National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-06-27
Jerry, whom does Tom love 7? said
she, quickly, turning 10 me.

love with, I meanP'
at was a curious way to get nj il.
Could / be justified? 1t was not ask
ing what had intended, but it was
getting Mt il in another way, and just as
well. perhaps. 1t was, ut all events,
asking Toms question for him, and il
saved me the embarrassment of putting
it as my own. determined this in an
instant.
Sarah, could you love Tom well
enough To marry himP
"I. Jerry! what do you mean ?
Suppose Tom wants you to be his
wife, will you marry him 2
"J don't know can't tell never
thought of such thing. You don't
think he has any such idea, do you?'
THAT was my answer. 1t was enough
as far IA it went, hut l was no better
off than before. She did not love Tom,
or she would never have answered this.
But did she love me? Would she mar
ry me ? Wouldn't she receive the idea
in just the same way?
81 looked back. Tom was on the
ground. had picked up his whip, and
had one foot in the stirrup, ready to
mount again. Ig.lped down my heart
that was up III my throat, and spoke
out
"'Sarah, will you marry me?'
Philip, she turned her eyes again
toward ne-those large brown eyes,
those holy eyes--and blessed me with
their unutterably glorious gaze. To my
dying hour | shall not forget that gaze ;
to all eternity it will remain in my soul
She looked at me one look ; and whether
it was pity, sorrow, surprise, or love,
can not tell you, that filed them and
ovcrfowed toward me from out their
immeasurable depths but, Philip, it
was the last light of those eyes / ever
saw--the last, the last.
:" Is there any thing left in that bot
tie? Thank you. Just glassful. You
will not take any Then, by your leave,
l will finish it. My story in nearly
ended, and / will not keep you much
! longer.
We had not noticed, so absorbed
black cloud had risen in the west and
obscured the sun, and covered the en-
tire sky and even the sultry air had
not called our attention to the coming
| thunderstorm.
"As she looked at me, even AS she
fixed her eyes on mine, a flash, binding
and fierce, fell on the top of pine tree
by the roadside, not fifty yards from
us, and the crash of the thunder shook
the foundations of the hills.
For a moment all was dazzling,
burning. blazing light then sight was
gone, and momentary darkness set
tied on our eyes. The horses crouched
to the ground in terror, and Sarah
bowed her head as if in the presence Of
God.
"All this was the work of an instant,
and the next, Toms horse sprang by us
on furious gallop, dragging Tom by
the stirrup. He had been in the act of
mounting when the fash came, and his
horse swerved and jumped so that his
foot caught, and he was dragged with
his head on the ground.
There was point in the road, about
fifty yards ahead, where it divided into
two. The one was the carriage track,
which wound down the mountain by
easy descents the other was foot
path, which was short, precipitous cut
to point on the carriage-road nearly
quarter of mile below
Calling to Sarah to keep back and
wait, | drove the spurs into my horse,
and went down the steep path. Look
ing back, saw her following, her horse
making tremendous speed: She kept
the carriage-road, following on after |
tercept his horse below.
"The pace was terrible. I could hear
them laundering down the track above.
looked up and caught sight of them
through the trees. looked down, and
saw n gully before me full eighteen feet
wide and as many deep.
"a great horse was that black horse
Caesar. and he took the gully at flying
leap that landed us far over it, and
later WAS at the point where
the roads again met, but only in time
to see The other two horses go by at
furious pace, Sarah's abreast OF the gray,
and she reaching her hand ont, bravely
trying to grasp the flying rein, as her
horse went leap for leap with him.
ITO ride close behind them was worse
than useless in such case. 1t would
but serve to increase their speed so l
fell back dozen rods and followed,
the end.
"At the foot of the mountain the river
ran, broad and deep, spanned by the
bridge at the narrowest point. To reach
he bridge, the road took a short turn
up stream, directly ON the bank.
"On swept the gray and the black
u Sc, side by side, down the hillside,
lot fifty leaps along the level ground,
md then came the turn. {
"She was on the off-side. At the sharp
urn she pressed ahead half-length
nd reined her horse across the gray's ,
houder, if possible to turn him up q
oward the bridge. C
at was all over in an instant. The
ray was the heavier horse. He pressed e
er close the black horse yielded, gave p
,ay toward the fence, stumbled, and p
be fence, a light rail, broke with v
rash, and they went over, all together a
lto the deep black stream. +
"Still, still the sound of that crash Il
nd plunge is in my ears. Still ] can y
ae them go headlong down that bank p
,gether into the black water d
II never knew exactly what l did
len. When / was conscious found
lyself swimming around in circle,
wing occasionally to Rnd them, but in A
Ain. The gray horse swan ashore and IL
ood on the bank by my black, with G,
nostrils and trembling limbs, Of
laking from head to foot with terror. b.
he other black horse was floating down OF
le surface of the stream, drowned. ct
lis mistress was nowhere visible, and Il
ON Was gone also. pl
~ found her at last. p,
Eyes, she was dead th
Restore her? No. A glance at her Il
ce showed how vain all such hope was. ut