, 1872-12-25

| EOE Wot getting IT, SalQ 6le, e13luQE DlLtef
~. And then knew that her failure in this
Particular irked her pride not 3 little.
|, "If Stuart Carew takes her ct her word, ant
etays across the river she will never forgive
him" thought. Then I asked aloud, "Where
ia Jake now :"
''Down at tie river" she answered. "We
cannot zee him from here but il we go to the
top Of the bank yondet, We can watch him
ACROSS"
II be ever gets across," eaid I, grimly. III
tell you frankly, Rosatind. that this adventure
is not at all to my liking. I did not bargain to
see man drowned when came out"
"stay whsre you are, then. she said, quietly,
| shut am going to the bank"
| II shall come, too, in that case. But 7 pro-
test against the whole proceeding"
| She made gesture as significant as il she
had said outright, What does that matter Pit
is none of your affair."" Then ne set forth to
the riYer-making our way along the top Of one
Of the banks which overhung the road as it led
| down to the ferry.
The scene WAS certainly q wild ono as ne sur
| veyed it from tho ominence which we gained
current better now that We stood just above it !;
and in the deepening shades Of twilight, the
boat in which Jake had pushed out from the
shore, looked like the merest cockle-ahell On the
I in an eddy. and whirled around suddenly like a
leaf. "He can never do it-never!" cried.
" You will see him carried down the stream be-
| fore your eyes, Rosaind Earle !"
She did not answer-I fancy she scarcely
heard me. Looking at her, could see that she
felt her responsibility then as strongly as could
desire. Even at that moment-Wlth human
life trembling in the balance below US,
I could not help thinking. what . study for
| painter she would have made standing in tho
midst OF the winter landscape, her long, black
| cloak draping her figure, her hood falling back
on her shoulders and her white set face, with its
dark, passionate eyes gazing over the swollen
| flood to the struggling boat now fighting the
| ffrra 0f tha erff n 1ui1,9franre
It was very gallant tight which Jake was
making. II had ever doubted his skill or his
nerve, I should have believed in both after that
evening Certainly, he knew every eddy and
and certainly, also, lie made good use Of that
knowledge. Never have I seen boat more
deft]y managed; never have witnessed more
absorbing Or exciting acene! It was the sharp
one moment, and despair the next, which
kept our eyes and attention riyeted on
him as il We had bean magnetized.
Ore second, all would seem lost; Jet. before we
| hearts would give 3 wild leap into cur very
throats, for it VAS rs il strong grasp had seized
| the lttls craft, and stemmed her mad career
| downstream. It WAS fierce struggle, and one
| in which the forces we're so unequal that it was
! q good thing it was short-else the end could
| only have been that which We feared. The river
was not wide at it's widest, however, and here it
| was comparatively narrow. Yet, short the
Q1btaUE8 HA5, JAh6 Cuu4Q HUI 0Hf6 QGEu an IL
considerable time in making the passage. Night
had certainly come upon us while nc looked, and
We could barely distinguish tho outline OF his
figure when he at last gained the bank far be-
| low the landing place at which he had aimed.
that quick Sigh Of relief which is 30 significant
| OF ended anxiety. ''Thauk God!" size said.
He has done it," I said; shut it VAS close
thing"
"Horribly so," she answered, Bhuddering.
u1,o
forgiven myself If he had been drowned?"
did not discnss this question. 1t was dark,
and We wero cold and muddy. walked to
knowledge Of these things, now that our adven-
young lady who had risked two Isos. and given
should retrace our stops. iii we can, she an
swered. And We set to work to try.
the bank, and through itn tangled underground,
had not been easy in the cleaning; !soao it night
have been bewitched, 60 difficult did We find it.
We stumbled into mud-holes; We stumbled over
limbs Of trees; We ripped up over their
wandered into logs and fence-corners We
found rails as aggressive as limbs (my shoulder
was almost dis]ocated By running full tilt against
one) we scratched our hands ne tore our
dresses we expended our breath and finally
We reached our objective point cabin
in condition Of exhaustion which Was truly
pitable. -.."....
"I thero were twenty balls in progress, I
mnst rest for while" Rosalind eaid, sinking
down by the still glowing fire. so Lucy, Lucy,
what Christmas-eve !"
'Thank yourself for it" said grirn1y y-nowise
moved to charity by the aspect Of my boots and
dress. 'tThis Is what comes Of your playing
Cunigunde. hope that you are satisfied with
the experiment"
She laughed. The weight OF anxiety being,,re-
moved, her spirits evidently mounted up like
cuirf;ai1var Knaa1infT the r18a cabin -hnarfh
drying tho mud on her dross, and stanching the
blood on her torn hands, she began to look like
herself. ,.-.-
said. "'The blow glove gives is but weak
but we can scarcely say that Of the blows which
trees and brambles give-do you think so?"
"she recovered her glove, too" said I, mali
ciously-
"And hayo not received my trophy" she said.
ssHow they will talk and e1ult over it at the
Lodge-will not they? Don't you hate to crafty
medding, malicious people2 Iconfess I dol
in my hair tonight. But, tEen, one ought to
please ones friends occasionally, and this is
cheap way as any other, I suppose. Tho game
was hardly worth the candle after all"
s'There is no doubt OF that" said 7, kueeling
by hor.
From knee1ing VIC both sank down to sitting
posture, like couple of tailors OF q couple of
Turks. Jake's fire was table-Very COM
fortable-and, after our experience ut the river
side, we shrank from the dark passage Of the
muddy fields. OF course, it had to be made
sooner or later; but We delayed it, as human ma
ture will delay anything particularly aiBagreeable-
We dried ourselves, and goesipedat our leisure
until, at last, ! walked with start to D knowledge
how time was passing.
's sRosalind, this really will not do ~ said
I. ''There will be perfect alarm about us
at the Lodge, and q party Of rescuers setting
forth with lanterns and firearms, if re don't so
back"
tLet us wait for them, then," said she, in
dolently f'The lanterns will be especially &C.
ceptab1e."
t. You forget the BALI
IT should be very glad to forget it" she re-
joined, curtly.
tried argument and persuasion, but she was
immovable; and, after time, walked indig-
nantly to the door.
~ must go BY myself, il you will not
come" 7 said. i" positively cannot stay here
any longer"
4 Very well,'' she answered, cold1y. "Te1l
anybody who asks for me- that am waiting for
my rose."
vn1 think T m, r,of in, aoY1,out 1aron