Connecticut western news., 1872-09-27

to jump up and run away, and sat still Oh, if I only hadn't" cried Ethel, cover ing her eyes, with a sharp momentarJ ''perhaps in that case might never have seen Jack; so, on the whole, I am glad did.
 The old gentleman ooasted round the island with rapid step, looking off al the Falls. That's what people generally do, you know, so wasn't surprised, and thought that probably, having done his duty, he would go away. But when he got to the place where I sat he stood still, and pointing with his cane, said, in 6 grutf, excited voice:
 "'Lots of it, lots of it, ain't therel"
 "'Yes, said, and l couldn't help laugh ing, his tone was so odd"
 "Lots of that, too, he went on point. ing at my hair. Twas surprised ofcourse but only smiled. He looked like some. body's grandfather, and you know we girls don't feel it necessary to be very much offended when old men say com plimentary things to us.
 ''So l went on arraging my flowers Pretty soon felt Q touch, and looking up, there was the old gentleman close to me, and just drawing back his hand from my hair. l suppose I must have looked startled, for he said, apologetically:
 "'Excuse me-but used to know a girl with hair like yours. So long, So thick, so shiny in the sun. I hope you don't put it up in one of those messy water-fallsG'
 "'No, generally braid it."
 "'That's right he rejoined. Braid it and bake it, and mark it with T.! ] declare-What am 1 sayingG'
 "Now I was really uncomfortable. My hair wasn't half dry, but I caught at it and began to twist and stick in pins pre- paratory to immediate flight. To my herror the old man pulled the pins out as fast as put them in.
 "'No, no, he cried mo pins, no pins Nature must have her own way sometimes or she'll explode. Your hair was meant to hang. No pins, no pins ?
 "'Don't,' said; for in seizing the pins he pulled my hair dreadfully; you hurt me. Give me back those hair pins if you please, sir But instead of giving them back he clutched my wrist, and fixing his eyes upon me, said, in low, sepulchraI voice: Melinda consents. She is mine hair and all. But how to find priest9'
 "Oh, Saidee, if you could guess how frightened I was It was not the words only, but the wild glare of the eyes, which told me that was in the power of a ma, niac, alone on that dreadful island. For q minute all grew black before me. I SUD- pose was on the point of fainting away Then desperate sort of courage came tc my aid, and forcing a smile to my lips-l could feel them quiver and stifen-I drew my hand gently away, shook down the hair, and said,
 "'There, then.'
 "The terrible old gentlemen seemed pleased, Much better, much bctter,' he cried. That's tho way we wore it il Paradise, you know. Let me see; I was talking What was talking about?'
 About the girl with long hair,' I an swered, for did not dare to remind him
 "'No, wasn't;' and he gave me sharE look. 1t was something else. Oh, Melin da. Did she promise to be mines'
 "'I don't know. Won't you sit dowr and tell me the story?' I taltered, for thought time was my best friend, and hoped each minute to hear somebody com. ing that way.
 ''The lunatic eyed me suspiciously Then to my dismay he caught at my hair ana tied it in a tight knot round one O. the low boughs of the tree under which sat.
 "'Now,' he said, sitting down directly between me and the steps-'now you're fixed, and I'll tell you the story.
 "'But,' I said-and Saidee, I actually gave gay little laugh; Juliet said she can't imagine how I did it, and neither can I now Eve didn't wear her hail tied round a bough in Paradise. Nature meant it to hang down you know
 "'You're right,you're right so she did, he cried, skipping from his seat and unty ing the hair as fast as he had tied it up 1t ought to hang, and it shall, and he sat down again between me and the steps. "'About Melinda,' he went on. 'She promised, you know, but the parson said ] had a wife too much, or too little-whici was it?-and so he wouldn't come. That broke it up. But kept the lock of hail she gave me. It was like yours. Are go, Melinda ?
 Mo- I said, as positively as I could speak, I am not Melinda
 "I-don belicve-you,' reioined the dreadful creature, in low deliberate voice Anyhow, MiS time we won't lose our chance for want of parson. Do you hear there's one doaon Mcre.'-whispering arc shielding his voice with his band, as he pointed over the edge of the fall."
 "Oh, Ethel, do go on!'' I cried for she had suddenly stopped.
 "Oh, don't know what I said," she continued looking very pale, tor exactly what came next. It is like some awful dream. 1 tried to calm him but he wouldn't be calmed. At last he pulled me to my feet, and grasping my arm, drew me to the edge of the water, How strange that little things should impress the ey, as they do in moments of extreme peril 1 remember perfectly that as we swayet on that fearful brink I saw below at the foot of the fall sort of arched shelf o snow and ice, streaked with lines of brown earth, and it struck me as looking like bracket fungus. At the time I was un conscious oi the thought, but it came tc mo afterward. had seized branch, anc was resisting the violent pull which forced me on, and screaming with all my might when suddenly 1 caught sound Some body was hurrying down the steps. The old gentleman heard it too. A change came over him, instead of trying to pull me forward he drew me back, and reseat ing me under the tree, he turned to tho newcomer, ard said, with a congratu latory voice, and the blandest, mos cunning smile. Rejoice with me, sir. was just in time to rescue this interesting young lady from self dcstluctionn
 "For a second I was too stupefed tt speak. Jack-for it qras Jack-says h, shall never forget the picture: my hai and my look, and the willy smoothness O the old gentleman's voice. Before anothe word passed, two men, very red in the fac appeared on the bank above, hurryn, down toward us. At the sight of then