodged between the wheel and the round
ed bottom Of the boat.
If this were indeed the case of the un-
fortunate girl, the least movement of the
wheel must inevitably crush, her, aud
Charles, in his terror, fancied it was
already beginning to turn. He dived
and clutched ut the garment, but
missed it. He rose painting and al
most exhausted; but scarcely waiting to
get breath, he again plunged below
This time his efforts were rewarded with
success, 1T least so far that he was able
to bring Susy's form to the surface Of
the water; but she seemed totally life
less. Charles was NOW SO nearly ex-
hausted that he had only sufficient pre-
sence of mind left to clasp Sasy convul-
sively to him while he kept himself
afoat by holding on to the wheel
But this, his last hope of support,
seemed also to fail him, soon he per-
ceived that it wass really beginning to
turn slowly round. BY desperate eff
fort he struck his foot against one of the
paddles SO as to push himself as far from
the. danger as possible. AS he did SO,
something touched his head, and his
band grasped a rope New life seemed
now infused into him. He gathered all
his energies, and fastened the rope round
Susy's consciousness entirely for
sook him. In the meantime the wit
nesses Of tho scene, after giving Charles
instruction to the Captain, had watched
his struggles and exertions with breath
less interest. The friendly rope had
been flung to him again aud again, but
in the excitement OF his feelings, and his
semi sensibility, be had been incapable
of availing himself of the proffered aid.