Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-21
LOVE ON 4 LOG.
.Mlss Becky Newton"
- l. ~


Was WkSssi koi9 coming for month. but the scene she
IA anticipated was not at all like this. She had
;n,anded 10 refuse him, but It was to be done
Gracefully She was to remain hrm, notwith-
s,s"Sng Ills most eager entreaties. She was 10
sasa toid him that though respecting his manly
18Th and upright character, she could never
hs 10 him more than an appreciative and earn
~ ~, friand She had intended to shed . few
sos sasrs nerbsps a. he knet wTithing in an agony
oS snppIication at her feet. But instead, he had
lied her tho simple question, without any rhe'
,oricaI embellishment, and on being answered,
I'D nlnnRed at oncs into his newspaper, as
tbouRh he had merely inquired the time of day.
Sba conld have erred with vexation
.,you will never have better chance" he
.or,inned after q pause. IS he deliberately
turned over the sheet to find the latest tele-
graphic reports -,
"a better chance to marry young, good-look-
i, man whose gallantry to the sex is only ex-
seeded by his bravery in their defence"
Fred was quoting from his newspaper, but
Miss Newton did not know 1t:
And whose egOtsm is only exceeded by his
i,n,udence." tetorted the lady sarcasticAlly.
Before long," continued Fred, you'll be
out of the market your chances, you know, are
getting sliiAmer every day."
r. won't be great while before you are in.
eligible You will grow old and wrinkled.
Such rudeness to lady is monstrous," ex-
claimed Miss Newton, rising hastily, an flushing
10 the temples.
STll give you final opportunity, Miss Becky.
- Not il you we're the King Of England" In.
terrupted Miss Newton, throwing down her
work am not accustomed 10 such insults.
sir
And 40 saying, she passed into the house aud
slammed the door behind der.
''She s never 70 handsome as when she Is in
a-tH ia H.. lml
gone as he slowly folded up his paper and re-
placed it in his pocket. Il was fool to gOad
her 80 1 shall never win her in that way. But
III have her." he exclaimed aloud: by Hea-
ven Ill have her cost what 1t may !"
Very different was the Fred Eokerson OF the
preaent pacing nervously up and down the piaz-
"a from the Fred Eckereon Of few moments
ago receiving his dismissal from the woman he
loved with such calm and importurbable ex-
terror For he loved Becky Newton with all his
heart The real difficulty in the way as he half
suspected, was not 30 much with himself as
with his pocket. Becky Nowton had an insu-
perable objection to an empty wallet The
daughter Of wealthy Louisiana planter. reared
in luxury and the recipient OF weekly allowance
Of pin money sufficient to pay Freds whole bills
for a month, she had no idea of changing her
situation for one OF less comfort a nd indepen-
dence Besides, it had been intimated to her
that nelghboring planter OF unusually art sto-
cratic lineage looked upon her with 60 etous
ewes To be sure he was old and ugly, but he
was rich, and in her present mercenary state of
mind Miss Becky Newton did not desire such q
chance Of becoming wealthy widow to slip by
unimproved
Bnt alas for human nature II Rocky was
really 30 Indifferent to Fred Eckerson, why did
she run up stairs after that interview, and take
the starch all out Of her nice clean pillow-shams
by crying herself into hyserics on the bedp Il
WaA not all wrath or vexation, il was not all
pique There some where deep down in
Becky heart, a feeling very much akin to re-
morse, She was not sure that she would not
one day be- sorry for what she had done. She
had no doubt she could be very happy as Fred
Eckerson's wife after all
but then" che cried, growing hot with the
recollection. 'he was so rude and 80 insulting
never could live With such man-never"
When Fred Eckerson had walked of some OF
his feelings ON the piazza. he concluded to take
look at the river. The mississippi, which flow
ed within five hundred yards Of the house, was
at that time nearly at the height OF its spring
rise' Its turbid waters rushing swiftly towards
the sea had nearly filed the banks and and in
many places had broken through the levees and
flooded the low lands for many miles crevasst
VI ths description had been made in tire far
ther bank, nearly opposite the house. and the
windows OF the Newgate mansion commanded a
view Of vast and Offering inland sea, not lAic
down on the maps. The main current OF the
stream bore on it's coffee colored bosom al
enormous mass Of floating timber, which wal
dashed along the boiling flood, rendering navi.
rising. and the frequent crashes far aud neal
told of the undermining power Of the current
as sectious OF the sandy banks succunbed and
disappeared, carrying with them the trees thai
oyerhung the stream.
Now IL happened that by curious coincidence
Miss Newton also resolved to look ct the river
She dried her tears, and putting on her hat, she
slipped out at the back door to avoid Fred, and
soon found herself at the foot OF huge cotton
wood tree on the banks below the house Throw
ing herself upon the grass, and lulled by thu
bubbihg of the rapid flood beneath her, she sooI
fell fast asleep, Had she possessed any powel
of tOreseeing the future 1t would have been thu
last thing she would have done, for although |
was very pleasant dropping asleep there in the
shade, with the soft sunlight tlteriDg through
the leaves overhead, the awakening wasn't A
all to her mind. A terrible crash made chaos o
her dreams the ground slipped from beneath
the tail cottonwood toppled and fell, and Mis-
Beckey Newton found herself suddenly i'm
merred in tbs cold flood, with her mouth ful
OF muddy water. In q moment more somebody
arm WAS around her, and she felt herself llfte'
up and placed somewhere in tho sunshine
though precisely where, she was yet too bewil
deled to know. Getting her eyes open at last
she found Fred Eckerson'r ahlskers nearl
brushing her face.
"Welln
"Well?"
Where am II" asked Becky, Bhivering an
looking around her.
You are in the middle OF the Mississippi.
IeplloO tf6u, 'knu you are IN tne IOFh OF d Gu
tonwood tree, and you are voyaging toward the
Gulf of Mexico just fast as the freshet ca
carry YOU"
How came you here ?"
IN the came conveyance with yourself, Mis-
Becky In fact you and and the tree all cam
together, to say nothing OF portion OF yol
fathers plantation, which l fear, is lost to hi
forever"
Becky was silent. She was thinking. not
the accident or their perilous position, but b
appearance when she was lying asleep on th
grass.
How long we're you there before this happe
pened 7" she asked.
As long as you were. was up in the tr'
when you came
You had no right to be there" she said CO
oring-'a spy upon my movements.
Nonsense y he replied, You intruded
my privacy, and while you slept watched ov
you. like the sweet little cherub that's Aloft
Thank you for your service, I'm sure, o.
said, brdling
You snored awfully."
Mr. Eckerson, remove your arm from u
waist"
Then put yours around my neck
Indeed, shall do no such thing
Then you shall fall into the river if you
not"
Becky was silent for several moments. VIII
their unwieldy raft whrled along in the curreI
rolling from side to side, and threatening eve
instant to turn completely over aud TIP th'
on. At last she said:
What are we to do?"
u think. now that am started, shall go
1.-