The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-10-08

+ thinking, not Of the accident or
, the perilous position. but of her
appearance when she was lying
asleep on the grass.
"How long were you there be-
! fore this happened?' she asked.
! GAS long as you were. | was
up in the tree when you came"
':You had no right to be there"
she said, coloring,-''a spy upon
my movements"
"Nousense!" he replied. ''You
intruded on my privacy, and while
you slept I watched o:er you, like
the sweet little cherub that sits
up aloft.''
Thank you for the service, I'm
sure" she said, blidling.
"You snored awfully."
"Mr. Eckerson. remove your
arm from my waist"
''Then put yours around my
neck"
Indeed, I will do no such
thing"
"You will fall into the river if
you do rot" -
Becky was silent for several
moments, while their unwieldy
craft whirled along the current,
rolling from side to side and
threatening every instant 10 turn
completely over and tip them off.
At last she said.
"What are we to p"
II think, now that am started,
I shall 60 on to New Orleans" he
replied. .
ITO New Orleans" exclaimed
Becky. at is q hundred miles
Eyes, and the chance for q free
passage for such distance is not
to be elected. You can. 50
ashore. you prefer" .
She burst into tears.
"You are crueI," she said, "to
treat me so"
"Cruel exclaimed Fred, draw
ing her closer to him, quickly
"cruel to you ?'' -.
There was no help for it, and she
again relapsed into silence, quite
content, apparently, to remain in
Fred's arms, and evincing now no
disposition to rebel. For once in
her life she was dependent on 4
man.
II want to 60 to New Orleans"
continued Fred, and after a pause;
"beeause there is young lady Of
my acquaintance residing there,
whom [ have an intention of in
viting into this neighhorhond-"
"O!"
"If We don't 60 to New Orleans,
and if we get ont OF this scrape, l
shall write for her to come any
way"
"Ahw
Il shall obtain board for her in
St. Jean, which will be convenient
for me as long as I remain yonr.
fathers guest [ can ride over after
breakfast every morning, you see."
"Sheis an intimate friend, then,
said Becky. r
II expect to marry her before
long" he replied.
"Marry her! Why you-you
proposed to me this morning"
ayes, but you refused me. |
told you then you would never
have another chance"
Becky was silent again. 1t is q
matter O: some doubt whether,
had Fred at that moment. sitting
astride that cotton wood log with
his feet in the water and his arm
around her waist, proposed to her.
second time, she would have ac-,
cepted him or not. 70 be sure q
marvellous change had come over
Becky's feelings since her tumble
iuto the river: She felt just then
that one strong arm like th t
which supported her, was worth a
Thousand old and decrepid plan
ters, and she recogized the. fact that
a man who could talk so coolly
and unconcesnedIy in situation
oesuch extreme peril, was one Of
no ordinary courage. But she
was not yet quite prepared to give
up her golden dreams. The dross
was not quite washed out of her
soul, and she did not yet know
how much she loved Fred Ecker
son. Besides she did not half be-
!ieve him.
The clumsy vessel foated on,
now root first, now sideways, and
now, h a!f submerged beneath the
boiling current. Their precarious
hold became more uncertain as
their frames became chilled by the
cold water, and every plunge Of the
log threatened to cast them once
more into the river. In vain Fred
endeavored to attract the attention
of some one on the shore. The
cottonwood retained acourse near
" ID the middle of the stream, too
far from either bank to render
their outcries of much avail. AS
it grew. dark, their situation grew
more and more hopeless, and TO
Becky there appeared to be no
escape from d eat h, either by
drowning in the darkness or by
| exhaustion before daybreak.