The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-12

starch all out of her nice clean pillow
shams by crying herself into by ster-
les on the bed? 1t was not all wrath,
not all vexation, not all pique. There
was somewhere deep down in Becky
Newton's heart, 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 Eckerson's wife, after all
'But then," she cried, growing hot
with the recollection, "he was so rude
and so insulting! L could never live
with such man-neverl"
When Fred Eckerson had walked
| off some of his feelings on the piazza,
he concluded to take a 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 regular spring rise" It's tur-
bid waters, rushing swiftly toward the
sea, had nearly filled the banks and,
in many places had broken through
the levees and flooded the Iowlands
for many miles. A crevasse of this
| description has been made in the far
ther bank, nearly opposite the house,
and the windows of the Newton man.
sion commanded a view of vast and
| glittering inland sea, not laid down on
the map. The main current of the
stream bore upon it's 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 frequent crashes
far and near told of the undermining
power of the current, as sections of
the sandy banks succumbed and dis
appeared, carrying with them the trees
which overhung the stream.
Now it happened that by curious
coincidence, Miss Newton also resolved
to look at the river She dried her
tears, and putting on her hat, slipped
out by the back door to avoid Fred,
and soon found herself at the foot of
a huge cottonwood tree on the bank
below the house. Throwing herself
upon the grass, and lulled by the
rapid food beneath she soon fell asleep.
Had she possessed any power of fore>
! seeing 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 fiittering through
the leaves overhead, the awakening
was not at all to her mind. A terri
bic crash made chaos of her dreams
the tall cottonwood toppled and fell
| and Miss Becky Newton found herself
| immersed in the cold flood, with her
mouth full of muddy water In
moment more, somebody's arm was
around her and she felt herself lifted
up and placed in the sunshine, though
precisely where, she was as yet too
bewjldered to know. Getting her eyes
open at last, she found Fred Ecker
sons whiskers nearly brushing her face.
"Well 7"
"Wellr
"Where am ?" asked Becky, shiv-
ering and looking around her.
"You are in the middle of the Mis-
sissippi," replied Fred, "and you are
i'll the fork of Il cottonwood tree, and
J-o~' s,re --eJ-~es;-s ~--| ~ Gle ~f
Mexico just as fast as the freshet can
carry you"
"HOw came you here ~
"In the same conveyance with your
self, Miss Becky In fact, you and l
and the tree all came together, to say
nothing of portion of your fathers
plantation, which l 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 2" she asked
CAS- long as you were. / was up in
the tree when you came !"
"You had no right to be up there"
she said, coloring, "a spy upon my
movements"
Nonsense" !" he replied, you in
truded upon my privacy, and while
! you slept | watched over you like the
sweet little cherUib that sits up alott."
! ''Thank you for the service, Pm
sure" she said, bridling.
"You snored awfully."
"Mr Ecllerson, remove your arm
from my waist"
"Ihen put yours arouhu my neck
'Indeed, | shall do no such thing"
"You will fall into the river if you
do not"
Becky was silent for few moments,
while the unwieldy raft whirled along
in the current, rolling from side to
side, and threatening every instant to
turn completely over and tip them Off
At last she said:
"What are we to do :"
sI think, now that l am started,
shall go on to New Orleans" he re-
piled.
s"To New Orleans ~ exclaimed
Becky. at is hundred miles !"
eyes, and the chance of a free ride
for a long distance is not to be ne
elected You can go ashore if you