The Van Buren press., 1873-06-17

thing she would have done, for although
it was very pleasant dropping asleep
there in the shade, with tho soft sunlish
6ltering through the le.vss overhead, the
awakening was not at ell to her mind A
terrible crash made chaos Of her dreams
the ground slipped from beneath her
the tall cottonwood t~ppled and fell
Miss Becky Newton found herself sud
denly immersed in tle cold food, with
her mouth full Of muddy water. In S
moment more somebody's arm wa,
around her and she telt herself lifted uI
and placed somewhere in tho sunshine
though precisely whers shs WAS as ye
TOO bewildered to know. Getting hel
ewes open at last, she found Fred Ecker
sons whiskors nearly b.ushing her face
"Wellm
Wellw
Where am ?" asked Becky, shiver
ing and looking around her
"You are in in the middle Of the Mis-
sissippi, replied Fred you are in the
fork Of a cottonwood tree, and you ar'
voyagng toward the Gulf Of Mckee
just as fast as the frsshst can carry you.
How came you here p
"In the same conveyance as yourself
Miss Becky In fact, you and and thu
tree all came together, to say nothing O.
q portion of your fathers plantation
which, fear. is lost to him forever V
Becky was silent. She WAS thinking
not of the accident, or their peril0us po.
sition. but OF her appearance when she
was lying asleep on the grass.
How long were you there before this
happened ~ she asked
AS long as you were. was up IN
the tree when you came.
"You had no right to be up there,
she said colcring-"a spy upon my
movements.
Nonsense r. he replied "Iou in.
truded upon my privacy, and while you
slept watched over you, like a swse,
little cherub that sits up aloft.
Thank you for the services, I'm sure,
she said brialing,
You snorsd awfully. v
"Mr Eekersen, remove your arm from
my waist. y
Then put yours around nay neck y
Indeed. | shall do no such thing
"Yeu will fail into The river if you do
not. "
Becky was silent fer several moments,
while their unv.eldy raft whir2d along
IN The current, rolling ffou side TO side,
aud threatening every Instant TO turn
ompIately over and Zip them off AT
last she said
W hat aro we 10 do ~
- thlnk, now that an started, | shall
go on to New Orleans, he replied
- 10 New Orleans ? exclaimed Becky,
" it is . handred miles -
4" Ies, aGd . chansc Of II free passage
frr such di,tssca is not to be neg lected.
You can o ashore if you prefer,
She bu.s iuto tears,
You are crnol, size said, "to treat
me so
CreIl' exclaimed Fred, drawing her
closely to bin Quickly" cruel to you -
There WAS NJ help for it. and she again
into silence, quite coh,ent, ap-
psrenty, to remain in Fred's arms, and
eyincinc now no deposition to rebel.
For ence in her life she was dependant
Oh a man.
II want to 90 to New Orleans. con
tinued Fred, after pause, " because
there is young lady of my acquaintance
residing there whom have an intention
Of inviting to this ncighborhood.
con-
"If we don't go to New Orleans. and
if we get safely out of this serape, shall
write for her to come here any way
"Ah"
IL shall obtain beard for her in St,
Jean, which will be convenient for me as
long as ! remain your fathers guest. !
can ride over after breakfast every morn
ing, you know. y .
"SAe 10 an intimate friend, then, said
Becky
Il expect to marry her before long, p"
ELI replied.
Marry her! Why you-you pro-
posed to me this morning.
"Yes, but You refused me told you
then that you would never have another
chance.
Becky was silent again, ii is a matter
Of ssms doubt whether, had Fred at that
moment, sitting astrida that cottonwood
og with his feet in the water and his arm
.round her waist, proposed to her sec
ond time. she would have accepted him
LA a fn eb "a n n
had come over Bccky's feelings since her
tumble into the river She felt Just then
that one strong arm like that which sup.
portcd her was worth thousand old and
and dccrsPid:plsrters and sho rccogniz-
I'd the fact that man who could talk so
,oolly and unconcernedly in situation
,f such extreme peril was enc Of no or
linary courage. But she was not yet
quite prepared to give up her golden
dreams The dross was not quito wash
I'd out Of her soul, and she did not know
how much she loved Fred Eekerson. Be.
sides she did not half believe him,
Their clumsy vessel foated Oh, new
root first, now sideways, and now half
submerged beneath the boiling current
Their precalious hold becape more un-
certain az thalr frames becam: chilleS by
the oois water and syery plunas Of the
log threatened To cast them once more
into the river in vain Frs3 cudesvored
10 attract the ,.ttan!on OF some one on
the shore. The cottonwood retained n
course nearly in the middlaof the stream,
too far from either bank TO render their
outerics Of much ANAL As it grew dark
their situation seemed NOR. and more
hnnnlrss md 10 Rocky thrrc annearad TO