Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-03
Tales aud Sketthes.
THE MARQUIS.
BY CHAUNCEY H1CKON.

Suddenly in the west single vein of
lightning darted down the sky. A few
trees shuddered as if to shake the, gather
ing shadows from their bosom. Then
tenfold stiffness. A bird flew past with a
scream OF terror, the marquis looking in
vain to see hawk pursuing it. The dis
tant moan OF a COW came from the fields
Not another sound, it seemed, was in the
world.
In an instant the southwest was black.
\ strange, remote murmur smote the
colonel's ear. Overhead he could see but
strip of hot, hazy sky.
Had he seen the whole heavens, he could
have done nothing but go on. Quickly
the murmur became an awful muttering,
then deaiening roar. The clatter. the
rush, the crash of % tornado were behind
him. The groans of the very earth were
about him. The darkness of twilight was
upon him. Alice and Death were before
him. A cloudy demon, towering high as
the heavens, in whose path nothing could
live, was striding near and nearer.
Farm houses were overthrOwn. Trees
were twisted off from their roots and torn
to pieces. Wild animals and birds were
dashed to death. Streams We're emptied
OF their waters. Human beings and
horses and cattle were lifted into the air.
hurled thithre and thithcr and thrown dead
upon the earth.
The whrlwind was following the line
of the road Colonel Miller had no oppo-
tunity to see this, nor could he ride aside
from that line if he chose. He could but
cry aloud, MY darling o God Alice -
and lash his horse forward The high,
close forest. would keep the wind from
lifting his horse from the ground or him
self from the saddle But the great trees
crashed like thunder behind him. Their
fragments whirled above him. The limb
of a huge oak gTazed his face, crushed
his horse. and both rolled to the ground,
blinded with dust, imprisoned within a
barricade of splintercd trunks and shat
tered tree-tops
The marquis from his high lookout saw .
before any one else, the approaching tor
nado, and, descending ike flash, he yet
noted its direction. As Alice reached the
foot of his tree, he was on the ground.
had seized the pony's name was half seat
ed and half clinging in front of her. had
snatched the rens from her hand, and
urging the frightened animal to its ut
most speed. Overcome with terror and
confusion, Alice clung instinctively TO the
saddle and to him, without hearing his
hurried advice to "stick like q old bur-
dock
They shot like an arrow up the road.
The noise of the tempest was audible.
Closer it was coming, crushing, rending,
annihilating all before it. The way grew
darker The terrified pony scarce touch
ed the ground. His only will was to 90
forward, and still obeyed a firm use of the
bit. But who could hope to outrun hur-
ricane Twelve miles an hour against
eighty The marquis needed nothing.
Not far behind, the road was but slash
OF fallen, writhing tree-tops. The sweat
dropped from his face He dared not
look behind.
They reached 1.-THE lane by the log
bridge, running at right angles to the
road-and in moment, behind them
that lane was choaked with whirling
debris
But in that moment they had cleared
the track ofthe whirlwind. For the first
time Alice comprehended the conduct of
the marquis, For the first time he turn
ed to see. A quarter of a mile each side
the road the hurricane had carried COM
1
heavy timber ithad vcered several de-
grees, and was sparing the house of Mrs.
Ruggles.
With white face she met them at the
gate. A word of explanation from the
marquis-an ejaculation of mental anguish
from the girl. The fugitive tie-choppers
from the woods turned back to find the
colonels body. Mrs. Ruggles, carrying
Alice in her arms to the door--the yeller-
headed doll-baby that never washed u dish
did what she could to soothe her, but
did it as silently as possible.
Mrs. Ruggles intercepted the return
ing tie-choppers in the lane. look of
eager Joy was in their faces. The bruis-
ed colonel, assisted to the threshold, sank
into the big armchair and Alice was in
his arms. Mrs. Ruggles did not see
their meeing, not at all. No, her back
was toward them, but the corner of her
apron made another journey to the cor
ner of her eye as the father folded his
lost child once more to his heart.
His desire to expires his gratitude to
Mrs. Ruggles and her boy was equaled
only by her fears that he would do So As
a last resort, he called the marquis to him
and, while tear stood on his rough cheek
drew handful of money from his pocket.
But bony hand appeared majestically
between them, and voice said, "Not by
no means. We're not that kind o per-
sons. Markisdee, put away the camfire." ]"
Then rickety gig ratified up to the
gate: "Confusion-severe-n danger
-there!-be lame while--so the othel
bandage--bridge gne-creek half dry
bend your leg-so current turned W
stream-now the shoulder-not strange
Crawtish Greek should run backward
he ! he - And the riekety gig rattlet
merrily of in search of broken bones.
Alice, meeting the marquis outside the
door, approached him in way that mad,
him tremble. What was said will neve
be known. but she placed her white littl,
band upon his shoulder, the golden heat
bowed for II moment, and her sweet lip
touched his sunburnt face.