Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-03-20

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missed the cedar, and came too near. His
own rowel, now turned outward, sank into
and tore the horse of Miss Richmond's
horse. She, in her turn, whipped and
spurred The horse recovered himself
from his half fall, and now, thoroughly
crazy, the maddened, ill-treated brute
stretched his neck low along the ground
uttering snorts of rage and pain, and few,
not around, but straight across the field,
at pace that only madness could have
made possible, and only folly would have
attempted to overtake.
Miss Richmond had altogether lost con-
troll of him He answered no more to the
rein than harnessed lightning would have
answered. Frightened and infuriated, he
was simply running away with her, and
the race wasat an end. Captain Mildmarch
seeing this, stopped suddenly and shrieked
after her, . For Gods sake, keep your
seat Keep your seat, for Gods sake
Try to get into the road And the
anguish and the horror Of these last
words no tongue can tell. for to miss the
road through the wood was certain death,
and the field was entirely uninclosed, as 1
sad before.
Miss Richmond had nothing to do now,
however, with the way the horse went or
did not 90. She kept her seat, but with
infinite difficulty ; the Wild swaying mo-
tlons, the bent head and neck, of the
creature she rode making it next to a
physical impossiblity, sitting as a lady
sits. Her head whirled her thoughts
grew confused and purposeless the air
felt solid and heavy on each side Ct her
cheeks, as If she were a wedge driven
through it, 4 thousand contradictory
and absurd thoughts filed her mind i; but
behind them all rose the though ght that her
life was ended, and wild, hopeless prayer
that seemed to have been distracting her
heart for hours of anguish. Meantime it
had certainly not been half minute since
her horse had risen from his stumble.
" hen he entered the wood. by the grace
of ulaven he took the road the same
way that they had come and here
the long hill that they had descended
to reach the fed of course now as
cended. And up this hill the horse
plugged on, snorting, swaying, infuriated,
perfectly uncontrolled. Sat at the top of
the hill his mad rush ended he struck
violently upon half bedded stump, and
fell headlong upon MS knees, and Miss
Richmond rolled over his head, the horse
picking himself up and continuing his wild
career.
Mss Richmond was not in the least
hurt; she was not even stunned. She
lifted herself from the ground with an in
ezpressible astonishment at finding herself
alive and whole, and in the revulsion of
feeling she laughed aloud again and again,
her eouvulsions being, however, much
nearer akin 10 tears than to merriment.
While she still stood in the same spot
from which she had risen, half glad and
half amazed her ear caught the sound of
quick-comng horses feet. and through the
opening in the trees she saw her suitor
ard cavalier, still It some distance but rid
ing rapidly toward her. a strange i'm
pulse darted into her head, and she acted
On it without thought her usual mode of act
ing, by the way. She laid herself az full
ength upon the ground at the roadside,
with her head against a stone, and waited.
She was white as the dead from the strong
excitement through which she had just
passed, and she lay there breathing pic
ture of loveiness in death The cedar
still remained in her belt.
Here in the depth of the wood the shad-
ows had already begun to close, and gaz-
ing in but one direction ere she prepared
to simulate the last sleep, and gauge her
lovers love by his grief, she had not no.
ticed another figure on horseback saunter-
ing toward her at pace in singular con-
trast to that by which she had reached the
spot 1t was Charley Graham, prOlonging
mis- solitary afternoon ramble, and still set
ting his face from home.
Both gentlemen reached the place where
she lay at the same moment. At the same
moment each noticed the graceful figure,
prone and deathly pale; and with ire
Dressible horror, and low excamations Of
despair and Of anguish, they threw them
side.
" She is dead gasped Captain Mild
march not touching her. She is dead.
md l have killed her." lie buried his
ace IN his hands, and said no more.
Charley Graham scarcely heard, and
neither understood nor needed
hese words. He lifted the slight wrist,
nd laid his fingers upon it reverently.
Dead he shouted out, not she.
Thank the good Lord Her pulse is going
ike blacksm tn S hammer Dead, indeed.
he Is stunned Midmarch, for Gods sake
ook up and be man Tell me what to do
She may die here, for want of help. Mild
march if you are not crazy nor an idiot,
ont behave as if you were,
Captain Mildmarch was shaking from
cad to foot like clump of reeds in
trong wind. He was cold to the heart.
}ut at these words be took his hand from
is face, and dared also to touch Miss
wrist.
Then a surge of color rushed all over
is swartby face; the very anguish of
hank fulness obscured his vision. He lifted
liss Rlchmond's head tenderly from the
arth, and he did not detect, in the grow
ng shadows, the quivering of her sweet
ps, for her eyes beneath her long lashes
ad read his very soul in his face. and her
hayward heart sent little thrills to her
ips that looked as little as possible like
Mount your horse-he stands quiet
nOugh yonder." SAID Captain Mlldmarch,
and 60 for help, for carriage, for Miss
&ichmond's aunt, for doctor, for any
hing that she needs, or can need. And.
iraham, move like lightning. There is
Othing to be done until you return
In another moment Charley Graham
vas gone, and in perhaps another Miss
Richmond opened her eyes Directly
she raised herself and looked
bout her with half-distraught, wonder
ng air, that approved her very tolerable
ctress. The truth is, that, like other
people, she had done something
hat she was thoroughly ashamed of, and
hat she hesitatad IN confaSs Cba Aid mt