Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-03-28
"How came you here !"

nothing of q portion Of your father s
plantation, which, ] fear, is lost to
him forever
Becky vas silent She vas thinking,
not ~ the accident or the perilous po-
sition. but of her appearance when she
WAS lying asicep on the grass.
How long were YOU there before
tkis happened % she asked.
Gas long IS You were. / ~-as up in
the tree when voG came"
You had no right to be there" she
said, coloring, "a sI;yupon ny move
i1cCts.
Nonsense = he replied. You in
traded on my privacy. and while you
slept ] watched oyer you, like the
sweet Little chers.h tilat sits MP aloft. =
"Thanis Va. iJr the earTicr. Tn
are She said, biidiing.
You snored nwiuily."
Mr.. Echerson, remove your arm
from my waist"
Then put Yours around my neck. !"
"Indeed | will do no such thing"
| t'Yo;I viii fo}l into the river ii yoE
do rot"
! Becky wGa >i;en. for several mo-
.nsnts, while their s1nwieldy craft
t wlnrlcd along the current. rolling from
| side tn SIDE and threatening every in
stant tn 15.En completely over and lip
| them of At last she said
! - What arc We TO do -
/ 'I think, now that I an started, [
shall so On 10 New Orleans ne ro-
t piled.
''To New Orleans, exclaimed Becky,
''It is q hundred miles
| eyes, and the chances for 4 free pas
| sage for such distance is not to be
| neglected. You can go ashore il you
prefer"
She burst into tears.
"You are cruel" he said, ''to treat
NE So"
Cruel :" exclaimed Fred, drawing
her closer II him, quickly,
to you q
There was no help for it, and she
| again relapsed into silence, quite con-
| tent, apparently, IL remain in Frcd's
arms, end evincing now no disposition
to rebel. For once in her life she was
j dependent on a man.
! Il want to go to New Orleans" con-
; tinued Fred, and after q pause, ''be-
i cause there is Il vollng lady OF my nc
/ quaintance residing there, whom / have
an intention of inviting into this neigh
! borhood."
"O,"
IF we don't so to New Orleans, and
If We get out OF this scrape, shall
write for her to come away.
"Ah,"
4 shall obtain beard for her in St.
Jean, which will be convenient for me
rs long Is [ remain your fathers guest
[ can ride over after breakfast every
morning, you see"
f.
said Becky.
81 expect to marry her before long.
he replied
posed to me this morning"
eyes. but YOU refused me. [ told
yot, then vou wnnld never have another
, chance.
Becky was silent again It is mat
ter of some doubt whether. had Fred
at that moment, sitting astritlo that
cotton-wuDd log with his feet in the
water and his arm arnunI her waist,
proposed to her IL second time. she
woutd have actal5tad him or not. To
over Baci<v'a feelings since her tumble
no ;:.e river. She felt Just then that
one strong arm like that which sup
trd decrepid planters, and she recog-
nized the fact that man who could
talk so coolr and fundamentally in
si:nation OF s1,ctl s,x.l enc peril, was
on" of 10 ordinary courage. Bus she
was nDt vet quite prepared to give up
her golden dreams. The iross was
not quitc washed out Of her soul, and
she dill not Yet know how much she
loved Fred Eci1erSon. Besides she did
not half believe HIM.
Tho ciuu2sy vessel ti"ate,I on, now
root first, nov sideways. ..1id 1iow half
submerged beneath the boiling c'1r-
rent. Their T,recar!ol:S hold became
more uncertain - ti,eir fr;l.os became
chilled i,y the cold water, al,l every
pitinGs OF the log Threatened to east
them once llCgc intO the river In
vain Fred ers!eav"resl tn attract she
attention. 0f some o:I@ an -" other
short. Iho ,ottnnnun.t retained q
course neatly III tGe middle Of the
. ,,;r:.a,l2, tDt f;,r from either i,Ga.. 10
rcc ler t:lc;r rltrrtts 81 match avail.
AZ It grew car, their situation grew
more and more hopeless, s,'l,i - Becky
: there a.:T-arn.i 10 l,e NJ, .--If.I., from
dtaj., either L. ,;rnWninG - tl4c
slaIl,:i,r>- oI' ~ exhaustion hnfor" tlev-
hrcais.
1,.:. II de il i;ris mans arms seemed
not whnllv Il 5trHur. She could |::.c,iiy
think II tiaati. li?it@t ..5lle, 81 :3lv va
/: " winch she would rather meet it
| Was it possible. she ln.ei HIM, and
mus. nce.is i}e brought within, the val
lsr of III si1atlQ:, before sll" could
know her heart: HAD che loved al
along? N-iiil. she WAS thinking ahnlit
II si.illrd hv tn. ni.:ht air, she fell
;tsioeD. WhcI, size aa,.kc Ire stars
.*cr,2 on hat s;l:' Was warrl and r,.:i.-
Portable Raising i.er head. She fnnnd
herself c.ov>'orc1i in F':e,l's cont.
.'FrcI :.
"sEcN :"
"lo1 1n-o r,..'.s>I Yourself /, ?,"ep
me Dar:1l. fau ,rn freezing"
NO ain't tool, it ttf because If
was 20 arsfni hot, " and taking on. his
h fndk","h:ef with his Iiscnga & d hand
he mad" l,r.>tcncc "i wipina, the per
-pirstinn from his brow
How long have been asleep @
''Ahout three hours. We a~c drift
, ing Ill shore now"
..sslall w. he saved q
I don't know. Pnt vcur ar1us
arolnd my neck, fos I'm g,iir to take
mine away
; Becky did this time as she MIS- i!id=
den. She not only threw her arms
quickly around his neck, hnt :,il: iaid
! her head upon, his breast, withon: the
! slightest hesitation. In the darkness
Fred tlil not know that she jnIprint.-d
! q kiss upon his shirt-hosOm
! "Hold fast now - hv cried "'p"l,t
; on. for vonr dear life >"
! The log had been gradually nearing
, tho shore for some time, and it now
/. shot suddenly under y large sycamore
, which overhung the bank and trailcd
! its branches in the brown Hood. Cui"il
! rs thought Fred seized the limb above
! his head. and pulled with all his might
! The headlong course OF the cottonwood
was checked it plunged heavily and
partly turned over, it's top became en-
tangled i'll the sycamore. and q eerriiic
cracking Of limbs ensur.t With IL
~