The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-01-24

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off, though the.wind WAS .blowings;hari
enough to whirl her from her seat
Before we had got more than mile
from the farm, the rain recommended with
redoub!ed fury, and in few moments
we were wet through. The wind, too,
grew from gale to a hurricane, and amid
the continuous roar Of tho thunder and
flash of the pale lightning TIN ough the air,
We now and then heard a mighty crash, as
some aged monarch of tho plain fell promo
to the earth.
Suddenly flash Of lightning darted right
IN front of Carlos eyes, and with a snort
"f fear, he reared nearly upright
"Hold fast. Gertrude ~ l cried endeav-
oring to throw my right arm around her to
keep her from slipping off.
| was too late-she had fallcn. l heard
splash in the water, a cry, and the dark
ness hid her from my sight. Just, huwev-
er, as / was about to give way to despair,
another flash revealed her to he standing
amid the flood, at not 4 dozen yards dis
tance.
spurred toward her and presently she
| was again on Carlos broad back.
The excitement of this event, and the
| turning of my horse round and round had
made me forget the proper direction to the
| town. 40 that we now rode OH not knowing
| whittier we were heading.
Meanwhile, the flood grew deeper each
moment, and presently discovered that
| Carlo WAS swimming. l had not felt fear
until now, but | must say that whichever
way guided my charger he could not touch
the ground. l knew, that weighted aS he
| was. he could not keep af1oat for long, and
each moment he seemed to sink deeper into
| the wator.
At this critical jUIncture of affairs the
moon shOne ont again, and lighted up the
scene as though it had been broad daylight.
Far as the eye could reach, not speck OF
dry land was now visible but, tony great
joy. perceived, close by, blue gum tree
whose bouglis were 50 disposed as to be
easily scaled.
$40 you think you can climb that tree,
| Gertrude ?'' 1 asked. alt is our only
chance of preserving our lives now"
| She answered feebly in the affirmative
| and with some little difficulty I SWAN Car
| 10 alongside. Under the tree lie rcgained
| his footing, and | was glad of this, as he
WAS enabled to stand steady for my poor
little companion to climb into the branches
from his back.
When she had accomplished this feat 1
took off his bride, SO that he should not
catch his feat in it if he had to swim for
his life, and then Gertrude and got some
| twenty feet higher up in the blue gum, and
paused to rest. Shawls and wraps had
long ago fallen off her and been lost, and
| nov pOpT WAS cNIbOSSl 10 ali INC
inclemency of the weather, in the low
| necked, short-sleeved dress she had worn
| during the evening.
How her plump. white. and beautifully
| mouldcd arms were scratched by the rough
tree-bark iii climbing, and rs the rain pour
ed down through the unprotccting vertical
| foliage, the drops giittercd on her polished
shoulder, and tricklcd down her pump,
| snowy bosom.
10 x,r,, IooIr 4,I 10
| Undine," l said, and, having no cape or
overcoat to protect her, l doffcd my ami
| form and made her put it on.
We then sat side by side, and putting
my arm around her neck, l told her all
| about my Interview with her father that
evening.
'And did papa say that when you were
as rich as himself ho would let me marry
| you. Willie ?'', she asked.
eyes. Gertrude, he gave me his word Of
! honor to that effect, | responded.
''Thcn he won't break it, she replied
| Poor papa this night has made him a
| beggar. All his money was invested III i'm
provcmcnts on his land, and in increase of
stock. 1t is all lost now, SO you may claim
me sooner than you thought for, Willie"
| This view of the case had never struck
me before, and l nearly jumped off the
gum tree in, fear, a most selfish ecstacy
| of delight. | was bound to control my
self, however, and exert all my attention
in comforting Gertrude, who, now that
the eTciteI 1t attSnding our P escaPe w was as
concerning the fate of her parents.
AT last | succeeded i'll convincing her
that it was;a matter Of !impoSsibility for
| the flood to cover the house before reecde
| came in the morning, and thereupon she
| became CON posed, and cur own thoughts
reverted to our own hopes and fears, and
amid the rain and howling wind, and the
still rapidly rising waters below, she ncs-
tied in my arms, and we talked of love un-
til the cod, gray dawn aroused us from
our seventh heaven of bliss. Well, then,
to make long story short, after another
three hours perch, we perceived -"mc
boats coming from the direction Of Wind
sor, and l.y the aid of a brilliant rca;let
handkercIi. eff that fortunately pess> ssed,
we signallcd them, attracted their atteil-
tion, and " ere in due time taken on board.
\ At my I'stigation we then rowcG to Mr..
Martins fam, and saYed the old man and
his wife from a chimney-top, whereon they
were both sitting, with their feet held up
out Of the wafer. VIC were only Just i'll
time.
Two months later, Gertrude Martin be-
came Mrs. William Rush. The old man
stuck to his wO"d, and our position was not
50 bad after al, for, a month previously
to our marriage. came into an annuity OF
$50 per aInum on the death of a distant
relative in England, so that with my pay
of seven and si1pence Per day, we were
able to begin housekeeping pretty comfort
able.
Dir. Martin has retrieved his loss and is
now tue oM ncr of a capital farm at Ryde,
New South Walos.
IL Western city cabinet maker en-
ployed two Germans as porters 10 deliver
his furniture. One morning he loaded his
car with bureau, and gave directions