Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-05

tons heart a feeling very much akin to
remorse. 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 Ecker
sons wife, after all.
"But then," she cried, growing hot
with the recollection, che was SO rude
and SO insulting! [ never could live
with such man-never %
When Fred Eckerson had walked off
some of his feelings on the piazza he
concluded to take look at the river.
The Mississippi, which flowed within
five hundred yards of the house, was
at that time nearly at the height of its
annual ''spring rise" It's turbid wa
ters flowing swiftly toward the sea, had
nearly filled the banks, and in many
places had broken through the levees
and flooded the lowlands for many
miles. A crevice of this description
had been made in the further bank,
nearly opposite the house, and the win
dows of the Newton mansion command
ed view of a vast and glittering sea
not laid down in the maps. The main
current Of the stream bore upon its
coffee -colOred bosom an enormous mass
of floating timber, which was dashed
along in the boiling flood, rendering
navigation wholly impossible. The
waters were still rising, and the fire.
quent crashes far and near told of the
undermining power of the current, as
sections of the sandy banks succumb-
ed and disappeared, carrying with
them the trees which overhung the
stream.
Now, it happened by curious coin
cidence, Miss Newton also resolved to
look at the river. She dried her tears,
and, putting OH her hat, slipped out
by the back door to avoid Fred, and
soon found herself at the foot of huge
cottonwood tree on the bank below
the house. Throwing herself uponthe
grass led ltta,-l..l,i ls;ssss sssss
the rapid flood beneath her, she soon
fell fast asleep. Had she possessed
any power of foreseeing the future it
would have been the last thing she
would have done, for although it was
very pleasant dropping asleep there in
the shade, with the soft sunlight filter
ing through the leaves overhead, the
Wakening was not at all to her mind.
A terrible crash made chaos of her
dreams; the ground slipped from be-
meath her; the tall cottonwood top
pied and fell; Miss Becky Newton
found herself suddenly immersed in
the cold food, with her mouth full of
muddy water. In a moment more
somebody's arm was around her and
she felt herself lifted up and placed
somewhere in the sunshine, though
precisely where, she was as yet too be-
wildered to know. Getting her eyes
open at last, she found Fred Ecker
sons whiskers nearly brushing her
face.
"Well!"
"Wellw
"Where am I?' asked Becky, shiver-
ing and looking around her.
"You are in the middle of the Mis-
sissippi," replied Fred; "you are in the
fork of a cotton wood tree, and you are
voyaging towards the Gulf of Mexico
just as fast as the freshet can carry
you."
GLOW came you here?"
"In the same conveyance as yourself,
Miss Becky. In fact you and I and
the tree all came together, to say moth
ing of portion of your fathers plan
tation, which, / fear, is lost to him
forever"
Becky was silent. She was think
ing, not of the accident, or their peril
GUS position, but of her appearance
when she was lying asleep on the grass.
"How long were you there before
this happened ?" she asked.
GAS long as You were. I was up in
the tree when you came.'
"You had no right to be up there .
she said, coloring-"a spy upon my
movements
"NonsenseY' he replied. "You in
truded upon my privacy, and while
you slept I watched over you, like a
sweet little cherub that sits up aloft. .
'9Fhank you for the services, I'm
sure, she said bridling.
"Yop snored awfully."
"Mr. Eekerson, remove your arm
from my waist
''Then put yours around my neck. >
i 'Indeed, I shall do no such thing